Nissan Leaf Complaints (2022)

96 consumer complaints on file.

#11770700October 12, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Vehicle experienced total electrical propulsion loss while driving on a public highway and had to be towed. Dealer diagnosis confirmed Diagnostic Trouble Code P33ED-00 per Nissan Bulletin NTB26-032. This is related to the open federal battery recall R25C8; the recall remedy failed. Nissan authorized a high-voltage traction battery replacement under Powertrain Authorization #[XXX]. The vehicle has been held disabled at the dealership (Nissan of Everett, Washington) since [XXX] because it is unsafe to operate, and no replacement parts are available. Nissan North America agreed in writing (Intent Letter dated June 29, 2026, Case #[XXX]) to repurchase the vehicle but has not completed the buyback. The safety risk is a sudden, total loss of motive power while driving on public roads. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11767952September 30, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to formally document a catastrophic safety failure involving my vehicle, a Nissan LEAF, which resulted in a total vehicle fire, the destruction of personal property, and severe risk to human life. Prior to this incident, the vehicle had operated without issue. However, the vehicle became subject to an official safety recall. In attempting to resolve this, I brought the car to a Nissan dealership multiple times, only to be informed that no remedy was available yet. I was subsequently directed to call Nissan Consumer Affairs via their 800-number. The corporate representative instructed me to take the vehicle to a dealership for a formal evaluation. Following these instructions, I brought the vehicle to an alternative Nissan dealership. This facility performed a software update and explicitly assured me that the recall issue had been resolved. Furthermore, service personnel stated that it was entirely safe to utilize high-speed DC fast chargers (commonly referred to as superchargers). Approximately one month after this service was completed, I connected the vehicle to an EVgo fast-charging station. While the vehicle was charging, my son and I remained inside the cabin. We were resting and on the verge of falling asleep due to the expected charging duration. Suddenly, I heard loud crackling noises and witnessed heavy fumes emerging from the vehicle. We immediately evacuated the cabin. Within moments, the vehicle filled with thick smoke, and an active fire erupted. I contacted emergency services, and the fire department arrived to extinguish the blaze. Due to the extreme toxicity of lithium-ion battery smoke, emergency personnel ordered us to evacuate the immediate area to avoid lethal inhalation. The vehicle was completely incinerated, resulting in a total loss of both the automobile and all personal property contained within it. My son and I are incredibly fortunate to have survived.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766095September 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I am submitting this complaint regarding a manufacturer‑performed recall on my 2022 Nissan LEAF that resulted in a complete loss of charging capability immediately after Nissan applied its software update. Prior to the recall, the vehicle operated normally and had no charging issues. Following the recall intervention, the vehicle became unable to charge at all. This failure occurred directly and immediately after Nissan’s recall action. At the dealership, battery replacement was initially presented as a potential remedy. However, Nissan corporate assigned the case to a third‑party administrator, and it became clear that no repair option — including battery replacement — was available. Ultimately, Nissan proceeded with a buyback of the vehicle. This outcome raises a significant fairness concern. The vehicle is only four years old, and a battery replacement should reasonably be available to consumers when a manufacturer‑initiated recall causes the battery system to fail. Treating a four‑year‑old electric vehicle as irreparable — and offering repurchase as the only remedy — is not consistent with reasonable consumer expectations, especially when the failure was caused by the manufacturer’s own recall procedure. I am requesting that the agency review Nissan’s handling of this recall, the denial of battery replacement for a relatively new vehicle, and the use of repurchase as the sole remedy. The recall directly caused the vehicle to become inoperable, and Nissan’s refusal to authorize repair left the consumer with no reasonable path other than surrendering the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764121September 14, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery recall has not been serviced. I was turned away from dealers more than once for recall 25V-655.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760989August 31, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My car all of a sudden lost drive power while I was driving up Parleys Canyon on I-80. My car started slowing down in traffic rapidly and I had to make emergency maneuvers to get to the side of the road. After the incident the car had trouble accelerating and couldn't keep up with traffic to get it to the shop. This is an active recall and Nissan refuses to fix the battery.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759526August 25, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The high-voltage battery on my 2022 Nissan Leaf is subject to Recall 25V655. The recall notice states that the battery cells can develop excessive lithium deposits, which increases electrical resistance and can cause rapid battery heating during Level 3 fast charging. Nissan instructs owners not to use Level 3 charging at all until a “remedy” is available. The issue is that the remedy described by Nissan is not an actual repair of the battery defect. Nissan states it will install software that monitors for “state-of-charge fluctuation” and, if detected, will prevent the vehicle from restarting or recharging in order to avoid a thermal incident. This means the defect inside the battery cells is still present, and the car may disable itself if the defect begins to appear. The recall materials also state there is no warning before overheating occurs. This creates multiple safety concerns: • The underlying battery defect remains uncorrected. • The vehicle can become immobilized (unable to restart or recharge) if the software detects the condition. • Loss of Level 3 charging capability affects the ability to travel safely or plan charging when needed. • A battery fire risk exists during Level 3 charging if the defect is not detected in time. Nissan’s documents state that the software is meant only to prevent the “progression” of a thermal incident, not to repair the defective battery. I am concerned that my vehicle contains a known hazardous defect that has not been physically repaired and that the software-only response is inadequate to ensure safety. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA is aware that the remedy being offered does not address the internal battery defect itself and may leave owners exposed to continued safety and reliability risks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758070August 19, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have attempted to conduct the recall repairs (25V-655) on the LEAF battery. 2 different Nissan locations have cancelled my scheduled appointments stating "We don't have the software to complete these repairs".
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755107August 5, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VIN [XXX] battery percentage drops drastically and instantly once it reaches 50–60%. is behavior aligns with the active lithium deposit defects found under open Recall R25C8. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748775July 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After having the recall (Recall 25V655) remedy applied to my car, it will not restart after charging. I charged it once after receiving it back (the dealership had not fully charged it during the recall work - it was returned at 76%). And it immediately started throwing errors and will only be in neutral now. The Dealership service center maintains that this is not the result of the recall issue or the recall fix, which is quite unbelievable. I do not believe the recall remedy is actually a remedy.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747868July 2, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In October of 2025 , while driving my nissan leaf. Suden4ly i got an error message on the dash showing battery issue force reduced, due to this the vehicle driven at 55miles approximately lower it self down to 30 mph, I was approximat3ly 35 miles from home or any nissan service departments, I was able to drive the vehicle to my closest dealership and they were able to look at the possible cause, they gave me the vehicle back a couple of days after withe codes del3t3d and a supposedly fix was recharged the 12w battery. ,less than a week pass by and same issue happen and I was able to come back to their service department.for further diagnostic. Aproximat3ly 45 days went by and I stop by there service dep and was told they didn't have the equipments special gloves to work on the high volt electrical battery so instead of me leaving it there for it to just sit there I took it home with is not far from it, for two months to allow them tkme.to.get the required equipment. I come back on December 27 since rh3n is still there with no diagnostic results or repairs just sitting there, getting more damage as I come back a few months after, I had my children car seat on it and they are all molded and no longer usable. I contacted nissan cuatomet affairs months ago and after many calls and emails to get some one to finally accept to help me get a resolution in March I was told by letter sent to my email that they agreed to buy back the unit. They asked for some documents on the letter, I got all the documents, sent them and , them asking for.more documents not listed and taking weeks to even answer and email , since then its been months and all I know they will buy but I have no value or update if they need any further docs or if what are they waiting for.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745363June 20, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
I was at a red light on a slight decline with my foot on the regular brake. I am 99% certain the Epedal was on. Something startled me and I took my foot off the regular brake, but the Epedal should have held the car still. It didn't, and I rolled into a Jeep SUV, smashing in the front of my car where the charging port is. Progressive Insurance says my car is totalled. The airbags did not deploy, and no one was hurt, but my passenger, an 89-year old with a recent hip replacement, could have been compromised. I am researching Black Box retrieval options, but they appear to cost more than my deductible. There were no warnings that the system was faulty.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11744732June 17, 2026
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
"2022 Nissan Leaf 40 kWh (VIN: [XXX], ~41,570 miles) lost motive power at highway speed on [XXX]. Vehicle entered turtle mode and shifted into neutral while traveling on the freeway, requiring me to coast to an off-ramp (I was completely unable to use the accelerator nor move the car into Park). Vehicle was inoperable and required towing. This followed a similar incident on [XXX], where the vehicle entered turtle mode 7 miles from home despite showing 120 miles of indicated range. LeafSpy diagnostics confirm 8 weak battery cells with a 261 mV spread. Open recall NHTSA 25V-655 is unresolved. This is a safety defect, not normal degradation. I am attaching photos that show significant variance in mileage--at one point, I had 95 miles, and within 7 miles, it had gone to 0 miles and after another 8 miles, it entered turtle mode. 3 miles after that, the car essentially shut off and went into neutral. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743210June 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V655000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that a Level 3 charging error message was displayed, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who performed an electrical software update, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,830.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742970June 9, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am reporting a critical safety hazard involving my 2021 Nissan Leaf S Plus (approx. 117,000 miles). Since January 2025, the vehicle has exhibited dangerous battery degradation and voltage sag during operation. On my 30-mile highway commute, while driving at normal highway speeds—especially on inclines—the vehicle would suddenly display a low-power warning, and the remaining battery percentage would instantly crash. This caused a sudden, dangerous loss of propulsion in high-speed traffic, creating severe crash risks. I primarily charged at home and rarely used DC fast charging. On May 22, 2026, while actively driving, the dashboard flashed: "Service EV system unable to restart after power off." I pulled over, and upon turning the car off, it completely bricked. The auxiliary electronics power up, but the vehicle permanently refuses to enter "READY" (Drive) mode due to a high-voltage safety lock. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Nissan dealer. The certified technician's diagnostic report confirmed that the high-voltage traction battery has completely failed and is internally damaged. Crucially, this vehicle is currently under an active, unremedied safety recall (NHTSA Recall 25V655 / Nissan R25C8) due to excessive lithium deposits that cause severe battery degradation, sudden power loss, and fire risks. The physical failure of my battery is a direct manifestation of this exact manufacturing defect. Nissan’s software-only "interim remedy" did not fix the hardware defect; it simply bricked my car after exposing my family to highway propulsion loss. Nissan must be held legally responsible for replacing these defective, recalled battery packs regardless of mileage, as they present a severe, systemic risk of catastrophic failure and traffic accidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741317June 1, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Recall R25C8 has restricted my vehicle from Level 3 charging since October 2025. The manufacturer has left me with a vehicle that cannot perform basic long-distance transit for over half a year. This is our only vehicle and makes long distance traveling to visit family impossible without renting a car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739434May 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V655000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced the failure listed in the recall and the vehicle did not fully charge and had stalled. The failure mileage was 17,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737228May 12, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The high-voltage battery on my 2022 Nissan Leaf is subject to Recall 25V655. The recall notice states that the battery cells can develop excessive lithium deposits, which increases electrical resistance and can cause rapid battery heating during Level 3 fast charging. Nissan instructs owners not to use Level 3 charging at all until a “remedy” is available. The issue is that the remedy described by Nissan is not an actual repair of the battery defect. Nissan states it will install software that monitors for “state-of-charge fluctuation” and, if detected, will prevent the vehicle from restarting or recharging in order to avoid a thermal incident. This means the defect inside the battery cells is still present, and the car may disable itself if the defect begins to appear. The recall materials also state there is no warning before overheating occurs. This creates multiple safety concerns: • The underlying battery defect remains uncorrected. • The vehicle can become immobilized (unable to restart or recharge) if the software detects the condition. • Loss of Level 3 charging capability affects the ability to travel safely or plan charging when needed. • A battery fire risk exists during Level 3 charging if the defect is not detected in time. Nissan’s documents state that the software is meant only to prevent the “progression” of a thermal incident, not to repair the defective battery. I am concerned that my vehicle contains a known hazardous defect that has not been physically repaired and that the software-only response is inadequate to ensure safety. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA is aware that the remedy being offered does not address the internal battery defect itself and may leave owners exposed to continued safety and reliability risks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733023April 22, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I feel like the manufacture has failed to remedy recall 25V-655 in a timely manner. Not being able to fast charge is not a workable solution for the function of the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729738April 7, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Purchased 11/2022. Drove extensively out of town and charged with fast charger destroying the battery. Had towed into dealership 3 times they cleared the code 3 times (limp mode) Dealership refuses to change battery under warranty. Due to the fire hazard the car was put in non-op August 2024. Stuck with an unsafe car can’t drive it sell it or trade it in until the battery is replaced under warranty please help.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729239April 5, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2022 Nissan Leaf due to repeated and sudden battery failure that has created unsafe driving conditions. Over the past several months, my vehicle has experienced severe and unpredictable battery drain. Even after a full charge (approximately 100 miles indicated), the battery rapidly depletes to 20–30 miles or less within a short distance. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has lost charge unexpectedly, leaving me stranded and requiring assistance to safely return home. This issue presents a serious safety concern, as the sudden loss of battery power can occur while driving, increasing the risk of being stranded in unsafe locations or traffic conditions. I took the vehicle to an authorized Nissan service center (Bommarito Nissan), where it remained for several days for diagnosis. During this time, I was informed that the issue was being evaluated and that replacement of several battery modules or possibly the entire battery pack might be required. However, after internal review, the issue was dismissed and attributed solely to “weather conditions,” and no repair or replacement was performed. This explanation is not acceptable, as the same issue has occurred in normal and mild weather conditions. The problem persists and continues to impact the safe operation of the vehicle. Despite multiple requests, I have not received a complete diagnostic report or a clear technical explanation from Nissan. The vehicle remains unreliable and unsafe to operate due to the risk of sudden battery depletion. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter as a potential safety defect related to battery performance and loss of propulsion in an electric vehicle. Thank you for your attention to this serious safety concern. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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