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2020 Nissan Leaf

Electric
Midsize Cars
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
50 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical6
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA164
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
EV rangebest configuration, EPA226 mi
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2020 Nissan Leaf is sold in the U.S. as a electric midsize car with 3 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the Leaf (62 kW-hr battery pack), is EPA-rated at 226 miles with 108 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 164 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombRangekWh/100miCharge (240V)Annual fuel*
Leaf (40 kW-hr battery pack)ElectricFWD110 kW DCPM12399111 MPGe149 mi30.48 h$700
Leaf (62 kW-hr battery pack)ElectricFWD160 kW DCPM11897108 MPGe226 mi31.311 h$700
Leaf SV/SL (62 kW-hr battery pack)ElectricFWD160 kW DCPM11494104 MPGe215 mi32.311 h$750

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42561, 42562, 42563.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2020 Nissan Leaf is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (6)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Electrical System

R24B2, P4A38, P5A22
25,704 vehicles
ProblemNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 LEAF vehicles equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. The lithium-ion battery may overheat during Level 3 charging.RiskA quick charging battery that overheats increases the risk of a fire.FixDealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 3, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R24B2, P4A38, and P5A22.
NHTSA campaign 24V700000reported Sep 19, 2024Nissan North America, Inc.
▲high

Back Over Prevention

R23D7
57,914 vehicles
ProblemNissan 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."RiskA rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 24V071000reported Feb 2, 2024Nissan North America, Inc.
▲high

Vehicle Speed Control

R23A6
66,159 vehicles
ProblemNissan 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.RiskUnintentional acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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 23V494000reported Jul 17, 2023Nissan North America, Inc.
▲high

Visibility

R22C5
64,732 vehicles
ProblemNissan 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."RiskReduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.FixNissan 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V048000reported Feb 2, 2023Nissan North America, Inc.
▲high

Visibility

PC752
150 vehicles
ProblemNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.RiskRear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.FixNissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
NHTSA campaign 20V570000reported Sep 22, 2020Nissan North America, Inc.
○minor

Back Over Prevention

6,157 vehicles
ProblemNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 LEAF electric vehicles. Under certain circumstances, the images for the back-up camera can disappear while in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."RiskThe lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.FixNissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. This recall began August 31, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
NHTSA campaign 20V412000reported Jul 17, 2020Nissan North America, Inc.

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 matt

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
164complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2020: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 8 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 85 · 2026: 52

Most-cited components

Electrical System121
Fuel/Propulsion System34
Unspecified22
Power Train13
Forward Collision Avoidance8
Engine8

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recal…”Dec 19, 2024 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the reca…”Dec 19, 2024 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Driving on [XXX] to Denver, when it gets to about 55% it jumps to less than 10% triggering an alarm to recharge. And by the time I get to the nearest charger, it’s about 1%. When I stop at traffic light it goes back up. Just started this recently. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)…”Dec 15, 2024 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report

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.

Crash ratings

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

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.

Other Leaf model years

C

2026 Nissan Leaf

2 recalls · 2 complaints

A

2025 Nissan Leaf

0 recalls · 7 complaints

A

2024 Nissan Leaf

0 recalls · 5 complaints

C

2023 Nissan Leaf

3 recalls · 20 complaints

D

2022 Nissan Leaf

4 recalls · 92 complaints

D

2021 Nissan Leaf

4 recalls · 54 complaints

F

2019 Nissan Leaf

5 recalls · 253 complaints

C

2018 Nissan Leaf

4 recalls · 66 complaints

B

2017 Nissan Leaf

2 recalls · 17 complaints

D

2016 Nissan Leaf

4 recalls · 36 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

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

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