What Owners Report NHTSA ODI · 2,175,102 complaints · MY1998–2026

2016 Nissan Leaf

Typical pattern

4% of complaints about the 2016 Nissan Leaf came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2016 vehicle — around the middle of the 199 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.4 yr in service. The most-reported system is service brakes (16 complaints), typically at 4.1 yr or about 20,000 miles.

Complaints
50
Median age at failure
6.4 yr
Median mileage
20,000 n=22
Crash / fire / tow
8% of reports
Safety recalls
4

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System
0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y
Service brakes
16 reports · 20,000 mi
4.1 yr
12.5%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

23V296000 2023-04-26
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual

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."

Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.

17V253000 2017-04-13
Air bags

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.

In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.

16V436000 2016-06-15
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

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.

If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

16V244000 2016-04-26
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification

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.

If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

In owners’ own words

Service brakes 12,000 mi 2.3 yr in service
ON 6 OCCASIONS THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK ON FIRST CONTACT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A FULL STOP AT EITHER A STOP LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN ON CITY STREETS. RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REAPPLYING THE BRAKES FINALLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENED TO BOTH MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF AND HAPPENED ON BOTH STRAIGHT FLAT ROADS AND DOWNHILL ROADS. THIS HAPPENED IN BOTH REGENERATIVE AND NON-REGENERATIVE BRAKING BUT THE WORST FAILURE HAPPENED IN NON-REGENERATIVE BRAKING.
Service brakes mileage not reported 2.4 yr in service
CAR LOST ALL BREAK CAPABILITIES AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL WAS LOOSE AND CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE BREAKS, LOUD CRACK SOUND ON FIRST PUMP BEFORE BREAK WAS LOST. SINCE I WAS GOING AT LOW SPEED (30MPH) I COULD EMPLOY MANUAL BREAK TO STOP VEHICLE. BREAK REMAIN IN FAILURE STATE TILL ON HOUR LATER WHEN IT SEEM TO HAVE RETURNED.
Service brakes 20,000 mi 2.7 yr in service
I HAD A BRAKE FAILURE AT POWER ON ISSUE ON MY 2016 NISSAN LEAF SL. NOTHING ON THE DASH ALERTED ME. THE BRAKES DID WORK, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE NO VACUUM ASSIST, SO HAD TO PRESS REALLY HARD. TOWED TO A DEALER. REPLACED THE 12V BATTERY. VERY SCARY, I ROLLED OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION AND LUCKILY I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT OR RAN OVER A PEDESTRIAN.

Other Leaf model years

20222021202020192018201620152014201320122011

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