We were driving the car on a highway (the 405 in Los Angeles) in the midafternoon on December 21. We were going uphill and in the flow of traffic. I'd say the speed was about 60-65. The car was functioning well. Then, the driver accelerated to pass a car and suddenly the car lost all power and went into neutral. Fortunately, we made our way to the freeway shoulder without an accident. But,…
2016 Nissan Leaf electrical problems
severe 11 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $850 · see electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
11
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
1fire
When does it fail?
Of the 11 electrical complaints filed for the 2016 Nissan Leaf, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA electrical complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 3 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 7 most recent
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…
While driving at speeds of 70 MPH, my car turns off in the middle of the highway! I have a video of this ordeal that I'd be happy to send over.
On Friday, November 1, at about 3 pm, the brakes failed pulling away from the curb in a forward direction after loading equipment into the vehicle. Really stomping the brakes as though they had a fluid problem did get them to engage. I think the problem occured again backing out of my driveway prior to Monday the 4th when I fixed the problem. Again, really slamming the brake peddle got the brake…
My battery lost 2 of my 12 range bars and Nissan does not see any of this as an issue, october 06, 2016 - 110 mile range march 04, 2017 - august 28, 2017 - 76 mile range ' 1 bar loss october 23, 2017 - 65 - 72 mile range ' 2 bar loss I can no longer make my commute after 1 year of usage.…
Traction motor inverter failure on 2016 Nissan leaf. When this incident occurred, I was not able to charge or start the car.
I do not have much range. At 100% charged I'm getting a range of 64 miles. Considering the car only has 10k miles on it, that's terrible range. My car was sitting still, in park and turned on when I took this image.
Had electrical trouble with your 2016 Nissan Leaf?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2016 Nissan Leaf?
It's a meaningful issue. 11 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $850.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 11 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 32,931 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2016/Nissan/Leaf.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.