29 of the
84 complaints filed about the Nissan Ariya
are about the electrical system —
35% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2023.
On two occasions the car stopped while on the highway. Dealer checked it twice. Told me to drive it and when it happens again I should bring it in. The following is the transcription of the voicemail that Alex from the dealership left me Hey, this is Alex over at Peter's Nissan. Just giving me a call back. Uh, I did just received your keys from the technician. You need a couple more road tests today to see if you can get anything to happen, but unfortunately, we are unable to get the duplication to engage. Um, at this point what we're going to have to do is since Nissan needs it to either be driven to confirm which of the codes pops up 1st. Uh, we are going to need you to come on back and take the vehicle. um. You just drive it around for a while until you get it to pop back up uh as soon as it does pop back on. We're gonna have you not to clear the code and try and get here as soon as possible so we can get it. Unless if you can, sorry about that. Uh, 603-879-4203 thank you very much.
NHTSA complaint #11746564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle’s EV system and related electrical components appear to be malfunctioning, causing repeated “EV System Off” error messages and rendering the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and available for inspection upon request. The defect created a significant safety risk because the vehicle became unreliable and could unexpectedly fail to operate, leaving me stranded and without dependable transportation. This placed both myself and others at risk, especially if the failure occurred while driving or in traffic. Yes, the issue has been repeatedly reproduced and confirmed by the Nissan dealership. The vehicle has been towed to the dealership approximately five times for the same or substantially similar issue, and multiple repair attempts and part replacements have been made. The vehicle has been inspected by the Nissan dealership and Nissan Consumer Affairs has been notified on multiple occasions. Repairs and diagnostics were performed between March 20, 2026 and April 10, 2026, and the same issue reoccurred again on May 19, 2026. Yes, warning messages appeared prior to the failures, specifically the “EV System Off” warning message. These symptoms first began prior to the initial repair period in March 2026 and have continued to reoccur despite repair attempts.
NHTSA complaint #11739123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At low speeds after startup, the car automatically shifts from drive into neutral. The car will be locked in neutral, not letting you put it in park, drive, or reverse. To get the car back into drive, you must come to a complete stop, turn the car off, back on, and floor the accelerator. Failure to floor the accelerator will lead to the car getting stuck in neutral again. I have pulled out into traffic on numerous occasions and had the car die in the middle of the road, forcing me to come to a stop and fully turn it back on, sometimes multiple times. No warning messages appear.
NHTSA complaint #11722759 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car was unable to move when started up and displayed a warning that said "Service EV system." The car is within the initial 3 year warranty and has under 20,000 miles.
NHTSA complaint #11719727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DEFECTIVE COMPONENT & FAILURE MODE The vehicle suffered a failure in the 12-volt battery system, potentially involving the DC-to-DC Converter or the associated charging logic. This malfunction caused the lead-acid 12V battery to be severely overcharged and boiled while the vehicle was plugged in and parked. CATASTROPHIC SAFETY HAZARD The failure resulted in the release of highly toxic and flammable gases into an enclosed residential space (my garage), posing an immediate, life-threatening risk: TOXIC GAS POISONING: The boiling battery released a massive amount of Hydrogen Sulfide gas, identified by the distinctive, strong rotten-egg odor. H2S is a cellular asphyxiant and is fatal at high concentrations. EXPLOSION/FIRE RISK: The boiling battery also released highly flammable Hydrogen H2 gas, creating an explosion hazard inside the closed structure of the home. CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS Tues, 11/11/25 (approx. 5:00 PM): Noticed strong rotten-egg smell in the garage while the vehicle was charging. 5:30 PM: Called local gas company due to fear of a gas leak. 6:30 PM: The smell was still strongly detectable, indicating dangerous lingering concentrations. Suspecting the car, immediately unplugged. 7:00 PM: Identified the car as the source and moved the immobilized vehicle outside. 9:05 PM: Contacted Poison Control due to chemical inhalation/exposure risk. (immediate / risk of delayed symptoms). MANUFACTURER CONTACT & CURRENT STATUS Manufacturer Contact: I have notified Nissan Consumer Affairs of the safety hazard and received Case Number: 55990119. Current Status: The vehicle is currently immobilized and will be sent to dealership for repair. The defective components (battery and converter) are intact. Medical Status: I sought medical consultation and am monitoring for delayed neurological or respiratory effects (pulmonary edema) known to occur after H2S exposure.
NHTSA complaint #11699151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car was purchased new from the Nissan dealer at the end of Dec 2024 with 100miles, and currently has 5,798 miles on the odometer. The 12v battery failed, unable to be charged and hold a charge, this disabled the the EV from starting and functioning. The tow truck driver had to use a battery booster/charger to provide enough power to enable the control panel to be accessed, but not start the EV system. The EV lithium battery showed a charge capacity of 37%. With some luck the tow technician was about to get the vehicle to go into Neutral and move the vehicle so it could be put on the flatbed tow-truck. Surprised and concerned that the 12v battery failed without warning and within such a short amount of time from new car purchase.
NHTSA complaint #11682685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While charging my 2025 Nissan Ariya at an Electrify America DC fast charger, the vehicle failed to complete the charging “handoff” between the charger and the car. The charging station instructed me to disconnect and reconnect, but after multiple attempts, the system failed to establish a proper connection. Immediately after this, the entire vehicle shut down and became completely inoperable. This was the third occurrence of the same system failure since purchase, despite the vehicle having only ~11,377 miles. I contacted Nissan Roadside Assistance, and the vehicle had to be towed. The service technician at the selling dealer (Findlay Nissan, Henderson, NV) stated that another 2025 Ariya was towed from the same Electrify America location one day prior for the exact same issue. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle required a technician reset to restart the system but stated that this was not covered under warranty. A Nissan technician informally advised me to document and report this issue immediately due to repeated failures related to DC fast charging.
NHTSA complaint #11682602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We pulled up to an EVGO Charging station with 27% battery charge & 57 miles available. When we hooked up to the charging station it didn't recognize the vehicle & advised to detach & reconnect. We repeated this step 5 times before calling EVGO customer support. They rebooted the charging station & discovered it was the vehicle malfunctioning. My 2025 with only 764 miles on it read EV System Off. The entire car is an EV & it would not start. We couldn't move the vehicle out of the way for others to charge so they parked as close as they could to use the charging station. I contacted Nissan customer support for a tow and AAA called me back charging me $533.50 to tow directly to Riverside Service department to honor the extended warranty. 3hrs later I called AAA back waiting to be picked up & I was informed that they were not responsible for transporting people. We got stranded in Baker with my [XXX] mom with [XXX] & my [XXX] son for 8 hrs because no rideshare would pick up the fair. We had to contact our daughter in Vegas to pick us up to take us home in Riverside CA 232 miles one way arriving at 1am. For 2 days Nissan did not contact me so I had to show up in person to verify my vehicle was there. The service manager made every excuse for the car breaking down to avoid liability. He first blamed the EVGO charging station & then tried to convince me it was just a 12volt dead battery saying I can take the car back the same day to avoid a buy back due to the Lemon Law. The car wouldn't charge to run a diagnostic so he loaned me a rental. He told AAA that the car was a buyback to approve repairs for the damage the tow did when transporting the car to Riverside Nissan. The service manager made this the issue instead of the EV System Off Mechanical failure. After the Damage was approved the same day Nissan called me to pick up my car without ever giving me a diagnostic for why it shut down. Nissan lied to AAA & tried charging me a $35 daily rental fee. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (
NHTSA complaint #11681347 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had just left the [XXX] on the [XXX] when our Ariya suddenly lost power at highway speeds. It felt like a very dangerous situation, because there are very long distances between exits in this area, and the shoulder is somewhat narrow in spots. The high voltage battery had been DC fast charged to 95% at said service area minutes earlier. But the display suddenly went to 0%, turtle mode appeared, and the message “Warning Service EV System” showed on the display. For some reason, the windshield wipers also activated momentarily, despite it being a clear summer day. It was not possible to maintain speed, as the car had a power limit of about 10%. I was fortunate that we were able to limp the ~10 miles to the next exit behind a very slow RV. However, the car slowed down dramatically when going uphill. It was a very white knuckle experience. Once we made it off [XXX], I was able to slowly coast into a gas station parking lot and collect myself. I tried turning off the car and turning it back on, but the message did not go away. Since I also carry tools when traveling, I then tried disconnecting the 12 volt battery for a minute and reconnecting it. Fortunately, that made the error go away. Having a suspicion that the 12 volt battery could be at fault, I replaced the OEM flooded lead acid battery with an AGM battery at my own expensive. The next day, I took the vehicle to Poughkeepsie Nissan in Wappingers Falls, NY to be looked at. The write up is included with the submission. The dealer was not able to duplicate the issue, but they did see error codes stored within the car’s computers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11681148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
my car isnt listed for a current recall but should considering the software update does not match. Recall Reference: P4A30, P4A31 should have included my call as i dont have that update. Update 283C36PA5E is before the one shown in the recall.
NHTSA complaint #11671413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Component or system that failed: Electric Drive System / Charging System / Software – repeated failure displaying “EV System Off” message, rendering vehicle inoperable. Description of incident: This is the second time within 30 days that my 2025 Nissan Ariya (VIN: [XXX] ) has completely shut down and become undriveable. On [XXX], while attempting to use a DC fast charger at Electrify America (1150 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV), the vehicle failed to begin charging. After a few attempts, the dash displayed “EV System Off” and the car could not be restarted or shifted into gear. It had to be towed again — same as the incident on [XXX], which occurred under nearly identical circumstances. Safety risk: This failure left me stranded twice, with no warning or ability to drive. Had this happened on a freeway or in a rural area, it could have been dangerous. The dealer has only reset the vehicle each time with no resolution. Reproduction and inspection: The issue was inspected by Findlay Nissan Henderson. They stated that other Ariya owners have reported similar failures, especially after using Electrify America stations, and implied it may be a compatibility issue — yet this is not publicly disclosed by Nissan. I have charged successfully at Electrify America many times before, and the same charger worked immediately after my failure. Warning signs: No warning lights appeared before the failure. The “EV System Off” message appeared suddenly after connecting to the charger. Summary: This is a critical systems failure that recurs, impacts safety, and limits reliable use of the vehicle. I request this be formally investigated for a potential design or software flaw. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11661982 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
3 days after purchasing the vehicle the forward collision warning light and rear cross traffic light came on. The forward collision light warning also came and and deactivated my cruise controls. It was taken back to the dealer for a diagnostic which was unsuccessful and did not show any errors. The car was given back to us and 3 days later while my wife was taking the kids to school, the same errors occurred plus the dashboard went dark, and the driver's seat inflating back rest started to inflate and deflate. The car was taken back to the dealer and has been there for close to a week. I was given a call by the Nissan Service Representative stating that they will be replacing the forward assist part.
NHTSA complaint #11657889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This is the fourth time this has happened to us during normal driving. I pulled out onto a highway and suddenly with no prior warning, the car lost all power and went into what I can only describe as a "limp mode" and wouldn't go above 5 mph. I had to quickly pull off the road as traffic was catching up at highway speed. The dashboard flashed "Malfunction, see owners manual" and we had an orange triangle with an exclamation point as well as a circle with exclamation point with a wrench next to it. The traction control light and car with exclamation point were also lit up. After limping to a cross road we turned the car completely off for 5 min and when we restarted it, it worked normally. The same thing happened July 25, 2024 and I had the car in the dealership. They said they could not recreate the issue even though I showed them video of the dashboard acting strangely. The service manager said he believed something had blocked the front bumper sensor and that it should be fine now. We have already performed both software updated recalls and since then, it has happened to us twice more. The battery was at around 80%, had just been driven by my wife for around 30 min with no issues, was turned off in the driveway for about 15 min and then we left again. It was extremely cold during this issue (temps around 10 degrees F), but this has also happened during normal temps in the summer and fall.
NHTSA complaint #11637886 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car losing power while driving, and powering down to zero. Also slowly goin backwards while in standard drive mode. Dealership has been troubleshooting for 3 weeks and not fix has been found.
NHTSA complaint #11632058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
the car lost power in the middle of the freeway -and decelerated; in a highway with speed limit of 65mph while driving in I-680, all of a sudden the car slowed down from 65mph all the way to less than 20mph - displaying "power reduced - 0% battery" ; even it was recently fully charged - I was able to drive the car - back at 20mph speed - went straight to the Nissan dealer/service - where I left my car - and. was given a loaner car. the warning lamp ONLY appeared as soon as the car decelerated / slowed down
NHTSA complaint #11624119 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was on the highway and the car completely shut off. My electric battery which was at 50% and over 150 miles died. I had to veer off quickly to the side of the road and my steering wheel then locked. I've seen some forums on Reddit of this happening. The dashboard flashed "EV System Off" and the miles and % battery went to zero. It was incredibly scary since it was at night and the potential for a serious accident could've occurred. I had to be towed as well and the police wanted me off the road as quickly as possible so they called their own local towing company to do so. The Route 9 Nissan in MA looked at it and simply said it needed a "software update". Which is alarming because my whole car shut off. Nissan corporate and their roadside assistance from beginning to end have handled this horribly. I am over 8 days removed from the report and still nothing has been resolved. They even had the gumption to tell me on the phone that the towing charge I got would be a courtesy and they aren't sure if they could give it to me.
NHTSA complaint #11623883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving on the freeway this morning at 72% charge, approximately 5 miles into my 41 mile commute, message appeared on dash that battery charge was critically low, charge immediately. When this appeared the car was no longer showing the 72% charge, but 0% instead. The initial error was then replaced with "Warning Service EV System Power Reduced" and still showing 0% charge. Under reduced power I made it to a charging station 3 miles away and after a large number of attempts, finally got it to start charging. Immediately, the charge % returned to 70% and successfully charged to over 80%. To be safe I returned home instead of trying to finish my commute, as it was just past 3:00 AM and I didn't feel safe trying to complete the drive. I've also noticed since this has occurred the Nissan Connect app is no longer updating from the vehicle. If this is the same problem that others seem to have had, this becomes a highly dangerous situation both in the safety of the driver/passengers, but also everyone else on the road as the car goes to a reduced power mode!
NHTSA complaint #11586034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car screens suddenly shut down while driving on highway with no instrument cluster and no navigation screen and vehicle lost entire power excluding drive train. The cars screens both began to flash and speakers popped loudly with beeps and headlights began to flash along with interior lights all while going 80mph
NHTSA complaint #11582883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.