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2018 Nissan Leaf
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 68 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, most frequently naming the driver assistance, electrical and brakes categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 126 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 2018 | 2 | 2 |
| Jun 2018 | 1 | 3 |
| Oct 2018 | 1 | 4 |
| Dec 2018 | 1 | 5 |
| Jan 2019 | 1 | 6 |
| May 2019 | 1 | 7 |
| Jul 2019 | 2 | 9 |
| Nov 2019 | 1 | 10 |
| Dec 2019 | 1 | 11 |
| Jan 2020 | 1 | 12 |
| Feb 2020 | 2 | 14 |
| Mar 2020 | 1 | 15 |
| Jun 2020 | 1 | 16 |
| Jan 2021 | 1 | 17 |
| Feb 2021 | 2 | 19 |
| May 2021 | 1 | 20 |
| Aug 2021 | 1 | 21 |
| Oct 2021 | 1 | 22 |
| Jan 2022 | 1 | 23 |
| Apr 2022 | 1 | 24 |
| Jul 2022 | 1 | 25 |
| Sep 2022 | 1 | 26 |
| Nov 2022 | 2 | 28 |
| Mar 2023 | 1 | 29 |
| Apr 2023 | 1 | 30 |
| May 2023 | 1 | 31 |
| Jun 2023 | 1 | 32 |
| Jul 2023 | 1 | 33 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 34 |
| Sep 2023 | 1 | 35 |
| Oct 2023 | 1 | 36 |
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 37 |
| Dec 2023 | 1 | 38 |
| Feb 2024 | 1 | 39 |
| Mar 2024 | 2 | 41 |
| Apr 2024 | 1 | 42 |
| Jul 2024 | 2 | 44 |
| Oct 2024 | 1 | 45 |
| Dec 2024 | 3 | 48 |
| Jan 2025 | 2 | 50 |
| Feb 2025 | 3 | 53 |
| Mar 2025 | 1 | 54 |
| May 2025 | 1 | 55 |
| Jun 2025 | 1 | 56 |
| Dec 2025 | 3 | 59 |
| Jan 2026 | 2 | 61 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 62 |
| Jul 2026 | 3 | 65 |
| Aug 2026 | 1 | 66 |
| Oct 2026 | 2 | 68 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Driver assistance2422.0%
- Electrical2119.3%
- Brakes1917.4%
- Fuel system1412.8%
- Engine76.4%
- Airbags54.6%
- Steering54.6%
- Body & structure43.7%
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.govVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Pedestrian alert sounds
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.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
My High Voltage battery failed on my car at ~50k miles in 2022. Nissan replaced the battery under warranty. It has failed again now at 110k miles and is way worse than the previous failure. The car will abruptly shut down under load on hills or high speeds on the highway and I will get a P33ED battery fault code. Nissan customer service told me they would offer assistance and after 2 months of waiting on them to find the part number for the battery, they now informed me they won't help. After doing some research, there is a recall out for 2019-2022 Nissan leafs with possible fire related issues because of the batteries and the P33ED code that i am getting is directly related to this recall. I believe I have a recalled battery in my vehicle but Nissan won't offer any assistance because my VIN isn't necessarily recalled. I feel unsafe to charge or operate this car, especially under any type of speed or load and Nissan is offering no assistance in repairing the vehicle or even verifying the battery manufacturer date.
- NHTSA ID
- 11774184
- Incident
- Oct 1, 2026
I purchased this EV in 2021 with ~30k miles on it. On cold days ~20 degrees, the battery would drop rapidly under a load (going uphill, high speeds, etc) It would continue to drop until you were not under load anymore. The dealer said nothing was wrong until I had my family in the vehicle and it totally shut down on the highway going 70 mph and i lost all brakes, steering, etc. They finally took me seriously and put a new battery in at ~55k miles in 2022. I continued to have similar issues in the winter on really cold days, but not nearly as bad so i lived with it. At about 100k miles, it started doing a very similar issue, but way worse, and at any temperature. It got so bad i couldn't drive without the battery always being fully charged. Took it to the first dealer who said nothing is wrong with it even though i had videos of it happening. I then called nissan corporate and opened up a case and asked them directly "before i take it to another dealer for a second opinion, is this something that you can offer financial assistance with" and that lady said "yes, we can offer assistance for sure". I took it to another dealer who did some tests and confirmed it needed a battery. Shortly after that, the car now shuts down under even a slight load. A small backroad hill will shut it down and I get an error code P33ED now. This code is related to a battery recall on 2019- 2022 models that can cause a battery fire! After almost 2 months of nissan saying they didn't have the part available, they just informed me they won't offer any assistance because im out of warranty! Not only did i have the battery replaced once, but it has already failed a second time, and they installed a battery that is now recalled but wont honor the recall because my vin is a 2018. I am beyond frustrated with their lack of care about my families safety since this could catch fire! I am hoping to reach out to you for some additional guidance on this situation. Thank you.
- NHTSA ID
- 11771090
- Incident
- Aug 28, 2026
vehicle brakes went out on the driver during normal operation.
- NHTSA ID
- 11754400
- Incident
- Mar 3, 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
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
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
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
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
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2018-2025 LEAF; HVAC REPROGRAM INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary service campaign on certain specific model year 2018- 2025 LEAF vehicles to inspect the current HVAC part number and, if applicable, reprogram the HVAC. This service will be performed at no charge to the customer for parts or labor. IDENTIFICATION NUMBER Nissan has assigned identification number P6A16 to this campaign. This number must appear on all communication and documentation of any nature dealing with this campaign. DEALER RESPONSIBILITY Dealers are to repair vehicles falling within range of this campaign that enter the service department. This includes vehicles purchased from private parties, vehicles presented by transient (tourists) owners, and vehicles in a dealer’s inventory.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WIRING HARNESS REPAIR INFORMATION This bulletin is no longer active. For future reference, see the HRK mobile app and the Electronic Parts Catalog (EPC). Please discard previous versions of NTB14-032.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CAMPAIGN BULLETIN HVAC Defrost Reprogram Voluntary Service Campaign
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).
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).
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.
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
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.