2020 NISSAN LEAF — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 161 complaints · 6 recalls
Most-reported system: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (89 complaints · 55.3%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2019 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ELECTRICAL SYSTEM appears in 89 of 161 owner complaints (55.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 89 complaints, 55.3% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 89 · 55.3% FUEL SYSTEM: 22 complaints, 13.7% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 22 · 13.7% POWER TRAIN: 10 complaints, 6.2% of reports POWER TRAIN 10 · 6.2% FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: 6 complaints, 3.7% of reports FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6 · 3.7% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 5 complaints, 3.1% of reports ENGINE 5 · 3.1% BACK OVER PREVENTION: 4 complaints, 2.5% of reports BACK OVER PREVENTION 4 · 2.5% SUSPENSION: 2 complaints, 1.2% of reports SUSPENSION 2 · 1.2% VISIBILITY: 2 complaints, 1.2% of reports VISIBILITY 2 · 1.2% AIR BAGS: 1 complaints, 0.6% of reports AIR BAGS 1 · 0.6% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 28 complaints, 17.4% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 28 · 17.4% · 1 crash reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 89 55.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 22 13.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 10 6.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6 3.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 5 3.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
BACK OVER PREVENTION 4 2.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 2 1.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 2 1.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 1 0.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 28 17.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2020; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2020. 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2025-Q2: 23 owner reports 23 2025-Q3: 32 owner reports 32 2025-Q4: 21 owner reports 21 2026-Q1: 31 owner reports 31 2026-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2026-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 Owner reports Jul 2020 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 20V412000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V412000 Recall campaign 20V570000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V570000 Recall campaign 23V048000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V048000 Recall campaign 23V494000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V494000 Recall campaign 24V071000 ◆ Recall campaign 24V071000 Recall campaign 24V700000 ◆ Recall campaign 24V700000 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 23V048000 was reported 826 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 24V071000 was reported 857 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 24V700000 was reported 1,466 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 3
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 3
2023-Q4 Owner reports 3
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q4 Owner reports 6
2025-Q1 Owner reports 8
2025-Q2 Owner reports 23
2025-Q3 Owner reports 32
2025-Q4 Owner reports 21
2026-Q1 Owner reports 31
2026-Q2 Owner reports 14
2026-Q3 Owner reports 5
Recall campaign 1 20V412000
Recall campaign 1 20V570000
Recall campaign 1 23V048000
Recall campaign 1 23V494000
Recall campaign 1 24V071000
Recall campaign 1 24V700000
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (6)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V412000

    Report date
    Component:
    BACK OVER PREVENTION
    Consequence:
    The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. This recall began August 31, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V570000

    Report date
    Component:
    VISIBILITY
    Consequence:
    Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V048000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Nissan will mail an addendum with updated instructions on how to operate the defroster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 1, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V494000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    Unintentional acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will reprogram the vehicle control module (VCM), free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23A6.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 24V071000

    Report date
    Component:
    BACK OVER PREVENTION
    Consequence:
    A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23D7.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 24V700000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    A quick charging battery that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 3, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R24B2, P4A38, and P5A22.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 161 complaints · page 1 of 7

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources