2023 Nissan Leaf
The 2023 Nissan Leaf is sold in the U.S. as an electric compact hatchback with 2 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the LEAF SV, is EPA-rated at 212 miles with 109 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 22 complaints, most often about the vehicle speed control. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $28,040 to $36,040 across 2 trims.

| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | MPG comb | Seats | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Electric | FWD | $28,040 | 147 hp | 236 lb-ft | 111 MPGe | 5 | 23.6 cu-ft | 16 in |
| SV PLUS | Electric | FWD | $36,040 | 214 hp | 250 lb-ft | 109 MPGe | 5 | 23.6 cu-ft | 17 in |
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEAF | Electric | FWD | TBD | 123 | 99 | 111 MPGe | 149 mi | 30.4 | 8 h | $700 |
| LEAF SV | Electric | FWD | TBD | 121 | 98 | 109 MPGe | 212 mi | 30.8 | 11 h | $700 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 46016, 46017.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEAF, LEAF SV | 10 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 0 / California ZEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay 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.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2023 Nissan Leaf is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (3)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseService Brakes, Hydraulic
PC976Visibility
R22C5These 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.
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 2023 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 2023 Nissan Leaf, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2023 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.
Find parts for this Leaf →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database6 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported
20 per 10,000 built · Nissan reported 11,211 Leaf built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2022: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 6
Most-cited components
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.
I am requesting information regarding the scope of Nissan's high-voltage battery safety recall 25V-655 (Nissan campaign R25C8) and whether early-production 2023 Nissan LEAF vehicles have been evaluated for the same potential defect.
My Nissan Leaf entered turtle mode on the freeways 8 times over the course of about a week and a half. This causes the car to slow itself down, and severely limit acceleration. The first time was on August 16th, 2026. This is incredibly dangerous, especially on the interstate.
ACCIDENT:Date: Time: Location: Balboa Park – San Diego – Morley Field Sports Center – Parking lot Parking lot - Google Maps Driver – Geico Insurance coverage || no passengers What: Nissan Leaf 2023 Model SV+ - 8410 miles -- Unintended Acceleration Incident Backing up to leave parking lot – with seat belt on – looked at rear view camera –…
My front collision system will sporadically start flashing when there is nothing in front of me. One time a dealer was able to read a code saying that it overheated, and told me that was a known issue with no solution. It was 100F, but I have had the same issue at 35F.
I pulled into a parking spot and to ensure I stopped when I wanted to, I braked. The car accelerated, smashing into a building. I always drive in eco mode and generally use the e-pedal which was on at the time. I’m not sure if either or a combination of those may have been a factor in what happened.
The windshield of my Nissan Leaf spontaneously cracked without being hit by anything externally. Upon inspection, it's pretty clear that the windshield didn't crack because of anything hitting it from the outside (which is what the dealer claimed), since the outside of the windshield is still completely smooth.
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: 1 death-or-injury claim on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 8.9 per 100,000 built. Every Leaf model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 HB FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
| 5 HB FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Driver-assist crash reports (8)
Source: NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-018 no injury reported
Dec 2022 to May 2025 · 0 with an air bag deployment · 1 towed
What was engaged, and what was hit
System named: 11b754c9b332280388f93e72b564a595c71f1e70 (1), 3178f6b66010d950536a144a9708fb8f2e8956cd (1), 386c67303c1d6326bb95d4b81bc370978cd9d007 (1), 5bfe06dadf3ec15d25701c40713fdd98c36b3e20 (1)
Crash partner: SUV 3 · Passenger Car 2 · Pickup Truck 2 · Non-Motorist: Cyclist 1
Filed by: WeRide Corp
| Incident | System | Struck | Injury alleged | State | Speed | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | ADS · 11b754c9b332280388f93e72b564a595c71f1e70 | SUV | no injury reported | CA | 45 mph | 30792-10691 |
| Nov 2024 | ADS · 3178f6b66010d950536a144a9708fb8f2e8956cd | Pickup Truck | no injury reported | CA | — | 30792-9317 |
| Jun 2024 | ADS · 5bfe06dadf3ec15d25701c40713fdd98c36b3e20 | Passenger Car | no injury reported | CA | — | 30792-7917 |
| Jan 2024 | ADS · d98f1cebd2d7298b5b62a537ab054232974e4a9c | Passenger Car | no injury reported | CA | 2 mph | 30792-7147 |
| Sep 2023 | ADS · 956d6b8ff6f0956af8e2e246f712ba475a080f37 | SUV | no injury reported | CA | — | 30792-6492 |
| Aug 2023 | ADS · 386c67303c1d6326bb95d4b81bc370978cd9d007 | Pickup Truck | no injury reported | CA | — | 30792-6114 |
| May 2023 | ADS · 6d38a25f0acc8e31bdfcf3a40215ecae4674aefc | Non-Motorist: Cyclist | no injury reported | CA | — | 30792-5565 |
| Dec 2022 | ADS · Level 4 | SUV | no injury reported | NV | — | 30792-4714 |
From the manufacturer’s own filing
The reporting entity’s narrative as NHTSA published it, with anything identifying removed and nothing added. A narrative is a notice, written before the entity had verified what happened.
At 4:31pm on 12/[redacted]/2023 a Weride safety officer operating a Weride L4 autonomous vehicle (car 1) was in autonomous mode traveling South Bound [redacted] and was stopped at the right turn lane for a red traffic light towards [redacted]. While the light was still red, our vehicle slowly moved forward and then yielded for incoming cross traffic.
At 1:45pm, a WeRide vehicle (Car 1) was parked at a [redacted] parking meter - between [redacted] and [redacted] when another vehicle (Car 2) began reversing in front of the vehicle in question. The reversing vehicle (Car 2) ultimately collided with the front left corner of the WeRide vehicle (Car 1), causing minor damage to the front bumper.
On November [redacted] at 1:27pm, Car 1 (weride av) - while ADS Engaged - was making a legal, protected, left turn from [redacted]. Car 1, turning onto [redacted], performed the turn from the second lane from the left and was travelling 11 mph when Car 1 then slowed down while still in the intersection.
A report under the General Order is a notice the manufacturer or operator must file within days of hearing of a crash in which a Level 2 driver-assist or automated-driving system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact. It is filed before anything is verified, and entities with telematics hear of far more crashes than entities that rely on complaints, so counts say as much about the reporting as about the car and are not comparable across makes. Nothing is normalised by fleet size. Every report on file, by make and year → · NHTSA’s page and files
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Visibility/Wiper, Power Train, Structure.
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · 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 bulletin2026-04-13 · 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 bulletin2026-03-30 · 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 bulletin2025-02-20 · Service Brakes
- 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 bulletin2025-02-20 · 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 bulletin2024-10-30 · 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
- NTB19-071D Service bulletin2024-09-19 · 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 bulletin2024-05-21 · 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.
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 complaintsCodes 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.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1A16 C1A16 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 1 bulletin |
| C2582 | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 1 bulletin |
| P0AA6 P0AA6 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 1 bulletin |
| P31E7 P31E7 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 1 bulletin |
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.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Nissan Leaf failed the safety inspection on 0.83% of first inspections — lower than the 1.1% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected.
failed the safety inspection
241 initial inspections of 240 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2023 Leaf | Every 2023 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.83% | 1.1% | 241 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0% | 0.16% | 241 |
| Miles driven a year | 8,560 | 10,038 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 27,047 | 32,673 | odometer at inspection |
Electric vehicles get no emissions test in New York, so the safety inspection is the record here. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Leaf by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2023 Leaf
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsHow much does the 2023 Nissan Leaf cost?
Manufacturer pricing runs from $28,040 for the S FWD to $36,040 for the SV PLUS FWD, across 2 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2023 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2023 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 2023 Nissan Leaf?
NHTSA gave the 2023 Nissan Leaf 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (76/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Nissan Leaf?
Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 Nissan Leaf, the longest EPA range is 212 miles on a charge. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2023 Nissan Leaf?
Owners have filed 22 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Nissan Leaf, most often about unspecified, vehicle speed control, electrical system. Of those, 6 involved a crash. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2023 Nissan Leaf?
The EPA smog rating for the 2023 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 2023 Nissan Leaf?
The manufacturer has filed 57 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Nissan Leaf, most often covering electrical system, equipment, visibility/wiper. 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.
How does the 2023 Nissan Leaf do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Nissan Leaf failed the safety inspection on 0.83% of first inspections — lower than the 1.1% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected. The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
Which 2023 Nissan Leaf trim is the best value?
$8,000 separates the cheapest of the 2 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you.
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.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 2 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 2 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 3 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 22 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 57 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | 8 | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | Crashes the manufacturer or operator reported with a Level 2 or automated-driving system engaged. Notices, filed before verification; not comparable across makes. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 2 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from. |
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. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.