Electrical system: traction battery
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.
NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 59 owner complaints for the 2021 Nissan Leaf. Most complaints involve electrical system (34) and fuel/propulsion system (10). The EPA rates it 104–111 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall.
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.
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."
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.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
“I purchased a 2021 Nissan Leaf used on 9/9/2026 from CarMax Burbank with unrepaired NHTSA recalls 25V-655 and 24V-700 documented in my sale paperwork. The salesman told us they were simple recall repairs, nothing to worry about. When I took the car in, the authorized dealer's service advisor warned that the recall reprogramming could likely leave the vehicle inoperable if a battery fault code appeared, and recommended returning the car to CarMax because it was on a stop sale with no batteries available. A CarMax service consultant dismissed the warning as a scare tactic from that specific location, said they couldn't consider taking the car back unless we tried the recall repairs, and sent us to a different "partnered" Nissan dealer. On 10/21/2026, that dealership location recommended the LBC/VCM recall reprogramming, kept the vehicle eight hours, and released it as repaired and drivable. Less than 24 hours later, on 10/22/2026, while driving on the highway in heavy rain in moving traffic, the battery failed with [Warning, Service EV System, Power Reduced]. The vehicle was towed to the dealership on 10/23/2026, where the dealer confirmed the EV battery failed,…”
“So on October 1st, my car, my nissan Leaf went into turtle mode for the first time. And then yesterday, while I was on the highway, it went into turtle mode, dropped down to 50 miles per hour, and I got off the highway, and the car wouldn't move anymore. I had to turn off the car, wait a couple minutes, and turn it back on, and then it worked again. I was told to contact the dealer to get a car rental. The dealer said that they don't have any loaners available and that other customers are waiting. I contacted Nissan, and Nissan is using a third party called Morley to handle this, and Nissan's saying that Morley's in charge of it and Morley isn't responding. I have a car that's under warranty and has an approved battery replacement. They're trying to call buy the battery, and Nissan themselves says that they would provide a rental, but Nissan keeps referring me to Morley and the dealer is not providing me a rental. And I have a car that I believe is a Potential health hazard that I need to feel comfortable driving, and I don't feel like anybody's helping me.”
“The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V655000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while at a dealer charging the vehicle for approximately 15- 20 minutes, there was a fire coming from the front of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the fire department after several hours. A Police report was not filed. No injuries, medical attention, or damages were reported. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.”
Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.
| Version | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaf (40 kW-hr battery pack) Auto (A1) · Front-Wheel Drive | 123 | 99 | 111 | $700 | — |
| Leaf (62 kW-hr battery pack) Auto (A1) · Front-Wheel Drive | 118 | 97 | 108 | $700 | — |
| Leaf SV/SL (62 kW-hr battery pack) Auto (A1) · Front-Wheel Drive | 114 | 94 | 104 | $750 | — |
| Item | Miles | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tire rotation | 6,000–8,000 mi | 6–12 months | EVs wear tires faster (weight, torque) |
| Cabin air filter | 15,000–25,000 mi | 1–2 years | |
| Brake fluid | — | 2–4 years | Regen braking spares the pads, not the fluid |
| Battery coolant | Per manual | Per manual | Intervals vary widely by maker |
| 12V battery | — | 3–5 years |
4 safety recalls as of Nov 8, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.
Owners filed 59 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are electrical system (34), fuel/propulsion system (10), engine (6). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.
The EPA rates the 2021 Nissan Leaf at 104–111 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (3 versions rated).
NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2021 Nissan Leaf 5 out of 5 stars overall.