- Safety
- —
- not rated
- Recalls
- 4
- on record
- MPG
- 30.0
- combined
Open recalls on record
4 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2018 Nissan Leaf
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 64
- Complaints citing a crash
- 9
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
4 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 19V654000high
Rear-visibility system issue
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 23V048000high
Equipment issue
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 23V494000high
Vehicle speed control
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 24V071000high
Rear-visibility system issue
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NHTSA holds no crash-test rating for this model year.
Not every model year is tested. A missing rating is not a poor rating.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
30.0
City
33.7
Hwy
30.0
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $700
- Charge time
- 8 hours (240V)
How this compares
At 30 MPGe combined, the 2018 Nissan Leaf ranks 5th of 24 midsize cars EPA rated for 2018 — 3.5 MPGe better than the 26.5 MPGe median for that group.
That places it in the upper third of its class. Fuel cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor against its direct rivals.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $700, $1,900 less than the $2,600 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $3,500, a $9,500 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Consumer complaints
64 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 64
- Total
- 9
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
Most reported components
- BRAKES17
- OTHER12
- ELECTRICAL7
- FUEL SYSTEM7
- AIR BAGS5
Notable Issues
64 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 3 reports involve injuries. 9 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, newest first.
- Recall
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Recall
Unintentional acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Recall
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Midsize Cars
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 0L 0-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (A1)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
30.0
City
33.7
Hwy
30.0
Comb
- Annual cost
- $700
- Fuel
- Electricity
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds
- Recall
Unintentional acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds