Dear Alex,
I recently bought a new Nissan Qashqai Tekna e-Power and discovered there is a Facebook page dedicated to a common e-Power fault, which displays the error message “e-Power System Fault. Unable to restart after power off.” Do you know what the problem can be? Should I be worried as I do a lot of motorway driving?
– YM
Dear YM,
Nissan’s e-Power system is an unusual kind of full hybrid which effectively uses the petrol engine as a generator. The energy it supplies can be used to feed a 2.1kWh battery, or to power the electric motor directly.
The benefit of this system is that you get the seamless acceleration of an electric car with the easy refuelling and range of a petrol engine.
However, the fact that there is a Facebook group full of reports of this message suggests there’s a higher than normal number of faults with the system.
Worryingly, owners who have experienced the issue suggest that it’s caused by voltage fluctuations from that 2.1kWh traction battery and that the fix involves replacing the battery.
When I asked Nissan about the problem, it said in a statement: “Nissan e-Power is an exciting new technology that is covered by a three-year manufacturer warranty for customers’ peace of mind. In the unlikely event that a customer does experience an issue, they can visit their nearest Nissan dealership to have it checked over.”
A spokesman added that Nissan is not aware of a widespread issue, but did concede that Nissan knows of the Facebook group. They pointed out, however, that all the vehicles affected within this group should still be covered by the Nissan warranty.
That’s true, but it’s also true that they won’t be covered forever. If this issue affects a small batch of cars that get fixed before the warranty period expires, it might not be one to worry about.
However, if it’s more widespread, and owners start to find it crops up later on, they could be on the hook for an expensive battery swap – and Nissan might have some very angry customers beating a path to its door.
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