Leaf (ZE0)
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Engine Reliability Ratings
Nissan Leaf Unidentified Engine
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Complaint Breakdown
Known Issues
Battery & Propulsion Reliability
Battery Electric (BEV)
Battery & propulsion complaint analysis for the 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf
That's near the typical rate for BEVs in this dataset (median 5.5 per year). Within the normal range for the category.
What kind of battery complaint?
Among the 64 battery-related complaints, here's the type mix. These percentages describe what the complaints are about — not how reliable the vehicle is overall.
Propulsion battery defects, capacity loss, BMS faults, replacement claims.
Low-voltage battery deaths, common on EVs and hybrids that use a 12V for accessories.
Loss of power, drive unit, inverter, traction motor, DC-DC converter.
Charge port, cable, mobile connector, or session failures.
Regen brake feel, one-pedal driving, B-mode complaints.
Battery fires, smoke, thermal runaway. Includes any complaint with fire reported.
Battery & propulsion recalls (1)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Nissan LEAF vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, through April 24, 2014. Due to a problem with the motor control circuit board, the inverter may fail, causing the vehicle shut down.
Consequence: An unexpected vehicle shut down increases the risk of a crash.
Sample complaint excerpts
High-Voltage Battery
- [2011] I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2011 NISSAN LEAF VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. I QUICKLY NOTICED THAT MY BATTERY CAPACITY WAS AT 5 BARS AND THE VEHICLE HAS 73300 MILES. I ALSO NOTICED THE EV SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER AND LET THEM KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO NEED A NEW BATTERY BUT WANTED TO KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE VEHICLES BATTERY BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE DEGRADATI
- [2011] THIS IS NOT RELATED TO ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE, BUT IT IS RELATED TO CONSUMER SAFETY AND PROTECTION. NISSAN SETTLED A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT AND AMENDED THEIR BATTERY REPLACEMENT/REPAIR WARRANTY SHORTLY AFTER THEY INTRODUCED THE LEAF TO THE US. VERY SOON AFTER THIS AMENDED WARRANTY WENT INTO EFFECT NISSAN SENT A LETTER TO ALL LEAF OWNERS AND ASKED US TO BRING OUR CAR IN FOR A "
- [2011] THE NISSAN LEAF WE PURCHASED FROM ABC NISSAN (PHOENIX, AZ) IN MARCH, 2011 BEGAN EXPERIENCING A RAPID DECREASE IN RANGE BEGINNING IN MARCH, 2012. FOR 5 MONTHS, DURING MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS, VISITS TO DEALERS, AND AMONG 2 WEEKS OF TESTING AT THE PROVING GROUNDS, WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT THE 30% REDUCTION IN DRIVING RANGE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IS NORMAL, GRADUAL CAPACITY LOSS AND IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANT
12V Auxiliary Battery
- [2013] The car suddenly lost power during freeway driving. The brake system appeared compromised. Turning off 12v accessories - which includes safety critical functions such as the defrost blower - was necessary to restore functionality. This is caused by a defective DC-DC converter that fails to properly charge the 12V battery, risking and repeatedly causing sudden loss power, loss of braking, and loss
- [2013] I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS AND THE 12V BATTERY DIED. SO I DISCONNECTED IT FROM THE CAR AND HOOKED IT UP TO MY 12V BATTERY CHARGER. WHEN IT WAS FULLY CHARGED, I RECONNECTED IT AND STARTED THE CAR. BOTH THE YELLOW AND RED WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AS WERE THE BRAKE, ABS, AND VDC LIGHTS. I STARTED BACKING UP IN THE DRIVEWAY AND AS SOON AS I PRESSED THE BRAKES, STRANGE NOISES CAME FROM THE FRO
- [2013] OCT 2017, LEAF PULLED OUT OF PARKING LOT FROM SHOPPING TRIP OK, DROVE PASS 1 STOP SING OK (RIGHT TURN, STOPPED) THEN LOST BRAKE FUNCTION AT UP COMING RIGHT LIGHT STOP, NO ABS, NO TRACTION CONTROL, NO NORMAL BRAKE FEEDBACK, NO 'ENGINE BRAKE' (SIMULATION OR RE-GENERATIVE BRAKING), WITHOUT ANY NOTICEABLE WARNING SUCH AS BEEPING SOUND. PANIC, TRIED TO PRESS 'PARK' NO REACTION, THE CAR FEEL LIKE ACCELE
Electric Propulsion
- [2011] TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN CHARGED THE ENTIRE NIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3
- [2013] The car suddenly lost power during freeway driving. The brake system appeared compromised. Turning off 12v accessories - which includes safety critical functions such as the defrost blower - was necessary to restore functionality. This is caused by a defective DC-DC converter that fails to properly charge the 12V battery, risking and repeatedly causing sudden loss power, loss of braking, and loss
- [2013] The Nissan Leaf has a 6,600 watt charger that is attached to the top of the 26,000 watt electrical motor. A 30 Amp Nissan charging cord connects the 220 volt electrical outlet (dryer) to the Leaf via a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772 Plug. Unknown to me a desert rat had chewed the insulation down to the wires of the charging cord, leaving the wires bare. The desert rat was not ele
Charging System
- [2013] The Nissan Leaf has a 6,600 watt charger that is attached to the top of the 26,000 watt electrical motor. A 30 Amp Nissan charging cord connects the 220 volt electrical outlet (dryer) to the Leaf via a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772 Plug. Unknown to me a desert rat had chewed the insulation down to the wires of the charging cord, leaving the wires bare. The desert rat was not ele
- [2013] CAR WAS BEING CHARGED AT PEP STATION AT NCSU CAMPUS. WHEN I UNPLUGGED THE CHARGER FROM THE CAR, I SAW FUMES AND THE PLASTIC AT THE CHARGING PORT OF THE CAR WAS MELTED. *TR
- [2013] VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO HAVE CONTINUING CHARGE SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY LEAVING ME UNABLE TO DRIVE SOMETIMES DUE NOT BE FULLY CHARGED WHEN YOU EXPECT TO BE CHARGED AND HAVING PROBLEMS ON DIFFERENT CHARGING STATIONS CONTACT NISSAN 06/13/13 AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE TO THE DEALER AND 6/14/13 LEFT THE CAR AT DEALER COMMONWEALTH NISSAN THAT DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM AND CLAIM VEHICLE IS WORKING AS DESIGNED THEY W
Regenerative Braking
- [2014] TWO PASSENGERS, ONE IN DRIVER'S SEAT, ONE IN FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHO WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 140 LBS. APPLIED BRAKE, PUSHED THE POWER SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION, SHIFTED CAR TO REVERSE. BACKED UP A SHORT DISTANCE, THEN SHIFTED THE CAR TO DRIVE (B MODE). DROVE ABOUT 20 FEET. NOTED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT INDICATED THAT IT WAS OFF. STOPPED THE CAR. FRONT PASSAGE RELEASED SEATBELT,
- [2015] MY 2015 LEAF S IS 3 WEEKS OLD WITH LESS THAN 700 MILES. I WAS DESCENDING AN 8% GRADE HILL IN B MODE WITH A SHARP BEND AT THE BOTTOM. AS I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND B MODE CUT OUT. THE CAR WAS NOW ROLLING DOWN THE HILL AND ACCELERATING UNDER GRAVITY WITH NO BRAKES AND WITHOUT B MODE SLOWING THE CAR. I WAS EXPECTING TO HIT A BRICK WALL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL WHE
Thermal Events
- [2014] ON FEBRUARY 7, 2018, NISSAN LEAF CAUGHT FIRE WHILE CHARGING AT 3003 SUMMIT BLVD PARKING DECK P4, ATLANTA, GA 30068. AFTER REVIEW, NISSAN CLAIMS THAT THEY "FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A PRODUCT PROBLEM, FAILURE, OR MALFUNCTION THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT." VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WAS PLUGGED INTO CHARGER FOR LESS THAN 20 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING TO SMOKE AND CATCH FIRE. POLI
Source: classified from NHTSA complaint and recall data. "Battery-related" includes high-voltage propulsion battery, charging system, hybrid drivetrain, electric propulsion, regenerative braking, 12V auxiliary battery, and thermal-event complaints. Other complaints (suspension, steering, brakes, infotainment) appear in the engine and vehicle-level sections. Rates are absolute counts, not normalized per-VIN — high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints than low-volume ones. Self-reported death and injury counts are capped per complaint to limit form abuse.
Vehicle-Level Issues
These issues affect the Nissan Leaf regardless of engine variant.
Recalls (9)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2017 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."
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured February 9, 2016, to March 4, 2016. The wiring harness connector may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Nissan LEAF vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, through April 24, 2014. Due to a problem with the motor control circuit board, the inverter may fail, causing the vehicle shut down.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 28, 2014, through March 12, 2014. The front structural member assembly may be missing welds, which could reduce the structural integrity of the vehicle if the vehicle is involved in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 305, "Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection."
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.
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Alternatives in Compact Hatchback
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf problems?
The 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf has accumulated 419 NHTSA complaints. The most frequently reported problem areas are Brakes, Electrical System, Safety Systems. As with any used vehicle, an inspection before buying and a vehicle history report are recommended.
Which Nissan Leaf engine is most reliable?
The 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf was offered with 1 engine option. Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Nissan Leaf Unidentified Engine has the lowest complaint density and is considered the most reliable choice for buyers.
Is the 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf a good used car?
The 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf can be a sound used car depending on trim, mileage, and maintenance history. With 419 total NHTSA complaints on record, prospective buyers should review the known problem areas and check for open recalls before buying.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf have?
The 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf has 419 complaints filed with NHTSA as of our latest data pull. Complaint counts reflect owner-reported issues and do not necessarily indicate defects or safety risks on their own.
What recalls affect the 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf?
There are 9 NHTSA recalls affecting some 2011-2017 Nissan Leaf vehicles. Recall status varies by VIN — check the NHTSA recall database at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov with your specific VIN to confirm which campaigns apply.
What should I check before buying a used Nissan Leaf?
Before buying a used Nissan Leaf, verify all open recalls are completed via the NHTSA VIN lookup tool. Pay particular attention to Brakes, Electrical System, Safety Systems, which are the most commonly reported problem areas. Request maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle, and run a vehicle history report to check for prior accidents or title issues.
What are the NHTSA crash test ratings for the Leaf?
The 2017 Nissan Leaf received an overall N/A-star safety rating from NHTSA. Frontal crash: 4 stars. Side crash: N/A stars. Rollover: 4 stars (10.9% rollover probability). Electronic Stability Control: Standard. Forward Collision Warning: No. Lane Departure Warning: No. These ratings are based on standardized crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 419 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-05-23.