Model year report

2018 Nissan Leaf: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2018 Nissan Leaf

On the 2018 Nissan Leaf, the failure owners report most often is other driver assistance problem, with 15 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 7,500 miles. Overall it scores 78 out of 100, severe risk for a 2018.

Severe risk for a 2018 — 81st riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. 117 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What breaks on the 2018 Nissan Leaf

Owners have reported 28 named failure modes on the 2018 Nissan Leaf, and the three most-reported carry 32% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.

Other driver assistance problem leads with 15 reports and about 0.6 per 1,000 vehicles.

Other brake problem follows with 13 reports, median 10,000 miles.

Other electrical problem follows with 9 reports, median 40,000 miles. 1 of those report mention a fire.

By system, the reports fall mostly into adas (27), brakes (19) and electrical (15).

When these failures get reported

41 of the reports on the 2018 Nissan Leaf came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 7,500 miles.

Cumulatively, 93% by 50,000 miles and 98% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.

The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 51% of the dated reports.

88% 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.

Median

Other driver assistance problem

18k
Other brake problem

12k
Other electrical problem

38k
Other engine problem

50k
Seat belt or retractor failure
no odometer readings given
—
Other fuel system problem
no odometer readings given
—
No-start or intermittent start failure
no odometer readings given
—
Other speed control problem

7k
Parasitic battery drain

53k
Cruise control failure

100
Infotainment screen failure

2k
Loss of braking
no odometer readings given
—

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 28. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 7.5k

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, 18 mention a crash, 3 a fire and 4 an injury. 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 4.69, 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 driver assistance problem at $250–$1,800, other brake problem at $300–$1,800, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and other engine problem at $300–$4,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

14% 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

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other driver assistance problem	adas	15	7	—	18k	—	0.6	$250–$1,800	High
Other brake problem	brakes	13	7	—	12k	—	0.5	$300–$1,800	High
Other electrical problem	electrical	9	3	—	38k	—	0.3	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other engine problem	engine	7	1	—	50k	—	0.3	$300–$4,000	High
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	6	0	—	—	—	0.2	$200–$900	High
Other fuel system problem	fuel	6	0	—	—	—	0.2	$300–$2,200	High
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	5	0	—	—	—	0.2	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Other speed control problem	adas	5	2	—	7k	—	0.2	$250–$2,000	Critical
Parasitic battery drain	electrical	4	1	—	53k	—	0.2	$200–$1,200	Moderate
Cruise control failure	adas	4	1	—	100	—	0.2	$200–$1,400	High
Infotainment screen failure	infotainment	3	1	—	2k	—	0.1	$400–$2,600	Low
Loss of braking	brakes	3	0	—	—	—	0.1	$400–$3,000	Critical
Parking brake failure	brakes	3	3	—	10	—	0.1	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Lane keep or steering assist fault	adas	3	2	—	3k	—	0.1	$200–$1,600	High
Loss of power steering	steering	3	0	—	—	—	0.1	$600–$2,800	Critical
Other steering problem	steering	3	1	—	12k	—	0.1	$350–$2,400	High
Other body or interior problem	body	3	2	—	3k	—	0.1	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	2	1	—	12k	—	0.1	$700–$3,000	High
Backup camera failure	infotainment	2	1	—	7k	—	0.1	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	2	0	—	—	—	0.1	$300–$1,600	High
Software fault or failed update	software	2	2	—	7k	—	0.1	$0–$600	Moderate
Other powertrain problem	transmission	2	0	—	—	—	0.1	$400–$4,500	High
Misfire or rough idle	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,600	Moderate
Transmission will not engage a gear	transmission	1	1	—	8k	—	0.0	$1,500–$6,000	Critical
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	1	1	—	13k	—	0.0	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Tire pressure monitor failure	wheels	1	1	—	100k	—	0.0	$80–$600	Low
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	1	1	—	50	—	0.0	$200–$1,500	High
Other visibility problem	glass	1	1	—	3k	—	0.0	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Unclassified problem	other	6	1	—	3k	—	0.2	—	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 2018 Nissan Leaf draws about 4.4 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 83rd percentile of complaint rates among 2018 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 26,713 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2018 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.

Recalls on the 2018 model year

NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2018 Nissan Leaf, affecting an estimated 60,109 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 back over prevention: sensing system: camera, vehicle speed control and visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system. 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.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

24V071000

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

57,914 vehicles 2024-02-02

Defect: 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.
Remedy: 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.

23V494000

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

66,159 vehicles 2023-07-17

Defect: 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.
Remedy: 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.

23V048000

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

64,732 vehicles 2023-02-02

Defect: 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.
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 April 1, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.

19V654000

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

1,228,830 vehicles 2019-09-12

Defect: 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…
Consequence: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.

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 2018 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.

Risk score against the rest of the 2018 field

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

How 2018 compares with the other years

Severe risk for a 2018 — 81st riskiest of the 251 2018 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 2018 itself at 78.

If the model year is negotiable, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2016, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2015, 2022, 2019, 2020 and 2023 score lower than 2018 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2018–2023 generation specifically, 2021 is the strongest year at 71 and 2018 the weakest at 78.

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.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

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 2018-2023 generation, 2021 Nissan Leaf scores best at 71 and 2018 Nissan Leaf worst at 78.

What this page cannot tell you

117 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 117 reports, 41 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 35% 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".

Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.

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 2018 Nissan Leaf?

The most-reported failures are other driver assistance problem (15 reports, median 20,000 miles), other brake problem (13 reports, median 10,000 miles) and other electrical problem (9 reports, median 40,000 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 2018 Nissan Leaf reliable?

It scores 78 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 81st riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2018 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 2018–2023 generation, 2021 scores best at 71 out of 100 and 2018 worst at 78. 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 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed