AI Damage2019 Nissan Leaf: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Nissan Leaf filed 260 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel/propulsion system. The maker issued 95 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 260
- involving a crash
- 4
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 95
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 68% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 5% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 6 Backover prevention 4% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 3% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 2% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 178 complaints (68% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 53.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 34 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Powertrain: 13 complaints (5% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Visibility: 13 complaints (5% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Service brakes: 10 complaints (4% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 260 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 178 | 1 | 53 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 34 | 0 | 1 |
| Powertrain | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| Visibility | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Backover prevention | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| Engine | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| Lane departure | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 7 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
There were no warning lights illuminated; however, there was a beeping sound while attempting to stop the vehicle. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags deployed as needed. The contact was unsure if a Police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to the residence.
A warning light appeared, stating "T/M System Malfunction Warning - See Dealer," but by that time, the brakes had already stopped working. The only way to stop the vehicle was by using the emergency brake, which is extremely dangerous and could easily lead to a fatal accident.
I was driving an almost dead battery (8% charge remaining and 13 miles left) and the 2019 model Nissan Leaf car (20K miles driven) was already very heavy while entering our alley (backyard parking).
While driving on the highway my vehicle ran over a spare trailer tire that had fallen off another vehicle. My vehicle almost cleared it but the tire just barely lodged underneath in the undercarriage,just past the front tires.
The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, an unknown battery warning light illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, where diagnosis confirmed an internal battery cell failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed via telephone.
The local dealer was contacted and declined to perform the recall repair, stating that the recall repair would place the vehicle in LIMP Mode, and advised the contact to disregard any warning lights illuminated.
I had intermittent loss of back-up camera picture, with initial repair paid by me on 8/3/22. The problem persisted intermittently, I was told the only option was to replace the camera, which I found with online search didn't fix the problem. 9/11/24 the dealer "fixed" the problem when a recall was issued.
There was also a check engine light and an ABS warning indicator on. When I pushed down on the brake pedal I felt no resistance and no braking action. When I put the brake pedal to the floor, there was a vibration and a little bit of braking, but somewhat ineffective.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 247 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Leaf has 53 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 260, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- *****Dealer Announcement***** Nissan is committed to delivering the highest levels of product quality and…
*****Dealer Announcement***** Nissan is committed to delivering the highest levels of product quality and customer satisfaction. In support of this commitment, Nissan is implementing a Lithium-ion Battery Post-Remedy…
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other…
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 =…
- 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…
- 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…
- INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED…
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…
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2018-2025 LEAF; HVAC REPROGRAM CAMPAIGN ID #
P4A17 APPLIED VEHICLES: 2018-2025 LEAF (ZE1) Check Service COMM or Dealer Business Systems (DBS) National Service History to confirm campaign eligibility. INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary service…
- *****Dealer Announcement***** Nissan is conducting a service campaign on certain specific MY2018-2025…
*****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…
- LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires…
LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires aiming, the values in Table A on page 4 must be used. For all other models/model years, consult the Electronic…
- 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…
- VEHICLE WILL NOT START AND DTCS P31E7 AND P0AA6 STORED IN EV/HEV CONTROL MODULE This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- DTC C1A17-49 OR C2580-49 STORED IN LASER/RADAR This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 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.
NHTSA lists 95 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Nissan Leaf?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel/propulsion system, powertrain. Total complaints: 260. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (22%), rear-view camera (7%), warning lights, check engine (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Nissan Leaf?
NHTSA lists 95 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 Nissan Leaf from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.