Nissan Kicks and Leaf included in recall of 1.4M vehicles globally

A Nissan spokesperson told Bloomberg the automaker is recalling 1.38 million vehicles in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. covering five model lines: Kicks, Leaf, Note, Note Aura, and Serena. The Kicks and the Leaf are the only models sold in the U.S. now; the Versa Note retired from our market in 2019. It appears the spokesperson didn't share model year information nor detailed information about the problems. Bloomberg wrote the recall "involves several issues, including cars suddenly accelerating after exiting cruise control and a short circuit that can cause motors to stop while driving," without explaining further.

Autoevolution reports that all five model lines might suffer from a software issue that can cause unintended acceleration after the driver turns off the cruise control. 

From the same report, the second problem is a potentially defective cover on a hose and only affects the Kicks, Note, and Serena. Prolonged contact between the two can cause the hose to crack, and that crack can prevent the cars from starting. We have no idea, though, if that hose is carrying air, fuel, coolant, or some secret, fourth thing.

The Serena has the potential issue of a bolt damaging a wiring harness, resulting in a short circuit that shuts the motor down while driving. The Serena and the Note Aura have "an issue with the right headlamp." 

For those in the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn't list any new recalls for the Kicks and Leaf yet. These seem like matters that drivers would want to know about pronto, so a call to the dealer for some clarity might be in order if you have the keys to a Kicks or a Leaf. The phone number for Nissan Customer Service is 800-867-7669.