RoadVitals

2018 Nissan Leaf

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
66
+3 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
4
Latest Feb 2, 2024
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
10
3 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 66 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, most frequently naming the driver assistance, brakes and electrical categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 123 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

4 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Feb 2, 2024
57,914 units potentially affected
The defect: 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."
The risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.Manufacturer number R23D7View on NHTSA.gov

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Jul 17, 2023
66,159 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Unintentional acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
The 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.Manufacturer number R23A6View on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

Feb 2, 2023
64,732 units potentially affected
The defect: 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."
The risk: Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.Manufacturer number R22C5View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP22005ClosedDefect Petition

Pedestrian alert sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023
Closed Aug 7, 2023

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEMLed to recall 22V063000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed Aug 3, 2026

vehicle brakes went out on the driver during normal operation.

NHTSA ID
11754400
Incident
Mar 3, 2026
Brakes
Filed Jul 31, 2026

vehicle was being driven like normal with no warning lights or icons. vehicle was bring driven at 35 miles an hour when suddenly the ABS fault message appeared on the dash, the dash started beeping and brakes became very hard to press.

NHTSA ID
11753926
Incident
Jul 28, 2026
Electrical
Filed Jul 16, 2026

This is the second high-voltage traction battery failure on this vehicle. The original HV battery failed and was replaced by Nissan under warranty at an authorized dealer on XXX, at approximately 59,000 miles. The Nissan-manufactured replacement pack has now failed after approximately 16 months in service. On XXX, at ~74000 miles, the vehicle was diagnosed at Johnson City Nissan ([XXX]) with an internal short circuit within the high-voltage battery pack The error codes were P31E7-00 0B and P0AA6-1A 0B. Dealer service personnel identified the condition as an internal short in the pack. Due to the fire risk associated with an internal short in a lithium-ion traction battery, I declined to take possession of the vehicle, which remains at the dealership. An internal short can lead to thermal runaway without warning, whether the vehicle is being driven, charging, or parked. The failure of a factory replacement battery pack in 16 months, following the failure of the original pack, indicates a potential manufacturing or design defect in Nissan's service replacement HV battery packs for this platform. I am reporting this so NHTSA can evaluate whether other Leaf replacement packs exhibit similar internal short failures. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11750729
Incident
Jun 29, 2026
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Jul 11, 2026

Car was fast charged on July 9th. 2026. After fast charging from 13% to 80%, and driving for a few miles, the overheating warning came on and car was forced to stop on the side of a busy highway until the engine cooled off. While there is an active recall for a similar problem (24V700), my car is not included and we were not notified.

NHTSA ID
11749783
Incident
Jul 9, 2026
Visibility
Filed May 31, 2026

Fail component: mechanical linkage (transmission rod) between the motor and the wiper arms. The ball pops out of the socket resulting in the wipers not working despite motor running. This happened with full speed wipers running. I repaired it, and two weeks later it disconnected again while running wipers at full speed in heavy rain. This left me without windshield wipers in heavy rain on a road with a 55mph speed limit. If I had not been able to quickly exit this would have resulted in significant risk to myself and other motorists. I was able to drive home on slower side roads, but the lack of wipers remained a safety issue. I have not taken in into a dealer or shop to have it reproduced. I will take photos while fixing. No incident or police reports were filed. There were no warning lights or alarms before or after this occurred. It seems this is a known issue that is common to Nissan vehicles including the leaf.

NHTSA ID
11741152
Incident
May 28, 2026
BrakesFuel system
Filed Jan 21, 2026

This vehicle is equipped with a feature known as "e-pedal" also known as one-pedal driving which is quite common on EVs. When this mode is activated, the accelerator pedal acts as a speed command (vs. power) and when the pedal is not depressed, the vehicle applies brakes until it comes to a standstill. Recently, the system has demonstrated a fault condition, where the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) issues a fault warning and disengages the e-pedal mode. This appears to occur randomly after the vehicle has been at a standstill for over one minute (e.g. waiting at a traffic signal) where the driver is using the one-pedal system vs. continuously applying pressure to the brake pedal. The safety issue is that when the system detects a fault and disengages e-pedal, the vehicle starts to move forward, requiring the driver to take immediate action to stop unwanted motion. This can lead to a collision with a vehicle or pedestrian in front of the vehicle. The desired behavior is that when the VCM detects a fault with the e-pedal system, it should engage the Park mode and prevent the vehicle from moving forward. The driver must then depress the brake pedal and affirmatively command the Drive mode before moving. Just disengaging the e-pedal (brake) without prior warning of a fault is a safety hazard.

NHTSA ID
11712360
Incident
Jan 20, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 8, 2026
Crash reported

On 1/6/2026, as I slowed down as I was turning into my parking lot. I had Eco and e-pedal ON for regenerative braking. As I was turning into the parking lot, the car suddenly accelerated, went over the curb, across the street, over another curb before finally stopping after colliding with a structure. I was driving slowly and distinctively recall braking. This sudden unintended acceleration put safety at risk and caused significant property damage. There were no warning signs or messages. The car is in the yard now and will be available for inspection.

NHTSA ID
11709726
Incident
Jan 6, 2026
Visibility
Filed Dec 19, 2025

The front windshield wipers on this car fail in light ice or snow. They've broken every winter I've owned this car (four years). This results in me driving around without front windshield wipers until I can get it fixed, watching the weather forecast and hoping I don't get caught in rain or snow. It happens despite my best efforts not to use the wipers in freezing weather unless absolutely necessary, going so far as to drive in light snow or rain without wipers to avoid breaking them. I've fixed it myself (not easy, especially in winter weather) and paid a mechanic to fix it for me at least three times. Most recently, the mechanic replaced the entire motor and linkage assembly which was extra expensive, but the right wiper broke again this Thanksgiving. (Until this last time, both wipers have always broken together.)

NHTSA ID
11706140
Incident
Nov 27, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

NTB09-131C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

NTB09-131C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

NTB15-049CC

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT: This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G network compatible TCU. TCUs compatible with 3G network only are no longer supported. SERVICE INFORMATION The APPLIED VEHICLES that come equipped with a factory installed SOS switch, located near the overhead map lamp, also come equipped with a wireless communication device called a Telematics Communication Unit (TCU). With an active NissanConnect® Services subscription, the TCU communicates with the NissanConnect® Services Data Center to provide various security and convenience services. This bulletin contains important service procedures that must be performed properly in order to set-up and maintain the telematics system for the APPLIED VEHICLES. · A table has been provided on the next page that lists the steps required to successfully configure a TCU after it has been replaced. · A CHECK-OFF SHEET has been provided on page 20 to print and check off steps as they are performed. Staple the completed CHECK-OFF SHEET to the repair order.

NTB19-033G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL; FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING; SERVICE BRAKES

INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. You MUST closely follow the entire SERVICE PROCEDURE as it contains information that is essential to successfully completing this repair. Nissan Bulletins are intended for use by qualified technicians, not 'do-it-yourselfers'. Qualified technicians are properly trained individuals who have the equipment, tools, safety instruction, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. NOTE: If you believe that a described condition may apply to a particular vehicle, DO NOT assume that it does. See your Nissan dealer to determine if this applies to your vehicle. The customer states that the ICC stopped working while driving, OR The customer states that the AEB/FEB warning light is ON, or turned ON, while driving (Figure 1), OR The message “Unavailable Front Radar Obstruction” or “Forward Driving Aids Temporarily Disabled Front Sensor Blocked See Owner's Manual” has displayed while driving (Figure 2). AND DTC C1A16, C1A16-97, C2582, or C2582-97 is the ONLY DTC stored. Figure 1 Figure 2 This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. Forward Driving Aids Temporarily Disabled Front Sensor Blocked See Owner’s Manual

NTB19-042F

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING; SERVICE BRAKES

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and there are no related DTCs, inspect the windshield. A blinking AEB warning light may occur under the following conditions:  When contamination or foreign material adhere to the lane camera viewing window on the windshield.  When driving while it is snowing or when frost forms on the lane camera viewing window on the windshield.  When the lane camera viewing window on the windshield is temporarily fogged up. Figure 1 Nissan Bulletins are intended for use by qualified technicians, not 'do-it-yourselfers'. Qualified technicians are properly trained individuals who have the equipment, tools, safety instruction, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. NOTE: If you believe that a described condition may apply to a particular vehicle, DO NOT assume that it does. See your Nissan dealer to determine if this applies to your vehicle. HINT: o Refer to the applicable ESM for diagnosis if DTCs are present in the Laser/Radar, ICC/ADAS, or Lane Camera systems. o For further information:  Refer to the following pages.  Use the search keyword “blinking” in the ESM.

NTB24-048

VISIBILITY/WIPER

*****Dealer Announcement***** Nissan is conducting a service campaign on certain specific MY2018-2025 Nissan LEAF vehicles identified in Service Comm and National Service History – Open Campaigns. On affected vehicles, at temperatures below -10°C/14°F, use of the blower motor at full speed can cause the defrost function to operate at a low electrical current and trigger failsafe logic. This may result in reduced defrost performance. Dealers will update the HVAC control software. *****What Dealers Should Do***** 1. Verify if vehicles are affected by this service campaign using Service Comm or DBS National Service History – Open Campaigns I.D. P4A17 • New vehicles in dealer inventory can also be identified using DBS (Sales-> Vehicle Inventory, and filter by Open Campaign).  Refer to NPSB 15-460 for additional information • Please continue to check newly arriving inventory for campaign applicability. 2. If a retailed vehicle affected by this Campaign ID visits the dealer for service, the dealer should inform the customer about the service campaign and communicate that the updated software is available. 3. Once remedied, dealers should submit the applicable warranty claim for the action performed so it can be closed in Service Comm and release the vehicle to the customer.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Nissan Leaf by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026220
2025700
2024500
2023193064.0
2022894170.0
2021524171.9
20201606166.5
20192525167.9
2018Viewing664167.5
2017172164.6
2016364153.5
20151084159.9
2014346363.3
2013815362.5
2012570349.3
2011950342.2
2010100

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.