2015 Nissan Leaf reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 Nissan Leaf holds 110 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 11 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Leaf years on this site. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Owner's manual, Air bags, and Occupant classification.

2012 Nissan Leaf — Photo by Vauxford, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

110

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (84 of 110), then Electrical system (18) and Air bags (8). Those filings include 8 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Leaf has 34 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2016 has 36 complaints, 4 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Nissan Leaf. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (4)

Recall Owner's manual 2023-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 23V296000

Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2017 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 May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23A1.

Recall Air bags 2017-04-13 · NHTSA campaign 17V253000

Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.

Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2016-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 16V244000

Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Remedy Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

Recall Service brakes 2016-02-29 · NHTSA campaign 16V119000

Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.

Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Complaints by component (110 total)

Service brakes

Electrical system

Air bags

Speed control

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Engine

Powertrain

Fuel and propulsion system

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Air brakes

Hydraulic brakes

Seats

Traction control

Show 6 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The electrically-driven intelligent brake unit failed on my 2015 Nissan Leaf. The brakes became inoperative: when pressing the brake pedal there is a loud compression/grinding noise and the pedal goes nearly to the…"
Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2026-09-01
"The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the brakes failed to engage while the brake pedal was depressed. The brake and master warning lights were…"
Service brakes · filed 2026-08-13
"The car was parked in a parking lot, and when we turned it on and pulled out of the space, the brake light, ABS light, and other warning lights came on and the brakes went soft. We pulled back into the space and tried…"
Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2026-08-06
"Visor on driver side fall down on face causing blockage. Paint is pealing off of vehicle."
Unknown or other · filed 2026-04-23
"This is the third time my brakes have failed while driving, which seems to have something to do with the 12-volt battery. At least at first, I disconnected my 12-volt battery and reconnected it; this fixed the issue, at…"
Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2026-04-23

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2015 Nissan Leaf 5 HB FWD	4 stars	4 stars	4 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Leaf	—	Automatic (1-speed)	Front-wheel drive	126	101	114 MPG / 84 mi range	$650

Specs and fitment

1st generation (ZE0), 2012–2017

Body styles Hatchback

Tire size 205/55R16, 215/50R17 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 17V-253 covers certain 2015-2017 LEAF and certain Sentra vehicles: due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in a crash. Dealers replace the front passenger air bag inflator. The campaign also names Sentra model years, so published totals are shared. Recall 16V-119 covers certain 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles where, during very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may fail.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Nissan Leaf Next year 2016 Nissan Leaf See every Nissan Leaf model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Nissan Leaf reliable?

What are common problems with a 2015 Nissan Leaf?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (84 of 110), then Electrical system (18) and Air bags (8). Those filings include 8 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Nissan Leaf more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Leaf has 34 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2016 has 36 complaints, 4 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Nissan Leaf been recalled?

The 2015 Nissan Leaf has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Nissan Leaf?

Owners have filed 110 complaints about the 2015 Nissan Leaf with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Nissan Leaf get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Nissan Leaf is 114 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

Does the Nissan Leaf use engine oil?

Battery-electric versions have no conventional engine oil change; follow the owner's manual for reduction gear and other fluids.

What generation is the 2019 Nissan Leaf?

2nd generation / ZE1 (2018-on).

What tire sizes does a Nissan Leaf use?

Common US sizes include 205/55R16 and 215/50R17 depending on trim.