Nissan must recall 9,813 Ariyas built between June 2022 and May 2023 due to a fault in the inverter that could cause the electric motor to cut out. Despite the seemingly serious nature of the issue, the automaker believes that a software update is all that will be required to fix the problem.
Nissan first became aware of a potential issue in January 2022, when an Ariya’s motor shut off while it was moving at low speed during a production trial. While an investigation was launched, Nissan could find no signs of damage inside the motor.
Between February and April, it looked deeper into the issue, examining motors from other Ariyas. It discovered that conductive fibrous shavings from the slip ring end of the motor could spark, causing a momentary short circuit.
Read: Nissan Forgot To Bolt Down Some Ariya Steering Wheels
The short circuit doesn’t damage the motor but does initiate the inverter’s fail-safe mode. That’s exactly what happened in China in December 2022, when a driver reported that their vehicle shut off while they were driving slowly.
At the time, Nissan believed that the occurrence was rare, and the result of a leftover from the manufacturing process. However, this year it was discovered that the fibers can be generated by using the motor, and that can lead to it shutting off.
If that happens while the vehicle is on the highway, it can increase the risk of an accident, so Nissan is launching a recall. In addition to implementing a visual check for shavings in the slip ring assembly, the automaker created an improved inverter fail-safe controller logic.
Starting on October 20, owners of both single- and dual-motor Ariyas will be reached out to. They will be asked to return their Ariya to a nearby dealer, where a technician will reprogram the inverter to include the new fail-safe protocol. The repair will be completed free of charge and will take about an hour to complete.
