2023 Nissan Ariya Loss Of Drive Power

A select number of 2023 Nissan Ariya vehicles may have an issue with the o-rings inside the electric front traction motor. This problem could result in an internal oil leak and an unexpected loss of drive power, posing a potential safety risk.

The Issue Explained

The defect, as outlined in Nissan's defect report, centers around the assembly process of the traction motor. During this process, the o-rings inside the motor on some Ariya vehicles may have been damaged. These o-rings play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the motor's internal components by preventing oil leaks.

If the o-rings are damaged, oil can leak within the motor, leading to abnormal wear and the generation of debris. Over time, the combination of leaked oil and debris can accumulate between the brush terminal and the motor housing. This build-up has the potential to create an abnormal electrical current flow within the Electric Vehicle (EV) traction motor.

The resulting abnormal condition may cause the vehicle to enter “fail-safe” mode, which could lead to a sudden loss of drive power without warning and prevent the vehicle from restarting. Such an unexpected loss of power while driving significantly increases the risk of a crash.

Chronology of Events

In February 2023, Nissan began receiving reports from Japan regarding certain 2023 Nissan Ariya vehicles displaying an "EV System Failure" message on the information display, along with an inability to restart the vehicle. This prompted an investigation, and traction motor assemblies were collected for further analysis.

Initial findings pointed to a potential interference between a production press-fit jig and the o-ring seal. A second complaint investigation revealed a similar issue, leading Nissan to review internal tooling production records. This review uncovered instances of an abnormally high bearing press load during production.

Further replication bench testing was conducted to understand the relationship between the bearing press fit load and potential o-ring damage. Nissan's assessment concluded that damage to the o-ring during the press-fit process could indeed lead to the reported problems.

What Owners Need to Know

If this condition occurs in an affected vehicle, a Malfunction-Indicator Lamp (MIL) will illuminate, accompanied by a warning message on the vehicle's information display stating "Restart is prohibited."

Nissan is asking owners of affected vehicles to return to their dealers to have the front traction motor assembly replaced. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on July 12, 2024. The recall is identified as R24A3C by Nissan, and the NHTSA campaign number is 24V-391.