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Nissan · NHTSA safety record

2022 Nissan Leaf

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 95 safety complaints about the 2022 Nissan Leaf with the US government. Of those, 7 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 3 people were injured and no death is recorded. 4 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 61 complaints, 64% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 60,000 miles, the median across the 7 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

95 complaints on file

95

Complaints

7

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

3

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints more than doubled year on year: 66 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 8 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 61 · 64%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 28 · 29%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 20 · 21%
POWER TRAIN 10 · 11%
SERVICE BRAKES 8 · 8%
ENGINE 7 · 7%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 · 3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 3%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 · 2%
AIR BAGS 1 · 1%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 1%
0 27 54

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 95.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 48.

52 39 26 13
22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2022 Nissan Leaf. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

4 on file

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

25V655000 · October 1, 2025

The defect
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2022 LEAF vehicles equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. The lithium-ion battery may overheat during Level 3 charging.
The risk
A quick charging battery that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised not to use Level 3 quick charging until the remedy is completed. Dealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 16, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's Customer Service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R25C8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 4, 2025.

Nissan North America, Inc. · up to 19,077 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

24V071000 · February 2, 2024

The 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."
The risk
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Nissan North America, Inc. · up to 57,914 vehicles across all model years covered

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

23V494000 · July 17, 2023

The 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.
The risk
Unintentional acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Nissan North America, Inc. · up to 66,159 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

23V048000 · February 2, 2023

The 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."
The risk
Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Nissan North America, Inc. · up to 64,732 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical 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.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

2 injured · crash

The E-pedal was on. Trying to park car and it jumped the curb when it lurched forward and brakes would not engage so I had to hit a tree to stop the car.

NHTSA complaint 11462273. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

Vehicle was involved in a head on collision at approximately 25-30 MPH and driver's airbag did not deploy

NHTSA complaint 11499464. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire

I am writing to formally document a catastrophic safety failure involving my vehicle, a Nissan LEAF, which resulted in a total vehicle fire, the destruction of personal property, and severe risk to human life. Prior to this incident, the vehicle had operated without issue. However, the vehicle became subject to an official safety recall. In attempting to resolve this, I brought the car to a Nissan dealership multiple times, only to be informed that no remedy was available yet. I was subsequently directed to call Nissan Consumer Affairs via their 800-number. The corporate representative instructed me to take the vehicle to a dealership for a formal evaluation. Following these instructions, I

NHTSA complaint 11767952, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash · towed

I had an accident that totaled the Leaf the day after I bought it. It was dark. The road was more congested than usual and a dog ran out into the road. According to eye witnesses, three vehicles including two Honda SUVs (the first vehicle that stated the whole mess didn't stay) managed to brake to a complete stop without rear ending one another. The Nissan Leaf could not brake quickly enough and I rear ended a CR-V with enough force that the Leaf airbags deployed and I could tell the Leaf was totaled at the scene. The emergency braking system never engaged and the brake pedal felt the same from beginning to end. I was not tailgating. The Leaf felt enough like my 2020 Kia Niro that I made

NHTSA complaint 11447113, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am submitting this complaint regarding a manufacturer‑performed recall on my 2022 Nissan LEAF that resulted in a complete loss of charging capability immediately after Nissan applied its software update. Prior to the recall, the vehicle operated normally and had no charging issues. Following the recall intervention, the vehicle became unable to charge at all. This failure occurred directly and immediately after Nissan’s recall action. At the dealership, battery replacement was initially presented as a potential remedy. However, Nissan corporate assigned the case to a third‑party administrator, and it became clear that no repair option — including battery replacement — was available.

NHTSA complaint 11766095, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery recall has not been serviced. I was turned away from dealers more than once for recall 25V-655.

NHTSA complaint 11764121. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My car all of a sudden lost drive power while I was driving up Parleys Canyon on I-80. My car started slowing down in traffic rapidly and I had to make emergency maneuvers to get to the side of the road. After the incident the car had trouble accelerating and couldn't keep up with traffic to get it to the shop. This is an active recall and Nissan refuses to fix the battery.

NHTSA complaint 11760989. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The high-voltage battery on my 2022 Nissan Leaf is subject to Recall 25V655. The recall notice states that the battery cells can develop excessive lithium deposits, which increases electrical resistance and can cause rapid battery heating during Level 3 fast charging. Nissan instructs owners not to use Level 3 charging at all until a “remedy” is available. The issue is that the remedy described by Nissan is not an actual repair of the battery defect. Nissan states it will install software that monitors for “state-of-charge fluctuation” and, if detected, will prevent the vehicle from restarting or recharging in order to avoid a thermal incident. This means the defect inside the battery cells

NHTSA complaint 11759526, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have attempted to conduct the recall repairs (25V-655) on the LEAF battery. 2 different Nissan locations have cancelled my scheduled appointments stating "We don't have the software to complete these repairs".

NHTSA complaint 11758070. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Nissan Leaf

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2023 20 3 —
2021 56 4 —
2020 166 6 —
2019 259 5 —
2018 66 4 —
2017 17 2 —
2016 36 4 —
2015 110 4 —
2014 34 6 —
2013 81 5 —
2012 57 0 —
2011 95 0 —

Other 2022 Nissan models

Rogue 238 Pathfinder 135 Frontier 112 Sentra 81 Altima 30 Versa 20 Titan 13 Rogue Sport 12

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Nissan on this site — 205 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst