2023 Nissan Leaf problems
NHTSA has received 35 complaints about the 2023 Nissan Leaf, and 23% of them involve cruise control. Next are electrical system (14%) and forward collision avoidance (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 35 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Cruise control 23% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 10 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What the data shows
Safety-related details: 10 complaints mention a crash.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2023 ranks 10th most-complained-about out of 13 model years of the Nissan Leaf with enough data (35 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Soon after I leased this Leaf, I noticed shifting interference. It grew steadily worse over the 3 or so months I kept the Leaf. Toward the end of that time period, it took a great deal of maneuvering of the shift knob to get into the correct direction. It would flip back from position before it engaged the forward or reverse motion. I got involved in a fender bender incident which was at least partially a result of the shifting confusion. At one point I put 3-in-1 oil into the top of the shifting pad.
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while in the drive position, the vehicle erroneously accelerated backward and crashed into a second vehicle that was also parked in the driveway. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V494000 (Vehilcle Speed Control). The local dealer was not yet contacted.
I pulled into a parking spot and to ensure I stopped when I wanted to, I braked. The car accelerated, smashing into a building. I always drive in eco mode and generally use the e-pedal which was on at the time. I’m not sure if either or a combination of those may have been a factor in what happened. The car is available for inspection upon request. I was fine, but very shaken. The car is driveable, but the front bumper is mangled and the left blinker no longer works. The headlights are functional.
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was swerving to the right and then accelerated unintendedly. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated as needed upon depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that after the driver pulled over to the side of the road and released the accelerator pedal, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly.
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds on multiple occasions, the battery warning light illuminated, and an unknown warning message displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where diagnostic testing was performed; however, the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,900.