Research · Midsize Cars · 2 NHTSA variants

2021 Nissan LeafRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

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.

Combined MPG
104–111mpg
EPA · 3 versions
NHTSA overall
5of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
4campaigns
Latest Oct 2025
Owner complaints
59
Top: electrical system
Fuel cost / yr
$700est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Electrical system: traction battery

Free remedy

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.

Electrical systemReported Oct 1, 2025NHTSA 25V655000

Back over prevention: camera

Free remedy

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."

Back over preventionReported Feb 2, 2024NHTSA 24V071000

Vehicle speed control

Free remedy

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.

Vehicle speed controlReported Jul 17, 2023NHTSA 23V494000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 8, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

59 complaints filed with NHTSA · Jun 2021 – Nov 2026
  1. Electrical system34
  2. Fuel/propulsion system10
  3. Engine6
  4. Visibility/wiper6
  5. Power train4
  6. Forward collision avoidance4
  7. Back over prevention3
  8. Exterior lighting2
  9. Air bags2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Leaf model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
201195
201257
201381
201434
2015110
201636
201714
201867
2019260
2020167
202159
202296
202322
20245
20257
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
5
Injuries reported
1
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Electrical system

34 reports3 fires
“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,…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 5, 2026Electrical systemODI 11775951

Fuel/propulsion system

10 reports
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 21, 2026Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11772696

Engine

6 reports2 fires
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 31, 2026EngineFire reportedODI 11761027
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

3 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Midsize Cars
Engines
Electric motor
Transmissions
Automatic (A1)
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Electricity
EV range
226 mi (EPA)

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 8, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Leaf (40 kW-hr battery pack)
Auto (A1) · Front-Wheel Drive
12399111$700—
Leaf (62 kW-hr battery pack)
Auto (A1) · Front-Wheel Drive
11897108$700—
Leaf SV/SL (62 kW-hr battery pack)
Auto (A1) · Front-Wheel Drive
11494104$750—
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 8, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
Overall rating
5/ 5
5 of 5
Nissan LEAF (40 KWh Battery) 5 HB FWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
10.7%
Overall
5 / 5
Nissan LEAF PLUS (62 KWh Battery) 5 HB FWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
10.7%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 8, 2026Vehicle 15533Vehicle 15534
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Tire rotation6,000–8,000 mi6–12 monthsEVs wear tires faster (weight, torque)
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–4 yearsRegen braking spares the pads, not the fluid
Battery coolantPer manualPer manualIntervals vary widely by maker
12V battery—3–5 years
  • Tire rotation6,000–8,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–4 years
  • Battery coolantPer manual
    Per manual
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2021 Leaf questions

How many recalls does the 2021 Nissan Leaf have?

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.

What are the most common 2021 Nissan Leaf problems?

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.

What MPG does the 2021 Nissan Leaf get?

The EPA rates the 2021 Nissan Leaf at 104–111 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (3 versions rated).

How safe is the 2021 Nissan Leaf?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2021 Nissan Leaf 5 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 8, 2026