Which Nissan Leaf years have the most electrical problems?

The 2019 and 2020 model years have the most electrical complaints, with 162 and 113. The 2021 and 2018 years have far fewer. The 2025 year has just 3, but it is too new to judge, since complaints build up over time.

Is it safe to drive a Leaf with the battery recall open?

Federal recall records say the battery may overheat during Level 3 charging. For 2021 cars, owners are advised not to use quick charging until the remedy is done. Owners also report that Nissan told 2019 and 2020 owners the same. Level 1 and Level 2 charging are not mentioned in the recall.

Does a recall cover the Leaf's electrical problems?

Partly. Recall 24V700000 covers certain 2019 and 2020 cars with a quick charging port, and 25V655000 covers certain 2021 and 2022 cars. Both address battery overheating during Level 3 charging. Other faults, like screen reboots or the rear camera, are not part of these recalls.

What does a Leaf electrical repair cost?

The recall remedy is a free battery software update. Outside recalls, costs fall on the owner. One owner says Nissan would not cover a defective wire harness, and one camera was replaced under extended warranty with a $100 deductible. Across the whole model, independent repair-cost data estimates $748 a year.

Can a Leaf still be used for daily driving?

Many owners say yes for short local trips, since the quick-charge limit mostly hurts long trips. Several report renting a car for anything beyond one charge of range. Others report sudden range drops and no-start faults, so a test drive matters.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Nissan Leaf Electrical Problems

Electrical complaints on the Nissan Leaf center on the battery: fast-charge fire risk, sudden range drops, and lost drive power, mostly in 2019 and 2020.

Owner complaints: 322
Share of all complaints: 61%
Crash / fire / injury reports: 2 / 4 / 4
Related recalls: 2

Leaf electrical complaints by model year

The 2019 model year has the most electrical complaints by far at 162, followed by 2020 at 113. Both are also high when measured against sales. The 2021 and 2018 years have far fewer. The 2025 year has only 3, but it has had the least time on the road, so that count says little yet. Its reports include unintended acceleration and a fire warning, so a low count does not mean a clean record.

2018
15 · 10.2/10k sold
2019
162 · 131/10k sold
2020
113 · 118.2/10k sold
2021
29 · 20.4/10k sold
2025
3 · 5.9/10k sold

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA under electrical system. Newer model years have had less time to collect complaints.

What goes wrong

Most Leaf electrical complaints come back to the high-voltage battery. Owners describe a charge gauge that swings wildly, with one reporting a drop from 67% to 10% on the highway. Others see the car fall into reduced-power turtle mode, or lose drive power with a "Service EV System" message. Smaller faults show up too, such as infotainment reboots and a rear camera that turns gray. Electrical problems make up 322 of the model's 532 complaints.

The risk is real. Owners report battery fires, smoke during fast charging, and cells that swelled until the car would not drive. Firefighters in some reports say the fires burned for hours and kept reigniting. Crash reports also appear, including one where the car lost power and braking together and one where it did not stop with the brake pedal pressed. Many owners say they were told to stop using quick charging, which leaves the car fit only for short trips.

Symptoms owners report

Fast-charge fire warning

Owners of 2019 to 2021 cars say they were told not to use the CHAdeMO quick-charge port because the battery could catch fire. Many then wait months or more than a year for a remedy and can only make trips on one charge.

Range and gauge swings

The charge reading drops suddenly, such as 70 to 20 percent in about 2 miles, then the car enters turtle mode. Range also swings sharply at freeway speeds on hills, and some owners say the gauge reads far below real range.

Loss of drive power

The dash fills with warnings, the car drops to neutral, and messages like "Service EV System" or "Power supply failure" appear, sometimes at freeway speed. Cold weather can bring on limp mode or a no-start.

Swollen or failing cells

Owners report bloated cells from overheating, an internal short in the pack, and cells that keep dying. Some cars will not charge even on Level 1, and some failures happen in replacement packs.

Battery fire and smoke

Reports describe fires that began shortly after charging or while parked at a dealer, and smoke under the car during a fast charge. Fire crews say the packs keep reigniting for hours.

Screens, camera, and harness

Infotainment screens reboot while driving, and the rear camera goes gray or blank. One 2019 owner had a failed wire harness that left the car stuck in park with a brake warning.

When the problems start

Owners give mileages only now and then, and the reports span a wide range. A 2020 owner saw a wrong battery gauge at about 10,000 miles. A 2025 car gave a fire warning at 8,750 miles. A 2018 pack failed at about 59,000 miles, and its replacement failed at about 74,000. One 2019 car had total battery failure at 130,000 miles.

Repairs and recalls

Federal recall records list two battery recalls. Campaign 24V700000 covers certain 2019 and 2020 cars with a Level 3 quick charging port, and 25V655000 covers certain 2021 and 2022 cars. Both say the battery may overheat during Level 3 charging, and the remedy is a free battery software update. For 2021, owners are told not to quick charge until it is done. Owners report parts shortages and long waits. One 2019 owner said Nissan refused to cover a defective wire harness. One 2020 owner was refused help with a swollen battery 3,000 miles past warranty.

Model years	Campaign	Problem
2021	25V655000	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.
2019, 2020	24V700000	Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 LEAF vehicles equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. The lithium-ion battery may overheat during Level 3 charging.

Checking a used Leaf for electrical problems

Enter the VIN in the NHTSA recall lookup and confirm whether the battery software update for quick charging has been done.
Ask the seller if the car has ever been told not to fast charge, and how the owner handled long trips.
Run a long highway drive and watch the gauge for sudden drops, turtle mode, or warning messages.
Charge the car on Level 1 and Level 2 and confirm it charges fully without errors or heat smells.
Ask for battery replacement records and check whether any replacement pack is still under warranty.
Test the rear camera in reverse and let the infotainment screen run for a while to see if it reboots.

2 electrical recalls cover the Nissan Leaf. A VIN check shows whether the car you're looking at had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.

Look Up a VIN →

Nissan Leaf Electrical Problems: common questions

Which Nissan Leaf years have the most electrical problems?: The 2019 and 2020 model years have the most electrical complaints, with 162 and 113. The 2021 and 2018 years have far fewer. The 2025 year has just 3, but it is too new to judge, since complaints build up over time.
Is it safe to drive a Leaf with the battery recall open?: Federal recall records say the battery may overheat during Level 3 charging. For 2021 cars, owners are advised not to use quick charging until the remedy is done. Owners also report that Nissan told 2019 and 2020 owners the same. Level 1 and Level 2 charging are not mentioned in the recall.
Does a recall cover the Leaf's electrical problems?: Partly. Recall 24V700000 covers certain 2019 and 2020 cars with a quick charging port, and 25V655000 covers certain 2021 and 2022 cars. Both address battery overheating during Level 3 charging. Other faults, like screen reboots or the rear camera, are not part of these recalls.
What does a Leaf electrical repair cost?: The recall remedy is a free battery software update. Outside recalls, costs fall on the owner. One owner says Nissan would not cover a defective wire harness, and one camera was replaced under extended warranty with a $100 deductible. Across the whole model, independent repair-cost data estimates $748 a year.
Can a Leaf still be used for daily driving?: Many owners say yes for short local trips, since the quick-charge limit mostly hurts long trips. Several report renting a car for anything beyond one charge of range. Others report sudden range drops and no-start faults, so a test drive matters.

More on the Nissan Leaf

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