Nissan Leaf reliability by year
15 recalls and 941 owner complaints across 15 model years. Best year to buy: 2021. Year to avoid: 2020.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 15 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Leaf aggregated across 15 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Nissan Leaf?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2021 Nissan Leaf scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2011–2026 range. 51 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Nissan Leaf year should I avoid?
The 2020 Nissan Leaf scores 7.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 159 owner complaints with NHTSA, 2 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2020 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Nissan Leaf should I avoid?
No Nissan Leaf model year currently rises to an "avoid" or "high-risk" verdict on the NHTSA data — either the record is clean or sample sizes are still too thin for a confident call. The year-by-year breakdown below shows what's on file regardless.
How many years of the Nissan Leaf are tracked?
15 model years (2011 through 2026) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 15 recalls and 941 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Nissan Leaf?
electrical is the most-reported category — 412 complaints across 11 model years. Average shop repair runs about $850.