2022 Nissan Leaf Electric Problems And Complaints

2022 Nissan Leaf User Complaints and Problems

Since the Nissan Leaf uses an electric direct drive system for motive power, you are pretty much left to deal with far less stuff that could go wrong with the powertrain, mechanically. But that does not make this electric hatchbackimmune to complaints as software and electronic niggles are something that is known to be a constant nuisance on this car. Though it might not directly affect its reliability, it certainly is a compromise to the convenience factor.

Listed below are the most commonly known issues of the 2022 Nissan Leaf and their implications on the ownership experience.

Mechanical Complaints

• Service brakes- Complete failure of service brakes or loss of braking assist has been one common issue that owners of the previous generation Nissan leaf have been facing. The brake pedal is said to shudder as if the Anti-lock system was kicking in and the pedal completely depresses to the floor without any effective deceleration. This issue was later traced to be with the electronic brake booster relay and a factory recall (NHTSA ID-16V119000) was initiated in 2016, for the replacement of the faulty relay and reprogramming of the “Intelligent Brake Control” unit software. At least 4 crashes have been reported against this issue.

Electric System Complaints

• Battery – Battery capacity loss is one major issue that a concerning number of owners have pointed out on the Nissan Leaf. Owners have complained about a significant drop in range from the battery pack on cars with as low as 10,000 miles. Despite Nissan being aware of this issue, no plausible remedies have been brought about to counter this issue. Owners who have completely degraded batteries were given replacements under warranty.
• Battery Management System- The battery management system on the Leaf has been said to have a bunch of issues of its own. The issues include failing to start, rapid drop to DC charge speeds, battery overheating, and limiting motor power when there is decent charge left in the battery. Since most of these complaints were recorded in low numbers, no official statements from the automaker have been released on this issue.

Safety Complaints

• Airbags- The passenger side airbag sensor issue is one complaint that has been common with the last batch of Leafs, built before 2016. Owners complain about the passenger airbag warning light coming on despite the seat being occupied. This was caused either due to a faulty occupancy sensor or a loose wiring harness. The driver-side airbag is also said to throw a warning which was later diagnosed to be manufacturing defects with the inflator. All three complaints were later resolved through separate manufacturer-initiated recalls (NHTSA IDs- 16V244000, 16V436000, and 17V253000) between 2016 and 2017.
• Forward Collision avoidance/ auto emergency braking system- A Forward Collision avoidance system is said to be a rather common problem in the latest generation of Leafs. Drivers have complained about the system being over-intrusive or not functioning altogether. “System malfunction” warning has been said to be a common occurrence that prevents the driver from using cruise control. As the dealerships were unable to trace any error codes, a system reset was the short-term remedy. At least 2 low-speed crashes have been recorded against this issue.

The table gives a rough idea of the total number of officially recognized complaints by the NHTSA on the Nissan Leaf to date since 2015. The actual numbers may vary from what is depicted.

Category	Number of complaints
Fuel and Propulsion System	14
Engine/ Powertrain	3
Safety	22
Service brakes	27
Electrical	29
Structural	13

2022 Nissan Leaf Recalls

Essentially being a souped-up version of the previous generation, the new iteration of the Nissan Leaf has shown a convincing drop in the number of recalls, with zero instances recorded in the last two years. Nissan has been in the electric car game long enough that most of the niggles with the Leaf’s powertrain have been sorted out by the time the new generation hit the market. And for that reason, the 2022 Nissan Leaf comes out as one of the most well-put-together low-cost EVs in the market currently with the best recall records as per the NHTSA.

S. No	Date	NHTSA ID	Issues Noticed	Additional Remarks
1	22nd September 2020	20V570000	Rear window glass may separate.	The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
2	17th July 2020	20V412000	No backup-camera display image	Software glitches may cause the backup camera to not display the image while in reverse, increasing the risk of a crash.
3	12th September 2019	19V654000	No backup-camera display image	Software glitches may cause the backup camera to not display the image while in reverse, increasing the risk of a crash.
4	13th April 2017	17V253000	The front passenger airbag may deploy improperly	Manufacturing error in inflators may cause the airbag to deploy improperly, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
5	15th June 2016	16V436000	Passenger airbag harness connector disconnects.	If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger airbag may not deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
6	26th April 2016	16V244000	Passenger airbag may not deploy due to OCS error	A faulty occupant classification system (OCS) can fail to detect passenger, causing the frontal passenger airbag to turn off, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
7	29th February 2016	16V119000	The brake relay may freeze in cold temperatures.	If the relay inside the brake booster fails, a longer distance or additional brake effort would be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

When compared to its completion, the Nissan leaf has been performing significantly well, recording just 2 recalls since 2020. The Hyundai Kona EV comes pretty close with 4, while the Chevrolet Bolt EV records over 5 in the same period. The Tesla Model 3 on the other hand, well known for its build compromises and software issues, has rolled through over 10 recalls in the same time frame.

Component Affected	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
Safety	0	0	0	0	0	1	2
Exterior	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Electric	0	0	1	1	0	0	1
Interior	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Drive System	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fuel System	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Engine	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Which Nissan Leaf model year should you avoid?

The Nissan Leaf electric hatchback was never known to be an inherently faulty electric car unlike some popular brands these days. For that reason, there are no definitive reasons to avoid a specific model year unless you are going for anything before the 2013 model year. Unlike gasoline-powered cars, mileage and battery health are two major concerns when getting electric vehicles. So, high mileage and low battery capacity (indicated by capacity bars adjacent to the charge status bars) vehicles are something to stay clear of.

Should you buy a used Nissan Leaf?

If you are looking for an affordable electric commuter, the Nissan Leaf is a great option. Even though it is a bit down on range and power, it serves its purpose well. Given the longer duration of its existence in the market compared to competitors, Nissan has been able to iron out most of the issues with this electric hatchback and the latest generation of cars is turning out to be trusty with low customer complaints. Pre-owned Leafs are plentiful in the used market and are available at prices as low as $5,000. But before you buy one, just make sure that the battery condition is acceptable, or else the replacement costs will blow a hole in your wallet.