Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Leaf, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system32
- Unknown or other13
- Fuel/propulsion system10
- Engine6
- Visibility/wiper6
- Forward collision avoidance4
- Power train3
- Back over prevention3
- Air bags2
- Exterior lighting2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2021 Nissan Leaf failed the safety check 1.07% of the time — 14% more often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 20,273 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2021
25,707 new Nissan Leaf cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2021; the largest markets were Norway (5,304), Germany (5,049), France (3,596).
- Average mass
- 1,651 kg
- Average CO₂
- 0 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 116 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Electric 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
1,113 first registered in 2021 are on Dutch roads; 12% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €41,841.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde276
- Band onvoldoende profiel172
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht155
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld80
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm71
- Band beschadigd52
- Mistlicht voor onjuist afgesteld19
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt11
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
8,144 cars built in 2021 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 95 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 742 of these cars first registered in 2021 took their annual MOT test. 94% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2021 the figure was 91%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.9% | 2.9% |
| Visibility | 0.8% | 1.6% |
| Brakes | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Suspension | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 0.1% | 0.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
826 of these cars first registered in 2021 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 67,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
593 2021 cars are on the New Zealand register; 85% arrived as used imports, 15% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Nissan LEAF (40 KWh Battery) 5 HB FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.7 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 Nissan Leaf.
| 2025523 1 Oct 2025 | High Voltage Issue: On certain vehicles, the high-voltage battery could overheat while using level 3 quick charging. As a result, the battery could create smoke or heat, w… |
| 2024068 5 Feb 2024 | Visual System Issue: On certain vehicles, the rearview camera wiring harness could be damaged by movement and vibrations. If this happens, the rearview camera image may not… |
| 2023397 18 Jul 2023 | Powertrain Issue: Under certain conditions, the vehicle may not slow down after you release the accelerator pedal. This problem can only happen after a specific series o… |
| 2023045 8 Feb 2023 | Heater And Defroster Issue: When the temperature is below -10° C, the defroster may not work properly if you follow the instructions in the owner's manual and use the maximum fan … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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 requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Nissan told its dealers about the 2021 Nissan Leaf: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11009068 | DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page) |
| 11004974 | VEHICLE WILL NOT START AND DTCS P31E7 AND P0AA6 STORED IN EV/HEV CONTROL MODULE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11004969 | DTC C1A17-49 OR C2580-49 STORED IN LASER/RADAR This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11004962 | VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11004961 | CAN COMMUNICATION NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11004960 | CAN COMMUNICATION CODES DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11004148 | Subject: REVISION 2 R23D7 2018-2022 LEAF Rear View Camera Inspection - NCIR - Dealer Announcement REVISION 2 Please discard earlier versions of this bulletin. The announcement from May 20, 2024 has been revised to include the following: The remedy and parts are now available, please refer to NTB24-034 to remedy any vehicle affected by this campaign Parts for this campaign are on restriction and can be ordered via DBS. The parts restriction will be removed and dealers can order, as needed, via normal ordering process beginning July 19, 2024. Part number 24271-ZW40A (Protector Harness Kit) wi |
| 11004147 | VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN 2018-2022 LEAF; REAR CAMERA CAMPAIGN ID #: R23D7 APPLIED VEHICLES: 2018-2022 LEAF (ZE1) Check Service COMM or Dealer Business Systems (DBS) National Service History to confirm campaign eligibility. INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary safety recall campaign on certain specific model year 2018-2022 LEAF vehicles to inspect the rear camera operation and either add support to the rear camera harness or, if necessary, replace the rear camera. This service will be performed at no charge to the customer for parts or labor. IDENTIFICATION NUMBER Nissan has |
| 11001208 | AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001201 | WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001194 | REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001191 | WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10251538 | DTC P18B1 STORED IN THE SHIFT CONTROL UNIT IF YOU CONFIRM DTC P18B1 for CONTROL MODULE is stored in the Shift Control Unit. ACTION Follow the SERVICE PROCEDURE in this bulletin to: 1. Confirm the current Shift Control Unit part number. 2. Reprogram the Shift Control Unit, if applicable. |
| 10251535 | SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin is no longer active. To access infotainment software updates via the Infotainment Software Update Utility: Select SPECIALTY TOOLS, and then select Infotainment Software Updates on the left side of ASIST. Please discard previous versions of NTB23-018. |
| 10249914 | SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin is no longer active. To access infotainment software updates via the Infotainment Software Update Utility: Select SPECIALTY TOOLS, and then select Infotainment Software Updates on the left side of ASIST. HINT: Initially, the Infotainment Software Update Utility will be available only on the CONSULT PC version of ASIST. The Utility will be added to ASIST WEB at a later date. Please discard previous versions of NTB23-018. |
| 10249898 | TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10243708 | DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10242148 | SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10242141 | SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10240538 | HORN INOPERATIVE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10239063 | LIB PACK INTERCHANGEABILITY SERVICE INFORMATION 40kWh Lithium-ion Battery (LiB) Packs are now interchangeable between 2018-2023 vehicles. For Example: 2018-2022 LEAF 40kWh LiB packs can be used on 2023 LEAF 40kWh vehicles and 2023 LEAF 40kWh LiB packs can be used on 2018-2022 LEAF vehicles. IMPORTANT: The LiB modules and the Li-ion Battery Controller (LBC) are not interchangeable between LiB packs. If a LiB module or the LBC requires replacement, do not look up the part number in EPC using the VIN. Use the installed LiB module or LBC part number to determine the correct LiB mod |
| 10239062 | SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components. To avoid the risk of death or severe personal injury, do not directly spray Silicone-based lubricant or grease, or inadvertently overspray Silicone-based lubricant or grease onto any interior electrical components. These types of lubricants can be detrimental to the proper operation of electrical components. |
| 10239060 | 12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while performing 12V battery testing. These recommendations are expected to promote uniformity during the connection process, therefore reducing the number of incorrect Test with DCA and Replace results. HINT: If 12 volt batteries are allowed to discharge for a prolonged period of time, battery life may be drastically reduced. This condition may lead to premature battery replacement and customer dissatisfaction. |
| 10235775 | SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10235710 | INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation