2020 Nissan Leaf: problems, recalls and reliability
6 recalls and 161 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (68% of complaints); the 2018 and 2021 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 7 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Sep 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 161 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the local dealer stated that the part for the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Service EV System - Power Reduced" was displayed. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2026
“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 dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available and referred the contact to the manufacturer for further assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2026
“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 dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“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 recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2026
“Nissan issued a recall on the ev battery in September 2024 because risk of fire if the quick charge feature is used but has failed to remedy the problem as of March 2026 and only says maybe the solution will come in this calendar year. This is unacceptable to cripple the full use of a vehicle. It takes all day to fully charge the car by slow charge compared to one hour in quick charge. Not fixing this problem risks people quick charging vehicles despite the risk.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Mar 2026
“Probably related to vehicle battery recall (that Nissan doesn't have a solution for yet), but when the battery gets beneath 30% it drops suddenly to 0%. I lost propulsion on the highway and it was dangerous. Going at a much lower speed than traffic it was difficult to work my way over to the right emergency lane. Even though my battery had recovered back to 25% after I stopped, the accelerator pedal would not move the car.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (Electrical System); however, the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The contact had received the notification 18-months ago; however, parts were still unavailable. The dealer was contacted every six months, and the contact was informed that the part was still unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that the part was unavailable. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2026
“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 contact stated that the recall had been open for 18-months, which was unacceptable. The contact stated that due to the unrepaired recall, the vehicle could not be charged using the quick charge, which was an inconvenience. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the remedy was not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V700000 (Electrical System) and 24V071000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repairs. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Feb 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (Electrical System). The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was called, but he received no response. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 6 campaigns
Nissan 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.
Remedy: Dealers 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.
Nissan 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.
Remedy: Nissan 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
Nissan 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."
Remedy: Nissan 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.
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."
Remedy: 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.
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."
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 April 1, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2020 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 2020 Nissan Leaf reliable?
NHTSA has 161 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns on record for the 2020 Nissan Leaf. The most complained-about area is electrical system (68% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2020 Nissan Leaf problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 15,000 miles or less.
Does the 2020 Nissan Leaf have open recalls?
6 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:propulsion system:charging:module:software. 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.