2021 Nissan Leaf: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2021 Nissan Leaf
On the 2021 Nissan Leaf, the failure owners report most often is backup camera failure, with 10 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 55,000 miles. Overall it scores 71 out of 100, high risk for a 2021.
High risk for a 2021 — 156th riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. 81 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 35 named failure modes on the 2021 Nissan Leaf, and the three most-reported carry 27% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Backup camera failure leads with 10 reports and about 0.9 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 6 reports, median 105,000 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 6 reports.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (11), infotainment (10) and transmission (9).
When these failures get reported
Too few of the reports on this year carry an odometer reading to describe the timing: 7 of them do. The mileages quoted elsewhere on this page come from the modes that have enough of them.
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 35. 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
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 2 mention a crash, 6 a fire and 1 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 4.21, 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: backup camera failure at $250–$1,200, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and software fault or failed update at $0–$600. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
27% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 6 | 1 | — | 107k | — | 0.5 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 4 | 1 | — | 132k | — | 0.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 3 | 1 | — | 14k | — | 0.3 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Transmission slipping | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $1,200–$5,500 | High |
| Parasitic battery drain | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Engine bay fire | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $4,000–$20,000 | Critical |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 55k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Thermostat failure | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| CVT failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $3,000–$8,500 | Critical |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 44k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 74k | — | 0.1 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 9k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.8 | — | 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 2021 Nissan Leaf draws about 7.0 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 87th percentile of complaint rates among 2021 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 11,582 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2021 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2021 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2021 Nissan Leaf, affecting an estimated 42,934 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 electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery, 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.
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
19,077 vehicles 2025-09-30- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A quick charging battery that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to use Level 3 quick charging until the remedy is completed. Dealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 16, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's Customer Service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R25C8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 4, 2025.
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.
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.
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.
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 2021 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
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 2021 — 156th riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
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 2021 itself at 71.
If the model year is negotiable, 2011 and 2014 score lower than 2021 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.
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
81 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 81 reports, 7 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 9% 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 2021 Nissan Leaf?
The most-reported failures are backup camera failure (10 reports), other powertrain problem (6 reports, median 105,000 miles) and other electrical problem (6 reports). 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 2021 Nissan Leaf reliable?
It scores 71 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 156th riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2021 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 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed