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2017 Nissan Leaf

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 8 of 17 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Power Train complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2026
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

The manufacturer-installed 40kWh replacement battery has suffered an internal high-voltage isolation short to the vehicle chassis (Codes P0AA6/P31E7), creating an immediate fire and shock hazard. The component failed just 2 years after installation in 2024. Nissan is refusing to repair this severe safety defect because the vehic…

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The manufacturer-installed 40kWh replacement battery has suffered an internal high-voltage isolation short to the vehicle chassis (Codes P0AA6/P31E7), creating an immediate fire and shock hazard. The component failed just 2 years after installation in 2024. Nissan is refusing to repair this severe safety defect because the vehicle's original body frame is past its warranty window.

NHTSA ODI #11746566

Mileage unknown · May 8, 2026
Power Train

The reduction gear/transaxle failing. Metal in fluid leads to increased noise. Drivetrain will eventually fail and unsafe to drive. Case #56669999 was filed with Nissan Consumer Affairs and they have denied assistance for out of warranty repair. While the car is outside the number of years in the warranty, at 37K miles it is sti…

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The reduction gear/transaxle failing. Metal in fluid leads to increased noise. Drivetrain will eventually fail and unsafe to drive. Case #56669999 was filed with Nissan Consumer Affairs and they have denied assistance for out of warranty repair. While the car is outside the number of years in the warranty, at 37K miles it is still well within the 60K mileage warranty. A drivetrain should not fail with such low mileage despite years in service.

NHTSA ODI #11736530

61,749 miles · Oct 15, 2020
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

A SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WITH OUT AN AUDIBLE WARNING. THE VEHICLE OPERATES AT CREEP SPEED. I NOTICE IT BECAUSE THE CAN NOT ACCELERATE. A MOMENT OF CONFUSION SETS IN IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. A TELL TALE LIGHT OF A TURTLE COMES ON. I HAVE TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC TO PULL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS…

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A SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WITH OUT AN AUDIBLE WARNING. THE VEHICLE OPERATES AT CREEP SPEED. I NOTICE IT BECAUSE THE CAN NOT ACCELERATE. A MOMENT OF CONFUSION SETS IN IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. A TELL TALE LIGHT OF A TURTLE COMES ON. I HAVE TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC TO PULL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A CONCERN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE TELL TALE LIGHT GOES AWAY AFTER CYCLING THE POWER BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND STARTING IT ALL OVER. IT GIVES ME THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TROUBLE WENT AWAY. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED ONCE A YEAR. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. IT IS NOW HAPPENING ONCE A WEEK IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. SOMEONE CAN GET HURT IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO. I BELIEVE THE WARNING LIGHT SHOULD REMAIN ON UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED. I NOTICED THE ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE CLIMATE IS HOT AND I AM DRIVING WITH THE AC ON. THE BATTERY TEMPERATURE IS IN THE SAFE ZONE. NISSAN DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT.

NHTSA ODI #11364521

Official recalls

2

23V296000 · Equipment:other:owners/service/other Manual ; Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System

Apr 26, 2023

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 & remedy

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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Equipment:other:owners/service/other Manual

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.

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System

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.

17V253000 · Air Bags

Apr 13, 2017

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 & remedy

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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.