2026 NISSAN LEAF Recalls, Complaints & Safety

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

Defect Description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2026 LEAF vehicles. The outer rear seat belt automatic locking retractors (ALR) may deactivate early, which can prevent a child restraint system (CRS) from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Fede... Read more

Consequence

An improperly secured child restraint system may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the rear outboard seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 80... Read more

3,788 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

Defect Description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2026 LEAF vehicles. The high voltage battery may have internal damage that can cause a short circuit within the battery module.

Consequence

A short circuit in a high voltage battery module increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures and should not charge their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the battery modules or the battery, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed April 24, 2026. Additional letters ... Read more

51 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.

Complaint Statistics

4 total complaints

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL	1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	1

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

The CVT transmission failed at approximately 60,000 miles. The vehicle was fully maintained by Toyota dealerships. The failure of the transmission bearing will cause the car to lose power and could fail while driving, creating a risk of being stranded in traffic or being unable to accelerate to avoi... Read more

Incident date: Apr 13, 2026

The vehicle reads the speed limit signs improperly and the adaptive cruise control will speed up the vehicle to the improper speed limit. For instance it is 45 mph on SR 70 in TN and the vehicle will read the speed limit as 70 mph and take off up to 70 mph on it's own. Very dangerous. Took it to 2 d... Read more

Incident date: Apr 13, 2026

The speed sign reading technology reads the S.R road signs as speed limit signs. I have a 25 model and it does not do this. The 2026 model is equipped with the pro pilot system which is not on the 2025 model.

Incident date: Apr 13, 2026

The speed sign reading technology reads the S.R road signs as speed limit signs. I have a 25 model and it does not do this. The 2026 model is equipped with the pro pilot system which is not on the 2025 model.

NHTSA Safety Investigations, NISSAN LEAF

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2011

Front Occupant Classification System Mat

Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 19-015 was opened as a result of Defect Petition (DP) 19-002 which alleged that model year (MY) 2011 and 2012 Nissan Leaf were affected by the same defect addressed in an earlier recall, NHTSA Safety Recall 16V-244, but were not included in the scope of that recall.NHTSA ... 16V-244 involved a defect in the Occupant Classification System, a system intended to suppress deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag under certain specific conditions. Although the DP19-002 analysis determined the allegation that earlier MY Leaf vehicles should have been included in 16V-244 was not founded, the Office of Defects Investigation nonetheless granted the petition and commenced this investigation into the 2011 and 2012 Leaf since OCS failures were reportedly occurring in these vehicles. Further details on DP19-002 can be found at NHTSA.gov.On October 25, 2019, ODI sent an information request letter to Nissan North America (Nissan) requesting pertinent information on the subject 2011 and 2012 Leaf. Nissan provided its response on December 13, 2019. ODI has reviewed the information Nissan provided as well as new reports submitted to NHTSA's Vehicle Owner Questionnaire database. Based on review of all available information, and at this time, ODI has identified evidence supporting that a total of 76 subject vehicles likely experienced a failure of the subject passenger seat OCS mat. The count represents an incidence rate of about 0.4% on subject vehicles that average 8 to 9 years in service.Consistent with Nissan's explanation of how the subject OCS was intended to function, ODI's review of the reports indicates that when an OCS mat failure occurs, two different warning indicators appear on the instrument panel. The warnings provide clear and unambiguous notice to occupants that an OCS problem has been detected, and the owner's manual provides further information regarding the meaning and consequences of the detected failure, as well as advice to seek service. Additionally the OCS will store a diagnostic trouble code to aid service technician diagnosis, and the occupant warnings remain present until the underlying failure has been corrected.In its responses to ODI, Nissan also provided its assessment of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles, stating that it does not believe that an unreasonable risk to safety exists. Nissan states that its assessment of failed OCS mats recently collected from the field showed that external factors (e.g., damage from foreign objects) were responsible for the failures, rather than a design or manufacturing defect. Nissan also cited clear visual warnings and low incidence rates occurring in comparatively older vehicles as factors in its determination that a recall was not warranted. Lastly Nissan noted that most of the complaints received for this issue involved a high customer expense for the cost of repair for the OCS system, which is consistent with ODI's observations. Nissan is apparently considering a reduction in repair part cost as a means to address the customer satisfaction aspect of these complaints.Based on the analysis conducted, this investigation will be closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. NHTSA reserves the right take additional actions if warranted by future circumstances.The 20 ODI numbers cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following identification (ODI) numbers:11176324, 11193091, 11286687, 11290303, 11152569, 11207486, 11180021(duplicate of 11103556), 11103556, 11196006, 11287002, 11101830, 11193208, 11256669, 11172159, 11282156, 11102456, 11123812,Read more

DP, Closed , Model Year: 2011

Front Occupant Classification System Mat

A defect petition (see DP19-002) was received July 23, 2019 alleging that the occupant classification system (OCS) sensor (mat) in model year (MY) 2011 Nissan Leaf vehicles is defective and affects the proper deployment of the passenger front air bag. The petitioner provided a list of potentially re... lated NHTSA reports and noted a Nissan recall involving later MY Leaf vehicles with OCS defect. NHTSA is granting the petition and opening a preliminary evaluation in response, please see PE19-015.Since receiving the defect petition, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has determined that the MY 2011 and 2012 Leaf share a common OCS design, both using the same sensor mat for passenger presence sensing. Starting in MY 2013, Leaf OCS was changed to a design using a different sensing system, one that did not use the mat present in prior model year, Nissan Leaf. While MY 2013-2016 Leaf vehicles were recalled for an OCS defect under recall 16V-244, a recall influenced by ODI investigation EA15-004, earlier MY Leaf vehicles were not included because they were not affected by the particular defect involved in that recall.ODI identified and reviewed 13 vehicle owner questionnaire (VOQ) reports in its database, one of which is a duplicate, involving MY 2011 and 2012 Leaf vehicles that allege a problem with the OCS. The VOQs indicate that an OCS warning light illuminated at which point the vehicle was diagnosed and it was determined the sensor mat was the cause of the OCS problem. Most of the VOQs also noted the high cost of repair, which apparently involves replacement of the passenger front seat, according to complainants. None of the VOQs allege a problem with the performance of the passenger air bag, an injury, or a fatality due to the failure of the OCS.During the evaluation of this petition, ODI did not request information from Nissan regarding the complaint data in its possession, and accordingly the manufacturer complaint counts shown above are marked as not applicable. ODI will request this information during the upcoming investigation.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following identification (VOQ) numbers: 11234415, 11207486, 11196006, 11193208, 11180021, 11176324, 11172159, 11152569, 11123812, 11103556 (duplicate of 11180021), 11102456, 11101830, 11052546.Read more

NISSAN LEAF - All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the NISSAN LEAF across all model years (2013, 2026).

49 Total Recalls

1,510 Total Complaints

2 Investigations

107 Reported Crashes

20 Reported Fires

2 Reported Deaths

NISSAN LEAF - Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2026 (current)	2	4
2025	0	10	View
2024	0	7	View
2023	3	33	View
2022	4	139	View
2021	4	80	View
2020	6	223	View
2019	5	320	View
2018	4	117	View
2017	2	27	View
2016	4	50	View
2015	4	146	View
2014	6	45	View
2013	5	120	View
2012	0	71	View
2011	0	117	View
2010	0	1	View

Other NISSAN Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
ROGUE	457	9,808	View
SENTRA	291	8,185	View
PATHFINDER	267	10,167	View
VERSA	224	4,473	View
FRONTIER	219	4,441	View
TITAN	208	4,415	View
ALTIMA	183	20,085	View
MAXIMA	173	8,847	View

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

2026 NISSAN LEAF

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations, NISSAN LEAF

NISSAN LEAF - All Years Overview

NISSAN LEAF - Year by Year

Other NISSAN Models