Nissan Leaf Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Own a Nissan Leaf? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
Nissan Leaf — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Excellent | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2025 | Excellent | — | 4 | — | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2024Best | Excellent | — | 1 | — | — | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2023 | Good | 2 | 16 | 6 | — | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2022 | Caution | 1 | 70 | 8 | 1 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2021 | Good | 1 | 42 | 6 | 3 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2020 | Caution | 4 | 80 | 3 | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2019Worst | Avoid | 2 | 147 | 7 | 9 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2018 | Good | 1 | 48 | 11 | 3 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2017 | Good | 1 | 20 | 2 | 1 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2016 | Good | 3 | 19 | — | — | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2015 | Caution | 3 | 78 | 5 | 2 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2014 | Good | 3 | 16 | 3 | 1 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2013 | Caution | 3 | 62 | 10 | 5 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2012 | Good | — | 41 | 5 | 6 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2011 | Good | — | 57 | 2 | — | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
16 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common Nissan Leaf Problems
Based on 704 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — Nissan Leaf (2022–2026)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2023 LEAF vehicles. The Owner's Manual instructions for defroster operation are incorrect, and may result in reduced defroster performance under specific conditions. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Remedy: Nissan will mail an addendum with updated instructions on how to operate the defroster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 1, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2023 LEAF vehicles. The vehicle may accelerate unintentionally if the driving mode is changed ("D" to "B"; e-Pedal "On"; or "ECO" mode) after disengaging the cruise control.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the vehicle control module (VCM), free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23A6.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2022 LEAF vehicles equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. The lithium-ion battery may overheat during Level 3 charging.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to use Level 3 quick charging until the remedy is completed. Dealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed April 6, 2026. A second notice will be sent once the remedy becomes available, anticipated May 20, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's Customer Service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R25C8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 4, 2025.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2022 LEAF vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23D7.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023 LEAF vehicles. The right-hand brake tubes may have been damaged during production and could corrode, possibly causing a hole in the brake line and a brake fluid leak.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the right-hand brake tube, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 7, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC976.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2026 LEAF vehicles. The high voltage battery may have internal damage that can cause a short circuit within the battery module.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures and should not charge their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the battery modules or the battery, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed April 24, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in July 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's number for this recall is R25F1. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 27, 2026.
Showing 6 recalls from 2022–2026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
Recent Owner Complaints
Direct reports filed with NHTSA by Nissan Leaf owners — 2022–2026 model years.
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the message "Service EV" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled for the following day. The contact stated that while driving into the dealer parking lot, the audible warning "Caution Fire" activated. The contact immediately parked the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,750.
when level 3 charging the cabin will fill with visible smoke every other time roughly. i have woken up from naps coughing and pressure in my head
When the outside temperature is below freezing, the heater runs for about 10 minutes and then starts blowing nothing but cold air. This is not just an inconvenience and discomfort, but leads to distracted driving which could result in an accident. Lately the temperature has sometimes dipped below 0 degrees F, and the car is almost undrivable. This problem has been widely discussed on the Leaf owners' forum online and was just acknowledged by my service representative at Valley Nissan in Longmont, CO. There were no warning lamps or other indications of the problem before or after.
While quickly shifting the car from drive to reverse the car will suddenly go full throttle in reverse with no pedal input. This is very easy to get it to do
Door latch hits door striker
Leased new vehicle, after approximately 900-miles, started to hear knocking sounds during acceleration and deceleration. Checked wheel lug nuts and all were loose and passenger side wheel lock was missing. Torque spec at factory needs to be reviewed. Contacted the dealership, Tynan’s Nissan in Aurora, CO.
6 total complaints retrieved from NHTSA for 2022–2026. For older model years, see individual year pages.
Leaf Years to Avoid
Best Leaf Years to Buy
Nissan Leaf Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — Nissan Leaf Reliability
What year Leaf has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2019 Nissan Leaf had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 147 complaints and 2 safety recalls. See the full 2019 report for specific defects.
Is the Nissan Leaf reliable?
The Nissan Leaf has accumulated 704 owner-filed complaints and 25 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. The 2024 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used Leaf.
What are the most common Leaf problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Electrical System (213 reports), Service Brakes (111 reports), Unknown Or Other (85 reports), Fuel/Propulsion System (59 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my Leaf has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific Nissan Leaf VIN
Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Run a Free Nissan Leaf VIN Report →No account required · Instant results · Updated daily