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Nissan · Compact Hatchback

2016 Nissan Leaf

Electric
Midsize Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
78 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 4
Complaints1 crash · 1 fire reported 36
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★
EV rangebest configuration, EPA 107 mi
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2016 Nissan Leaf is sold in the U.S. as an electric compact hatchback with 2 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the Leaf (30 kW-hr battery pack), is EPA-rated at 107 miles with 112 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 36 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Nissan Leaf — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Nissan Leaf · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombRangekWh/100miCharge (240V)Annual fuel*
Leaf (24 kW-hr battery pack)ElectricFWD80 kW DCPM126101114 MPGe84 mi29.68 h$650
Leaf (30 kW-hr battery pack)ElectricFWD80 kW DCPM124101112 MPGe107 mi30.06 h$650

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37066, 37067.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Leaf (24 kW-hr battery pack), Leaf (30 kW-hr battery pack)10 / 10Bin 1 / ZEVAll 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay Elite

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body styleHatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Doors4
GVWR classClass 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Fuel Economy

FuelElectric

Transmission

Drivetrain4x2

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim. Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length175.2 in
Width (body, without mirrors)69.7 in
Height61.0 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Track, front60.6 in
Track, rear60.2 in
Curb weight3,265–3,397 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear56/44

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door Hatchback S/Sv, 4-door Hatchback SL. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
○minor

Visibility

R23A1
94,343 vehicles 100% reported repaired
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.
NHTSA campaign 23V296000 reported Apr 26, 2023 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Air Bags

30,038 vehicles 67% reported repaired built Sep 20, 2014 – Dec 13, 2016
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.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 17V253000 reported Apr 13, 2017 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Electrical System

4,355 vehicles 77% reported repaired built Feb 24, 2016 – Mar 23, 2016
Problem Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured February 9, 2016, to March 4, 2016. The wiring harness connector may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag. Risk If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Fix Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 9, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 16V436000 reported Jun 15, 2016 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Air Bags

3,296,947 vehicles 77% reported repaired built Nov 19, 2012 – Mar 23, 2016
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 par
NHTSA campaign 16V244000 reported Apr 26, 2016 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Leaf

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Nissan publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Nissan Leaf, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2016 Nissan Leaf

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

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Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
36complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Service Brakes 16
Electrical System 13
Fuel/Propulsion System 8
Air Bags 3
Engine 3
Power Train 3

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Vehicle is 2016 Nissan Leaf. Odometer reading 42,537. On August 28, 2022 in a shopping center parking lot under fair weather conditions and temperatures in the 80s, upon starting car, brake system control light and ABS indicator light both illuminated. Pulled car back into parking spot. Brakes did not work.
Service Brakes Oct 24, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11490696
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.
Fuel/Propulsion System Dec 24, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11498756
The driver's side door handle broke on my 2016 Nissan LEAF. Investigating the issue online, I found that many owners have had this issue, and the fix often breaks again. It's a safety issue for owner or emergency responders wouldn't be able to get the driver's door open without breaking the glass
Structure May 26, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11466187
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Low Battery Mode" warning message was displayed while the battery was fully charged, which caused the vehicle to inadvertently decelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer.
Electrical System at 54,000 miles Feb 2, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11450028
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.
Air Bags at 14,000 miles Dec 7, 2016 NHTSA owner report · ODI 10933775
The Nissan Leaf was being driven on a 35 MPH road in a hilly area. While going approximately 25 MPH on a downhill curve coming up to a red light the driver applied the brakes and they did not engage with normal pressure.
Service Brakes at 48,713 miles Jan 23, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11389581

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

When owners reported it

Reported at 20k

miles, typically

Half the 19 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 12,000 and 30,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 19 on file: 1 under 10k, 8 10k–20k, 5 20k–30k, 1 30k–40k, 1 40k–50k, 1 50k–60k, 1 80k–90k, 1 90k–100k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
5 HB FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★☆11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 99
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-04-13
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 99 service bulletins

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Air Bags, Visibility/Wiper, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility.

  • NTB09-131C Service bulletin
    2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
  • CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
  • NTB09-131C Service bulletin
    2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
  • CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
  • NTB19-071D Service bulletin
    2024-09-19 · Air Bags
  • DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page)
  • NTB13-107G Service bulletin
    2024-05-21 · Electrical System
  • VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
  • NTB13-027D Service bulletin
    2024-05-21 · Electrical System
  • CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
  • NTB10-066C Service bulletin
    2024-05-21 · Electrical System
  • CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
  • NTB17-019H Service bulletin
    2024-04-30 · Visibility/Wiper
  • WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
  • NTB13-028I Service bulletin
    2024-04-30 · Visibility/Wiper
  • REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
P0456
P0456 on Nissan →
A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.Equipment · Gas cap →3 bulletins
P0442
P0442 on Nissan →
A small leak in the evaporative emissions system.Equipment · Gas cap →2 bulletins
P0455
P0455 on Nissan →
A large leak in the evaporative emissions system — often a fuel cap left off.Equipment · Gas cap →2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

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Common questions about the 2016 Leaf

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Nissan Leaf. The most serious on file is 17V253000, covering Air Bags. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Nissan Leaf?

NHTSA gave the 2016 Nissan Leaf 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 4-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (78/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Nissan Leaf?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Nissan Leaf, the longest EPA range is 107 miles on a charge. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Nissan Leaf?

Transport Canada measured it at 175.2 in long, 69.7 in wide (body, without mirrors), 61.0 in tall, on a 106.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,265–3,397 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Nissan Leaf?

Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Leaf, most often about service brakes, electrical system, fuel/propulsion system. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 a fire. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Nissan Leaf?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Nissan Leaf is 10 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 1, ZEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Nissan Leaf?

The manufacturer has filed 99 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Nissan Leaf, most often covering electrical system, equipment, air bags. The most recent is dated 2026-04-13. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations2 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates2 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls4NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints36NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings1 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins99NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations1NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationOpen and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA5 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions7 fieldsTransport Canada, Canadian Vehicle SpecificationsLength, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API