Nissan Leaf
Every model year 2016–2026: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.
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Every Nissan Leaf model year
Source: NHTSA · EPA · one row per year| Year | Powertrains | Safety | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | Best efficiency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Electric | C | 2 | 3 | — | 303 mi | Park outside |
| 2025 | Electric | A | 0 | 7 | ★★★★★ | 212 mi | |
| 2024 | Electric | A | 0 | 5 | ★★★★★ | 212 mi | |
| 2023 | Electric | C | 3 | 22 | ★★★★★ | 212 mi | |
| 2022 | Electric | D | 4 | 96 | ★★★★★ | 226 mi | |
| 2021 | Electric | D | 4 | 57 | ★★★★★ | 226 mi | |
| 2020 | Electric | F | 6 | 167 | ★★★★★ | 226 mi | |
| 2019 | Electric | D | 5 | 260 | — | 226 mi | |
| 2018 | Electric | C | 4 | 67 | — | 151 mi | |
| 2017 | Electric | B | 2 | 17 | — | 107 mi | |
| 2016 | Electric | C | 4 | 36 | ★★★★☆ | 107 mi |
Which model year the record favours
Source: recalls and complaints per year on the roadOn the filed record so far, the 2017 is the cleanest Leaf year we hold, and the 2020 the one to check hardest.
Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.
What owners filed about the Nissan Leaf, by system
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsEvery system, every year →The systems the federal record is deep on for this nameplate: the complaints per model year, the mileage owners reported them at, and every recall, investigation and manufacturer bulletin filed under the heading — each one linked, none a failure rate.
What changed year to year
Source: computed from the filed record- 2026: best range 212 → 303 mi; 2 → 3 EPA configurations
- 2023: best range 226 → 212 mi; 5 → 2 EPA configurations
- 2022: 3 → 5 EPA configurations
- 2019: best range 151 → 226 mi; 1 → 3 EPA configurations
- 2018: best range 107 → 151 mi
- 2017: 2 → 1 EPA configurations
| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Leaf vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 · Compact Hatchback | Ioniq 5 +2.1 | |
| 2026 Leaf vs Kia EV6 · Compact Hatchback | Toss-up | |
| 2026 Leaf vs BMW i4 · Compact Hatchback | Leaf +18.6 | |
| 2026 Leaf vs MINI Cooper · Compact Hatchback | Leaf +32 | |
| 2026 Leaf vs Fiat 500e · Compact Hatchback | 500e +21 | |
| 2026 Leaf vs MINI John Cooper Works · Compact Hatchback | Leaf +33.1 | |
| 2019 Leaf vs Toyota Prius c · Compact Hatchback | Leaf +7.8 |
Common questions about the Nissan Leaf
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich Nissan Leaf year is the best used buy?
On the recall record, the 2017 Leaf comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade B (89/100), 2 recalls and 17 owner complaints on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.
What Nissan Leaf years should I avoid?
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2026 have the weakest recall records in this range — one carries an active park-outside or do-not-drive advisory. The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists yet. Every Leaf model year ranked, with the reasons.
How many recalls does the Nissan Leaf have?
Across model years 2016–2026, NHTSA has posted 34 recall campaigns for the Nissan Leaf. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.