2015 Nissan Leaf recalls and problems

The 2015 Nissan Leaf has 4 safety recalls and 111 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Nissan dealer.

Recalls
4
Complaints
111
Crashes / fires
8 / 0
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2015 Nissan Leaf vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2015 Nissan Leaf recalls

Recall 23V-296: Equipment, Visibility

Reported Apr 26, 2023 · 94,343 vehicles affected · Nissan North America, Inc.

Problem: 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."

Risk: Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

Recall 17V-253: Air Bags

Reported Apr 13, 2017 · 30,038 vehicles affected · Nissan North America, Inc.

Problem: 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.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Recall 16V-244: Air Bags

Reported Apr 26, 2016 · 3,296,947 vehicles affected · Nissan North America, Inc.

Problem: 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 despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

Recall 16V-119: Service Brakes

Reported Feb 29, 2016 · 46,859 vehicles affected · Nissan North America, Inc.

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.

Risk: If the brake relay fails, longer distances or additional brake effort would be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

2015 Nissan Leaf problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Service Brakes84
Electrical System18
Vehicle Speed Control9
Unknown or Other9
Air Bags8
Power Train4
Engine3
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)3
Wheels2
Fuel/Propulsion System2
Visibility/Wiper2
Seats1

Most reported parts

  • Seats › Front Assembly › Head Restraint — 1
  • Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery — 1
  • Service Brakes, Air › Antilock › Abs Warning Light — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 29,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2015 Nissan Leaf complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Steering · reported Nov 2, 2026
I am reporting a serious and progressively worsening safety issue involving a 2015 Nissan LEAF with approximately 61,759 miles. The problem involves sudden, unintended jerking and apparent repeated braking while driving, accompanied by a forceful steering pull to the left. The exact cause has not yet been determined. Several years ago, the vehicle experienced a serious braking malfunction in which pressing the brake pedal did not stop the vehicle as expected. No warning light appeared during that incident. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Nissan dealership, where the 12-volt battery was…
Service Brakes · reported Sep 1, 2026
The electrically-driven intelligent brake unit failed on my 2015 Nissan Leaf. The brakes became inoperative: when pressing the brake pedal there is a loud compression/grinding noise and the pedal goes nearly to the floor with little braking force. The failure appeared suddenly after charging the vehicle; it had been working normally before. The vehicle had to be towed to a Nissan dealership. The dealer diagnosed codes U1000 and U110D stored in the ABS module for lost communication with the intelligent brake module, performed an inspection, and confirmed the intelligent brake unit failed. The…
Service Brakes · reported Aug 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the brakes failed to engage while the brake pedal was depressed. The brake and master warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions; however, the contact stated that the vehicle recently failed to return to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake module booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V119000 (Service Brakes)…
Electrical System · reported Aug 6, 2026
The car was parked in a parking lot, and when we turned it on and pulled out of the space, the brake light, ABS light, and other warning lights came on and the brakes went soft. We pulled back into the space and tried again, thinking it was a fluke and heard a strange noise coming from the car when it started. Again the lights came on and the brakes did not work. We had it towed to our normal mechanic and then to the dealership when the mechanic was unable to figure out what was wrong. The brakes looked to be in good repair. The Nissan dealership was unable to reproduce the problem and found…
Service Brakes · reported Apr 23, 2026
This is the third time my brakes have failed while driving, which seems to have something to do with the 12-volt battery. At least at first, I disconnected my 12-volt battery and reconnected it; this fixed the issue, at least for a while. The other day, I was driving down a road near my house and the brakes failed right before I came around a bend. I had to quickly press the e-brake to slow down, or I would have run right off the road. This is definitely a dangerous issue. Please issue a recall for this because I've noticed many other people complaining about the same issue—the same sound…

Other Nissan Leaf years

Compare all Nissan Leaf years · All Nissan models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2015 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2015 Nissan Leaf: 23V-296 (equipment, visibility), 17V-253 (air bags), 16V-244 (air bags), 16V-119 (service brakes). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2015 Nissan Leaf?

Owners report service brakes problems most often (84 reports), followed by electrical system (18). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 29,000 miles.

Are Nissan recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Nissan dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.