2016 Nissan Leaf: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Nissan Leaf
On the 2016 Nissan Leaf, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, with 11 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 15,000 miles. Overall it scores 70 out of 100, high risk for a 2016.
High risk for a 2016 — 154th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. 50 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 13 named failure modes on the 2016 Nissan Leaf, and the three most-reported carry 52% of everything filed.
Other electrical problem leads with 11 reports and about 0.2 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other brake problem follows with 8 reports, median 25,000 miles.
Loss of braking follows with 7 reports, median 15,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (16), electrical (14) and fuel (5).
When these failures get reported
22 of the reports on the 2016 Nissan Leaf came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 15,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 86% by 50,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 10,000 and 20,000 miles, which alone holds 45% of the dated reports.
82% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 13. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 1 mentions a crash and 1 a fire. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.22, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other brake problem at $300–$1,800, loss of braking at $400–$3,000 and other fuel system problem at $300–$2,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
16% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 11 | 6 | — | 18k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 8 | 6 | — | 26k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 7 | 5 | — | 14k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 5 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Transmission will not engage a gear | transmission | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,500–$6,000 | Critical |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 2 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.0 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Tire pressure monitor failure | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $80–$600 | Low |
| Door latch or handle failure | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 4 | 2 | — | 18k | — | 0.1 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2016 Nissan Leaf draws about 0.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 72nd percentile of complaint rates among 2016 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 62,206 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2016 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other electrical problem
December 07, 2016 I bought nissan leaf 2016 in june 30, 2016. On november 29, 2016, it just stopped and not going in reverse or forward, just stay on neutral and park. It has two recalls issued by transport canada (# 2016179 an # 2016302). Nissan canada never send my any notification about recalls. On november 29, 2016 it was towed to the dealership, 401/dixie mississauga, on canada.since then service department is working and after repeated call, they are unable to tell me whats wrong with the vehicle. They do not know how long it will take to fix the problem. I requested a replacement vehicle while they are fixing my vehicle and the request was denied. It look like a manufacturing defect associated with safety issue. Service department is not releasing any information about the problem.it is more than one week now. I hope this information may be helpful for owners and potential buyers.december 7, 2016 8:15 pm
Other brake problem
My 2016 leaf sl was damaged in a fairly low speed collision during heavy office rush traffic (around 7:30am in the morning). When the car in front of me suddenly stopped, I also braked hard. At that time I heard ABS like sound but the car did not actually stop, it kept on going and hit the car in front of me. I was too stressed out at the moment therefore I did not have time to think. Later on, I spent some time searching internet with search queries like 'nissan leaf brake problem' or 'nissan leaf did not brake' etc. I found multiple mentions of experiences very similar to mine. If you perform google search, you will see what I mean. Is there a way to look at the leaf onboard data to see what may have happened?
Loss of braking
While approaching an intersection in a busy area of san diego county, the brakes failed on my nissan leaf. The brake shuddered under my foot, much like anti-lock brakes do when they're engaged. After I felt the shuddering, the brake pedal went down but the vehicle did not decelerate as it normally would in response to braking. I tried the brake pedal a few times with no response, but the vehicle's momentum slowed enough for me to avoid a collision and continue on the road. As I came to a second intersection, I again tried the brakes and the vehicle did not respond. I used the emergency brake to stop the leaf at the intersection. I located an uphill driveway to a corporate parking location, and drove the vehicle very slowly to a parking spot. I intended to park the car and call a towing service, but when I once again tried the brake pedal the nissan leaf responded to the brakes and stopped in the parking spot. Because I was close to work and the brakes had re-engaged, I drove the vehicle to the parking lot at my office and later that day called nissan's consumer affairs line for the leaf (877-664-2738). I reported the issue to…
On 6 occasions the brakes failed to work on first contact when attempting to come to a full stop at either a stop light or a stop sign on city streets. Releasing the brake pedal and reapplying the brakes finally brought the car to a stop. This happened to both my husband and myself and happened on both straight flat roads and downhill roads. This happened in both regenerative and non-regenerative braking but the worst failure happened in non-regenerative braking.
Recalls on the 2016 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2016 Nissan Leaf, affecting an estimated 88,257 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system, air bags, electrical system:wiring and air bags:sensor:occupant classification. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
94,343 vehicles 2023-04-26- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2017 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.
- 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 May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23A1.
AIR BAGS
30,038 vehicles 2017-04-13- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
4,355 vehicles 2016-06-15- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured February 9, 2016, to March 4, 2016. The wiring harness connector may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag.
- Consequence
- If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 9, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
3,296,947 vehicles 2016-04-26- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty…
- Consequence
- If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669…
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2016 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2016 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2016 — 154th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 13 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2011 comes out best at 68 and 2018 worst at 78, with 2016 itself at 70.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2016, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2010–2017 generation specifically, 2011 is the strongest year at 68 and 2015 the weakest at 72.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2010-2017 generation, 2011 Nissan Leaf scores best at 68 and 2015 Nissan Leaf worst at 72.
The limits of complaint data
50 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 50 reports, 22 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 44% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Nissan Leaf?
The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (11 reports, median 20,000 miles), other brake problem (8 reports, median 25,000 miles) and loss of braking (7 reports, median 15,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2016 Nissan Leaf reliable?
It scores 70 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 154th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2016 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Nissan Leaf is best?
Within the 2010–2017 generation, 2011 scores best at 68 out of 100 and 2015 worst at 72. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed