2021 Nissan Leaf: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 56 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (52% of complaints); the 2023 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 5 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Sep 2025
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 56 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V655000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while at a dealer charging the vehicle for approximately 15- 20 minutes, there was a fire coming from the front of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the fire department after several hours. A Police report was not filed. No injuries, medical attention, or damages were reported. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2026
“A recall fix was done for the back up camera about a year ago. That was a national recall for an issue with the system. My car started the same exact issue about 3 weeks ago. No back up camera, pink or blue screen, glitchy. I contacted Nissan about it and it didn't seem like they wanted to make the repair again or fix the issue at no cost. I was wondering if other owners have had the same issue and if you can intervene. Thank you”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Aug 2026
“Our vehicle was affected by recall 25V655 for defective battery. The vehicle was serviced at the Nissan dealer and the software update to resolve the recall was applied. Yesterday the vehicle spontaneously combusted during DC fast charging despite the software update. It appears that the software update was ineffective at mitigating the fire hazard.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2026
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“Recall for FAST CHARGE LEVEL 3 CHADEMO has been issued for over 6 months. I am advised not to fast charge due to risk of devastating fire. Very dangerous to continue to use this car in an urban setting. Buyback was denied and told to wait for a fix. No fix yet! I can't get out of Philadelphia in this car. Tesla wouldn't let this happen!”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2026
“I want to be clear about why I opened this case. Per Nissan's own recall documents, the software update does not repair the defective battery cells, it only detects the issue and may disable the vehicle to prevent a thermal event. Level 3 charging remains unusable, and the underlying defect is still present. Because of this, I am requesting a repurchase or a replacement vehicle. If they say the software will "fully correct the condition"”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Feb 2026
“I can't charge the car. I live in a city without a garage. I 100% need level 3 ChadEMO charging to use this car. Please pressure the automaker to fix it or buy back the vehicle as I cannot use the car. This is unacceptable from Nissan. Lemon!”Owner report · Electrical System · Nov 2025
“The battery has had a recall since October 2025 with no repair update at all. The battery degeneration has cause serious issues and has almost left me stranded multiple times. I haven't been able to charge at most charging stations due to the limiting of fast chargers and it is very time consuming when I do.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2025
“Car is under a recall-no level 3 charging due to risk of fire since October of 2025 with no remedy in place. The car is not able to be used as advertized-cannot travel outside of 200 miles from my home as level 3 charging is not possible and level 2 charging not feasible for travelling. Of note-the battery in my car is a NEW battery -it was replaced in December of 2025 due to repeated prior failures -including suddenly slowing down drastically on highway which was a safety hazard. Aftee repeated efforts to get this addressed Nissan agreed to replace the battery but the repacement IS UNDER RECALL and the car is not usable for my purposes.”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2025
“Nissan has yet to effectively respond to NHTSA recall 25V-655 concerning a fire hazard when fast charging particular Leaf models including the 2021 model year that I own. As a temporary solution Nissan strongly recommends not to fast charge (Level 3 charge) until a solution is provided (anticipated by Dec. 31 2025). Nissan Customer Service has been unable to respond to my query for a revised date and therefore the safety issue is ongoing for an indeterminable time. Meanwhile the safety issue continues leaving my car in a diminished state of use.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2025
“As described in recall 25V-655, lithium deposited have accumulated in the HV battery of my 2021 Nissan Leaf. I haven't used L3 charging since I received the recall notice, but the car often won't charge even on L1 charging. The state of health of the HV battery is still 86% but the internal resistance of the HV battery is down to 44% due to the lithium deposits. The local Nissan dealership won't touch it because Nissan hasn't provided a remedy. It has been over 5 months since I received the recall notice. That doesn't seem very timely.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 2 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2022 LEAF vehicles equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. The lithium-ion battery may overheat during Level 3 charging.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to use Level 3 quick charging until the remedy is completed. Dealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 16, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's Customer Service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R25C8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 4, 2025.
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 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 2021 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Leaf years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
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 2021 Nissan Leaf reliable?
NHTSA has 56 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2021 Nissan Leaf. The most complained-about area is electrical system (52% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2021 Nissan Leaf problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 27,500 miles or less.
Does the 2021 Nissan Leaf have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system. 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.