AI Damage2021 Nissan Leaf: common problems
Owners of the 2021 Nissan Leaf filed 58 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel/propulsion system. The maker issued 83 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 58
- involving a crash
- 2
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 83
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 57% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 10% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 10% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 6 Forward collision avoidance 7% of all complaints
- 7 Backover prevention 5% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 33 complaints (57% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 47.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 10 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Visibility: 6 complaints (10% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Engine: 6 complaints (10% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (7% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
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 58 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 | 33 | 0 | 47 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 10 |
| Engine | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Backover prevention | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Lane departure | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 12 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
BUT the car was spun nearly if not fully 360 after hit by a truck in a lane change of a blind spot that spun the car and into concrete barriers. HORRIBLE. Totaled Vehicle.
XXX I received recall notice in my mailbox from Nissan re 25V-655 - 8 1/2 months past the issuing of recall - explaining the defect and fire hazard while fast charging.
The Automatic Emergency Braking system on my 2021 Nissan Leaf S Plus engaged erroneously (phantom braking) twice. One time was on a sunny day in August 2026 when I had just backed out of my driveway onto my residential street. There was a person walking well to the right side of the road about 100 feet ahead of me.
This causes sudden dashboard state-of-charge drops from 70%+ down to 42â45% on active highways, forcing emergency power limits ("limp mode"). Refusal of Post-Remedy Service: Despite active Corporate Case #XXX with Nissan Consumer Affairs, authorized dealers (Kings Nissan, [dealer] and [dealer]) refuse to intake,…
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.
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
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!
The vehicle is a documented fire risk. Per Recall 25V655, internal lithium deposits create resistance that leads to thermal incidents. Because my battery already shows terminal degradation (40.07% Hx and 3.18V sag), the risk of a fire during charging or operation is imminent.
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 4,955 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Leaf has 66 complaints (17 years in the data). This year has 58, about 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.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
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…
- 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.
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NHTSA lists 83 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 2021 Nissan Leaf?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel/propulsion system, visibility. Total complaints: 58. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (28%), rear-view camera (10%), infotainment or screen glitches (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2021 Nissan Leaf?
NHTSA lists 83 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 2021 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 2021 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 2026-11-05.