2018 Nissan Leaf
The Verdict
Worst problem area
Driver Assistance & Speed Control
Driver Assistance & Speed Control leads by volume: 23 of 66 complaints (35%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Steering include more reported injuries (2) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed rose from 17 in 2017 to 66 in 2018.
Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | vs. 2018 electric vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 650 | 650 | 700 | 700–750 | 700–750 | |
| Combined MPGe | 112–114 | 112 | 112 | 104–112 | 104–111 | |
| City / Highway MPGe | 124–126 / 101 | 124 / 101 | 125 / 100 | 114–124 / 94–99 | 114–123 / 94–99 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Complaints filed | 36 | 17 | 66 | 254 | 164 | |
| Recalls issued | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 1 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Injuries reported | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
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 2018 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 2018 Nissan Leaf?
Driver Assistance & Speed Control: 23 of 66 NHTSA complaints (35%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2018 Nissan Leaf get?
EPA rates it 112 MPGe combined.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2018 Nissan Leaf?
EPA estimates $700 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (1)
| 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 | 125 MPGe | 100 MPGe | 112 MPGe | $700 | 0 g/mi |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 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)
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA · Campaign 24V071000 · Feb 5, 2024
Defect: 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."
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.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · Campaign 23V494000 · Jul 18, 2023
Defect: 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.
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.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL · Campaign 23V048000 · Feb 3, 2023
Defect: 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."
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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA · Campaign 19V654000 · Sep 13, 2019
Defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.