Nissan recalls 51 MY2026 Leaf EVs over battery fire risk

Nissan North America has filed a voluntary safety recall covering 51 model year 2026 Nissan Leaf electric vehicles due to a manufacturing defect that could cause the high-voltage battery to catch fire — even when the car is turned off and not charging.

The recall, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on March 31, 2026, and assigned recall number 26V188, affects Leaf units built between July 17, 2025, and November 26, 2025. All 51 vehicles are considered 100% likely to contain the defect.

What’s the problem?

The issue originates with battery cells produced by Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, a Tier 1 supplier based in Ibaraki, Japan. During the cathode manufacturing process, misalignment during transfer to a subsequent production step can cause it to contact manufacturing equipment, tearing its edge. If a cathode with a torn edge is assembled into a battery cell, the damaged material may fold onto itself, potentially causing an internal short circuit within the battery module.

The consequences are serious: an internal short can cause the battery to overheat, leading to a thermal event — including a battery fire — and increasing the risk of injury and property damage. Critically, Nissan notes there is no preceding warning before this condition can occur.

Two thermal incidents have been confirmed. The first took place in Japan on February 16, 2026; the second was reported at a U.S. Nissan dealership on March 2, 2026. In both cases, the vehicles were turned off and parked outside — not plugged in — when the events occurred. Nissan says it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the defect.

What affected owners should do right now

Nissan Consumer Affairs has already begun reaching out to owners by phone. The company is advising owners to:

• Stop charging the vehicle immediately
• Park outside and away from any building structures
• Bring the vehicle to a Nissan dealership

Nissan is providing a rental car to affected owners while they wait for a remedy to become available. Owners can also verify whether their vehicle is included in the recall by searching their VIN at the NHTSA website — VINs have been searchable since March 27, 2026.

An interim owner notification letter is expected to begin going out the week of April 17, 2026.

The fix

Once a remedy is ready, Nissan dealers will inspect the high-voltage battery and replace affected battery modules or, if necessary, the entire battery pack. Both the 78kWh heated and non-heated battery pack variants are covered under the recall. The repair will be performed free of charge, including parts and labor. Because the affected vehicles are under warranty, Nissan will not be offering a separate reimbursement program for pre-notification repairs.

The affected battery packs carry part numbers 295R0 7Tc4D (heated) and 295R0 7Tc6D (non-heated).

A small recall with serious implications

While 51 vehicles is a relatively small population, the nature of the defect — a fire risk with no warning signs, occurring in parked vehicles that aren’t even plugged in — makes this a high-priority safety issue. The fact that thermal events were confirmed in both the Japanese and U.S. markets before the recall was announced underscores the urgency.

Automotive Energy Supply Corporation has already implemented manufacturing process improvements to prevent this condition going forward and revised its end-of-line charge-discharge check (CDC) inspection procedures to better detect battery-characteristic anomalies before vehicles leave the factory.

Nissan Leaf owners with questions about the recall can contact Nissan Consumer Affairs or visit NHTSA.gov to search by VIN.