Nissan Leaf recall on 47,000 cars for brake problem

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Saturday say the problem is centered on a relay inside the cars' electronic brake booster.

Justin Miller makes a phone call as he charges his 2013 Nissan Leaf electric car at ABB Inc.'s DC fast charging station in Salt Lake City, Utah, in this April 30, 2014 file photo. More than 47,000 of the cars were recalled March 2016 for a brake problem.

REUTERS/George Frey/Files

March 12, 2016

Nissan is recalling more than 47,000 Leaf electric cars in the U.S. and Canada, citing a possible brake malfunction.

Documents posted by the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Saturday say the problem is centered on a relay inside the cars' electronic brake booster.

Very cold temperatures can cause the relay to fail, requiring more driver effort to operate the brakes. That could increase the risk of crashing.

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No accidents or injuries have been reported to Nissan.The automaker will notify owners who need repairs.

Some 2013 Leaf owners reported receiving a recall letter for this issue already. 

Dealers will reprogram software that controls the recalled cars' brake control, free of charge.

The recall includes 46,859 Leafs in the U.S. and another 679 in Canada from the 2013 through 2015 model years. The models in the recall were manufactured between Nov. 19, 2012 and July 31.

It's estimated that some 100,000 Nissan Leafs have been sold in the US since it's introduction in 2010.