2014 Nissan Leaf: problems, recalls and reliability
6 recalls and 34 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes (52% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2023
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while his wife was reversing from the garage, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000. The contact noted that the failure mileage was approximately 50,100 and speed was approximately 5 mph.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Mar 2023
“1) start the vehicle 2) exit the vehicle 3) Unplug the vehicle 4) re-start the vehicle 5) put in drive Seat belt chime does not ring. I found that I can also 1) Start the vehicle 2) Put in drive 3) Put in park 4) exit the vehicle 5) enter the vehicle w/o seatbelt buckled 6) put in drive. No seatbelt chime.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Feb 2022
“Brake Failure - ABS noise, there is zero brake action. Pedal goes all the way to the floor and nothing happens. Car makes an ABS noise but there is zero brake action. I reported this to Nissan dealer twice at first, they couldn't find a problem now their saying it maybe the ABS Control Unit. They want to replace the ABS Control Unit at $2,200 but does not guarantee that's the problems. The Nissan dealer states that the car is not safe to drive. even if I pay them $2,200 to replace the ABS control unit.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2021
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“The power steering has intermittently been de-activating. There is a warning light that comes on (yellow triangle with an exclamation mark). When this happens it causes the steering wheel to feel like it's pulls in a direction. After we suddenly lose power steering with no warning we're left to drive a car with no power steering until it suddenly re-engages. There has been no rhyme or reason to when this happens. The issue has been diagnosed at a factory dealership. The car has not sustained any accident (ever) in the +/- 4 years we've owned it”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2021
“The braking system is not working. Few times while driving on the road, the brakes stopped working and I had to use the emergency brakes. The brakes malfunction while the car is in motion. On a city streets.*dt*jb*dt*jb*dt consumer was told by the dealer brake cylinder system needed to be replaced for $3000.00.*jb”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jan 2021
“Upon starting the car in the parking lot, the brake pressure did not release as usual when starting the car. When driven in the parking lot at low speeds, the brake does not function as it should. There is so much pressure that I can only press the pedal down a limited amount to make the car stop. After a few days of driving the car less than 10 miles total, the problem has worsened and there is less room to press the pedal down while braking. I took the car to get the brakes inspected and was told that everything is functioning as it should. I am worried the issue will worsen to the point that the brakes will not be able to be pressed down at all.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Oct 2019
“When stationary, vehicle will not shift into park, and will roll unless parking brake is applied. Dealership will not cover this under their powertrain warranty even though it is part of the powertrain according to the NHTSA and is a major safety flaw. Dash displays an error that reads "t/m system malfunction visit dealer", and "when parked apply parking brake".”Owner report · Power Train · Sep 2019
“Hi, when I put the car in reverse yesterday morning it sped out of the garage with no throttle and was very difficult to brake. Turns out the brake, ABS, warning and traction control lights were all on. Throttle behavior in drive was normal but was also really hard to brake. There was also a weird hum at power on. I posted this to the r/leaf forum on reddit and everyone said replace the 12v battery which fixed it. Others described similar experiences.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2019
“When the car was turned on it would make a loud humming noise. When you put the car in reverse it would roll back, once you tap on the breaks to stop it would keep rolling back. Only way it would stop was by slamming on the breaks. Same thing would happen when going forward. The only way the car would be drivable is after I let it sit for a while and then go back to turn it on again.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2019
“After disconnecting charge port, the vehicle start displayed the warning light, ABS and brake light. Major electric problem. The vehicle was stationary, at the vehicle charge station. The consumer stated the manufacturer claimed to have completed the recall, but the failure recurred.*js”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2018
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 6 campaigns
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Nissan LEAF vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, through April 24, 2014. Due to a problem with the motor control circuit board, the inverter may fail, causing the vehicle shut down.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
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."
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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 parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 28, 2014, through March 12, 2014. The front structural member assembly may be missing welds, which could reduce the structural integrity of the vehicle if the vehicle is involved in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 305, "Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection."
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect to see if any of the welds are missing. Any vehicle missing welds will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on June 2, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2014 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Leaf by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2014 Nissan Leaf reliable?
NHTSA has 34 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns on record for the 2014 Nissan Leaf. The most complained-about area is service brakes (52% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2014 Nissan Leaf problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 28,300 miles or less.
Does the 2014 Nissan Leaf have open recalls?
6 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning hybrid propulsion system: inverter. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.