Nissan recalls 527,491 cars over faulty engine that can catch fire or stall

Nissan Motor Co is recalling 527,491 units of its X-Trail sports utility vehicle, Serena minivan, and Lancy minivan due to a fault in an electric engine that can cause them to catch fire or stall.

In the worst-case scenario, 277,462 of the recalled vehicles—cars produced between September 2010 and June 2017—could catch fire.

The electric motor bearings in the impacted vehicles were improperly sealed, leaving them open to contaminants like dirt.

Although the remaining 250,029 automobiles made between June 2012 and June 2016 are not at risk of catching fire, the report warned that the engine could stall.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, Nissan received 3,963 reports of problems caused by a faulty electric motor in the "idling stop" system, a feature that automatically switches off the engine when stationary.

There have been five incidents of cars catching fire and six cases of vehicles being partially burned.