2021 Nissan Leaf: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 4 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
51
Complaints
4
Recalls
2
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
1
Injuries
66.7
Severity index
Severity index 66.7 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Nissan Leaf ranks 32 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 64% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 31 | 60.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 | 21.6% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 8 | 15.7% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 6 | 11.8% |
| ENGINE | 5 | 9.8% |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 | 5.9% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 3 | 5.9% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 3.9% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 31 of 51 complaints (60.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 19 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 5.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23V048000 | 02/02/2023 | EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL | 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 re |
| 23V494000 | 17/07/2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 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. |
| 24V071000 | 02/02/2024 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | 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 Standar |
| 25V655000 | 01/10/2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.