Nissan Leaf Owners Shouldn’t Fast Charge Until They Check For This Recall

Nissan has issued a recall for the 2021 and 2022 Leaf over concerns of fire risk while fast-charging the electric hatchback. Nissan’s filings with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate the EV’s battery could get too hot while using Level 3 fast charging, increasing the risk of a battery fire.

What’s Causing The Problem

Nissan’s previous-generation Leaf uses the old CHAdeMO connector to achieve Level 3 50-kilowatt fast-charging. Nissan says that the “lithium-ion battery in affected vehicles may experience excessive lithium deposits within battery cells, increasing the electrical resistance and potentially causing a fluctuation in the state of charge.” This fluctuation can cause heat issues, which in turn result in the “rapid heating” of the battery. Should that continue, a fire could break out, though Nissan estimates just 1 percent of the 19,077 total recalled units could suffer from the problem.

Which Models Are Affected

Per Nissan’s recall filings, 2022 cars are far more prone to the issue, with 12,532 recalled units. Just 6,545 2021 Leafs were recalled. Nissan fitted two battery packs—a 40 and 62kWh unit—to models produced during this time, and the recall covers both.

It also appears the car’s charge port has something to do with it, as filings provide specific production date ranges for the CHAdeMO ports installed in the affected units. However, Nissan does not elaborate further in its filings with the NHTSA. Nissan does state that these charge ports were made from 2018 to 2022.

How To Check If Your Car Is Recalled

If your Leaf is affected by the recall, you can check with the NHTSA. Luckily, the fix is a software patch that will “prevent progression to thermal incident.” In other words, it’ll stop a fire from happening.

What Happens Next

Nissan does state the software is still in development, but once the software is ready, owners will be notified. Dealers will be notified beginning October 3, 2025. Beginning on October 24, 2025, Nissan will issue an Interim Owner Letter instructing customers not to use Level 3 quick charging until the fix is ready.