Nissan North America, the American arm of Japanese automaker, has announced that is recalling thousands of Ariya EVs from the model year 2023 to fix a potential drive motor-related software defect. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has also confirmed the massive recall announced by the Japanese automaker. As per the NHTSA’s website, a total of 9,813 Nissan Ariya EVs from model year 2023 are being recalled due to a potential software defect in the vehicle’s drive motor system.

According to the summary report, the inverter software may incorrectly detect a short circuit and subsequently initiate a shutdown of the electric vehicle (EV) system, which can lead to a reduction in driving power.

Affected by this issue are the Nissan Ariya models (both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants). Notably, as the Ariya employs a distinct model, no other model from the Nissan or Infiniti brands are impacted.

The Japanese automaker anticipates that all the EVs subject to the recall will exhibit the identified defect. As per the report, minuscule fragments of conductive material from a drive motor component can temporarily trigger a short circuit in the slip rings, which are pivotal rotary electrical devices responsible for transmitting power or electrical signals. The so-called slip rings play a really crucial role in the efficient operation of the motor.

This momentary short circuit can result in a brief power interruption, a precautionary measure aimed at preventing harm to internal components. It prompts an "EV System Off" message on the dashboard display. It can also result in temporary halt of torque delivery to the wheels, until the system exits "fail-safe mode" through a restart. Notably, if this happens during high-speed driving, it could possibly lead to a hazardous situation or collision.

To address the aforementioned issue, certified dealers will perform a reprogramming of the inverter software without charging any extra cost. Notification of this recall and the necessary actions will be communicated to owners by 20th of October this year. The manufacturer initially identified this problem in January last year, which was followed by a complaint from at least one Ariya owner in China. Subsequently, many more Ariya owners reported similar incidents in California, Oklahoma and in some other parts of the United States.

The fresh recall marks another challenge for Nissan. Earlier this year, the Japanese automaker announced a recall for thousands of vehicles encompassing several models in North America due to the risk of the steering wheel detaching from the steering column, attributed to a potentially loose or missing bolt.