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Nissan · Compact Hatchback

2018 Nissan Leaf

Electric
Midsize Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
76 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical 4
Complaints9 crash · 1 fire · 3 injured reported 67
Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —
EV rangebest configuration, EPA 151 mi
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 Nissan Leaf is sold in the U.S. as an electric compact hatchback. Its longest-range version, the Leaf, is EPA-rated at 151 miles with 112 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 67 complaints, most often about the service brakes.

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*
LeafElectricFWD110 kW DCPM125100112 MPGe151 mi30.08 h$700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39860.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Leaf10 / 10Federal Tier 3 Bin 0 / California 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.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length176.4 in
Width (body, without mirrors)70.5 in
Height61.4 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Track, front60.6 in
Track, rear61.0 in
Curb weight3,439 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear58/42

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: 5-door Hatchback. 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
●moderate

Back Over Prevention

R23D7
57,914 vehicles 71% reported repaired
Problem Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2022 LEAF vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility." Risk A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23D7.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 24V071000 reported Feb 2, 2024 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
!critical

Vehicle Speed Control

R23A6
66,159 vehicles 83% reported repaired
Problem Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2023 LEAF vehicles. The vehicle may accelerate unintentionally if the driving mode is changed ("D" to "B"; e-Pedal "On"; or "ECO" mode) after disengaging the cruise control. Risk Unintentional acceleration can increase the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will reprogram the vehicle control module (VCM), free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23A6.
NHTSA campaign 23V494000 reported Jul 17, 2023 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
○minor

Visibility

R22C5
64,732 vehicles 100% reported repaired
Problem Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2023 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 April 1, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.
Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 23V048000 reported Feb 2, 2023 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
○minor

Back Over Prevention

1,228,830 vehicles 80% reported repaired built May 1, 2018 – Apr 30, 2019
Problem Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) num Risk The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash. Fix Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 19V654000 reported Sep 12, 2019 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 2018 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 2018 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 2018 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
67complaints filed

9 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported

50 per 10,000 built · Nissan reported 13,358 Leaf built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 10 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2026: 8

Most-cited components

Service Brakes 19
Electrical System 19
Forward Collision Avoidance 17
Fuel/Propulsion System 13
Vehicle Speed Control 12
Unspecified 7

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.

Around 45 degree weather, while driving on the freeway, a warning light indicating the AEB had been turned off started flashing on my dashboard without any collision, jerky movements, sudden stops, or changes to settings.
Service Brakes Nov 3, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11492170
There is a faulty passenger airbag sensor. I see that this has been an issue in the past for older Nissan models. The dealer has inspected it and confirmed the problem. If there is no passenger in the front seat, the supplemental airbag warning light and the front passenger airbag status light stay on.
Air Bags Jul 22, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11475265
While driving on the highway with a full battery charge, the vehicle battery was suddenly depleted, the car entered "turtle mode" (a reduced motor power at low charge feature), and then turned off completely moments later. This is a huge safety issue as it leaves you to coast to a stop without the benefit of power brakes or steering.
Fuel/Propulsion System Apr 20, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11461430
AEB system malfunction around 25000 miles. Dealer diagnose as the front radar failed and cause the cruise control not available
Forward Collision Avoidance Jan 15, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11447574
I had initiated a claim sometime last year about the b pillar plastic door trim possibly being damaged from the sun's reflection. Nissan USA referred me to the local dealership since they cannot help me. They said that it's not a defect and we would have to pay for any damages that needed to be repaired (about $1000).
Structure at 500 miles May 6, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11415463
The vehicle's blind spot detector turns off at low speeds potentially putting the driver at risk if the driver depends on the blind spot detector. The collision avoidance system is unreliable.
Vehicle Speed Control at 2,500 miles Jan 3, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11164720

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.

Reported by Nissan itself: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 15 per 100,000 built. Every Leaf model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 12k

miles, typically

Half the 21 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 3,000 and 19,000 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 21 on file: 10 under 10k, 6 10k–20k, 2 20k–30k, 1 30k–40k, 1 50k–60k, 1 70k–80k.

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

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 123
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-04-13
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 123 service bulletins

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Forward Collision Avoidance, Power Train, Lane Departure.

  • 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
  • NTB15-049CC Service bulletin
    2026-03-30 · Electrical System
  • TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT: This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G network compatible TCU. TCUs compatible with 3G network only are no longer supported. SERVICE INFORMATION The APPLIED VEHICLES that come equipped with a factory installed SOS switch, located near the overhead map lamp, also come equipped with a wireless communication device called a Telematics Communication U
  • NTB19-042F Service bulletin
    2025-02-20 · Electrical System
  • AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and there are no related DTCs, inspect the windshield. A blinking AEB warning light may occur under the following condit
  • NTB19-033G Service bulletin
    2025-02-20 · Electrical System
  • INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. You MUST closely follow the entire SERVICE PROCEDURE as it contains information that is essential to successfully completing this repair.
  • NTB24-048 Service bulletin
    2024-10-30 · Visibility/Wiper
  • *****Dealer Announcement***** Nissan is conducting a service campaign on certain specific MY2018-2025 Nissan LEAF vehicles identified in Service Comm and National Service History – Open Campaigns. On affected vehicles, at temperatures below -10°C/14°F, use of the blower motor at full speed can cause the defrost function to operate at a low electrical current and trigger failsafe logic. This may re
  • NTB20-066C Service bulletin
    2024-10-04 · Electrical System
  • LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires aiming, the values in Table A on page 4 must be used.  For all other models/model years, consult the Electronic Service Manual (ESM).
  • 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)

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
B130C
B130C on Nissan →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment3 bulletins
B2EF0
B2EF0 on Nissan →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment3 bulletins
P0456
P0456 on Nissan →
A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.Fuel/Propulsion System · 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 2018 Leaf

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 23V494000, covering Vehicle Speed Control. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 Nissan Leaf yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it C (76/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

For the 2018 Nissan Leaf, the longest EPA range is 151 miles on a charge. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

Transport Canada measured it at 176.4 in long, 70.5 in wide (body, without mirrors), 61.4 in tall, on a 106.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,439 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Leaf, most often about service brakes, electrical system, forward collision avoidance. Of those, 9 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 3 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 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 — California ZEV, Federal Tier 3 Bin 0 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

The manufacturer has filed 123 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, most often covering electrical system, equipment, forward collision avoidance. 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.

Is the 2018 Nissan Leaf better than the 2018 Toyota Prius c?

The Nissan Leaf edges it, 76.7 to 72.1, on fuel & range. The Toyota Prius c is ahead on safety. Raise the safety weight from 4 to 5 and it flips. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2018 Nissan Leaf against the 2018 Toyota Prius c — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.

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 & configurations1 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates1 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 complaints67NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratingsnoneNHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins123NHTSA 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 NHTSAnoneNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWe had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
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