NEW YORK – Nissan Motor Co. is asking Nissan Leaf electric vehicle owners to bring their cars back to their dealers so that a software glitch can be fixed. The problem has resulted in engine restarting problems in a small number of Leafs, the automaker said.

Dealers will reprogram the Leaf’s engine control computer. The repair takes about an hour. This is not considered a safety recall since the problem poses no safety risk, Nissan said.

Through March, Nissan had sold just less than 500 Leafs in the United States.

Addressing reporters at the New York International Auto Show, Nissan executive Brian Carolin said the company expects total U.S. Leaf sales for 2011 to be more than 10,000, the Detroit News reported. Carolin, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Nissan North America, added he expects no problems meeting demand for the Leaf for the rest of the year – despite the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.