2016 Nissan Leaf
The Verdict
Worst problem area
Brakes
Brakes leads by volume: 16 of 36 complaints (44%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Electrical include more fire reports (1) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 110 in 2015 to 36 in 2016.
Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | vs. 2016 electric vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 700 | 650 | 650 | 650 | 700 | |
| Combined MPGe | 114 | 114 | 112–114 | 112 | 112 | |
| City / Highway MPGe | 126 / 101 | 126 / 101 | 124–126 / 101 | 124 / 101 | 125 / 100 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Complaints filed | 34 | 110 | 36 | 17 | 66 | |
| Recalls issued | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Injuries reported | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2016 Nissan Leaf have?
4 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2016 Nissan Leaf?
Brakes: 16 of 36 NHTSA complaints (44%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2016 Nissan Leaf get?
EPA rates it 112–114 MPGe combined across 2 configurations.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2016 Nissan Leaf?
EPA estimates $650 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (2)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (A1) | — | — | Front-Wheel Drive | Electricity | Midsize Cars | 126 MPGe (high) | 101 MPGe | 114 MPGe (high) | $650 | 0 g/mi |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic (A1) | — | — | Front-Wheel Drive | Electricity | Midsize Cars | 124 MPGe (low) | 101 MPGe | 112 MPGe (low) | $650 | 0 g/mi |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (4)
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL · Campaign 23V296000 · Apr 27, 2023
Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2017 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."
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 May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23A1.
AIR BAGS · Campaign 17V253000 · Apr 17, 2017
Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Campaign 16V436000 · Jun 15, 2016
Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured February 9, 2016, to March 4, 2016. The wiring harness connector may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag.
Consequence: If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 9, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION · Campaign 16V244000 · Apr 26, 2016
Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.