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    Welcome to Consumer Reports.

    We’re so glad to have you as a member. You now have access to benefits that can help you choose right, be safe and stay informed.
    Get Started
    2015
    New 2019
    Used 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

    Nissan Leaf Change Vehicle

    Nissan's LEAF holds the distinction of being the first widely available and affordable all-electric car. Overall, it's a civilized vehicle with very low running costs. It's very quiet, rides comfortably and is easy to enter and exit. The main drawbacks are its limited driving range of only about 75 miles per charge and long recharge times. This makes it best used as a commuter car or an urban runabout.
    Alerts
    There are 3 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
    2015
    New 2019
    Used 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

    Nissan Leaf

    Reliability

    Reliability indicates how models have performed in the past, providing the basis for predicting how the vehicles will hold up in the year ahead. These charts provide the most comprehensive reliability information available to consumers. Based on information received from our latest subscriber survey, our reliability history charts give you a rundown on how used vehicles are holding up in 17 potential trouble spots, ranging from the engine, transmission, and brakes to power equipment and the electrical system.

    Overall Reliability
    Most Common Trouble Spots
    Common Trouble Spot
    Common Trouble Spot
    See all 2015 Potential Trouble Spots
    The 2015 Nissan Leaf has been recalled 3 times by NHTSA. View Recalls
    Research Years *Redesign year
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    18*
    Overall Reliability Verdict
    Potential Trouble Spots
    Engine Major
    Engine Minor
    Engine Cooling
    Transmission Major
    Transmission Minor
    Drive System
    Fuel System
    Electric System
    Climate System
    Suspension
    Brakes
    Exhaust
    Paint/Trim
    Body Integrity
    Body Hardware
    Power Equipment
    In-car Electronics
    Show More Trouble Spots
    Show Fewer Trouble Spots
    Reliability indicates how models have performed in the past, providing the basis for predicting how the vehicles will hold up in the year ahead. These charts provide the most comprehensive reliability information available to consumers. Based on information received from our latest subscriber survey for about 500,000 vehicles, our reliability history charts give you a rundown on how 2000 through 2018 vehicles are holding up in 17 potential trouble spots, ranging from the engine, transmission, and brakes to power equipment and the electrical system. NA indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.

    Learn more about car Reliability.

    Owner Reported Trouble Spots

    The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2015 Nissan Leaf owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

    Body Hardware

    Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

    What Owners Say

    Glass defects

    “Problem with glass resulting in damaging wiper blades. Even after replacing windshield, new wipers still streak and make noise”

    Anonymous, WA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)

    “Raised area in glass leading to damaging wiper blading and not wiping cleanly”

    Randy H., WA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)
    Doors or sliding doors

    “Loose trim piece can interfere with passenger door closing”

    Anonymous, CA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)

    “passenger door latch is badly aligned, thelatch on the car body seems a little high and hits the door frame before being forced into the latch mechanism. Noisy and not smooth door closing results”

    Anonymous, GA (2015 Nissan Leaf SL Electric)

    “Dents in door and rocker panel noticed after taking delivery”

    Randy H., WA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)

    “Handle on rear passenger side door frequently sticks out”

    Corwin Z., CA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)
    Load more

    Paint/Trim

    Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

    What Owners Say

    Loose exterior trim or moldings

    “Damaged rocker panel from the factory”

    Anonymous, WA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)

    “the 'plastic' panels are poorly color matched (white) to the paint and the rear bumper seems a quarter inch too narrow for the metal body it is attached to”

    Anonymous, GA (2015 Nissan Leaf SL Electric)
    Loose interior trim or moldings

    “Passenger door sill trim molding falls off”

    Anonymous, CA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)

    “Threshold molding was not properly installed during manufacturing -- service department corrected”

    Anonymous, GA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)
    Load more

    Brakes

    Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

    What Owners Say

    Antilock system (ABS)

    “In cold weather the ABS froze and brakes would not operate correctly”

    George H., MO (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)

    “Complete sudden brake failure due to failure of ABS unit. Replaced ABS unit under warranty resulting in complete repair”

    Wayne C., CA (2015 Nissan Leaf SL Electric)
    Squeaking

    “Brakes squeaked slightly, as if wet, but nearly all the time. Fixed when ABS unit was replaced”

    Wayne C., CA (2015 Nissan Leaf SL Electric)

    In-car Electronics

    CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

    What Owners Say

    Display screen freezes up

    “Car repeatedly calls my cell phone when blue tooth connected. Everything is frozen when it does this”

    Anonymous, MD (2015 Nissan Leaf SL Electric)
    External music device interface (e.g., smart phone, MP3 player)

    “Manufacturers enabled phone pairing but not mp3 player pairing. This is an annoying feature. This is the lowest prices model and it has missing a lot features that come standard in equivalent priced vehicles. The lack of automatic headlights, the quality of good headlights, good wipers, and electronics make me think twice about buying again. The poor quality of headlight to me is a safety issue”

    Anonymous, MD (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)

    Climate System

    Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

    What Owners Say

    Heater system

    “With the heater turned all the way up we could not get any heat at all”

    Terry D., IA (2015 Nissan Leaf S Electric)

    Body Integrity

    Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

    What Owners Say

    Squeaks or rattles

    “We hear a squeak in the suspension when the car hits a bump in the road in a certain way. The squeak does not happen every time the car hits a bump so it is has been difficult for the dealer to diagnose it and fix it”

    Anonymous, CO (2015 Nissan Leaf SV Electric)

    Drive System

    Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

    What Owners Say

    Electrical failure

    “The entire system went down after an telematics update. After they finally were able to correct the issue (two attempts), the brakes failed. The car has been in the shop for three weeks and is still in the shop for the brakes”

    Scott H., TX (2015 Nissan Leaf SL Electric)

    Engine Major

    Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

    Engine Minor

    Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

    Electric System

    Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

    Fuel System

    Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

    Transmission Minor

    Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

    Exhaust

    Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

    Power Equipment

    Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

    Suspension

    Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

    Engine Cooling

    Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

    Compare 2015 Models

    Similar Cars
    BMW i3
    Chevrolet Volt
    Nissan Leaf
    This score shows whether the model had more or fewer problems overall than the average model of that year, calculated from the total number of problems reported by subscribers in all 17 trouble spots.
    Recalls
    PROVIDED BY
    AIR BAGS
    Apr 13 2017
    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.
    Read Recall Details
    Summary:
    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.
    What should you do:
    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.
    For more information:
    Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
    NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 17V253000
    Potential Number of Units Affected: 30038
    Hide Recall Details
    AIR BAGS: OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM - OCS (FRONT PASSENGER)
    Apr 26 2016
    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.
    Read Recall Details
    Summary:
    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.
    What should you do:
    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.
    For more information:
    Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
    NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 16V244000
    Potential Number of Units Affected: 3296947
    Hide Recall Details
    SERVICE BRAKES
    Feb 29 2016
    If the brake relay fails, longer distances or additional brake effort would be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Read Recall Details
    Summary:
    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.
    What should you do:
    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
    For more information:
    Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
    NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 16V119000
    Potential Number of Units Affected: 46859
    Hide Recall Details
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