Reliable Auto DB

2020 Nissan Leaf reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 165 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Nissan Leaf over 7 years — 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Leaf years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Traction battery, Camera, and Speed control.

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

165

Per year

3

Recalls

6

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (121 of 165), then Fuel and propulsion system (34) and Powertrain (13). The most filings arrived in 2025 (85 of 165). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Leaf has 259 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2021 has 55 complaints, 4 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

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 2020 Nissan Leaf. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall electrical system, propulsion system, traction battery 2024-09-20 · NHTSA campaign 24V700000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 LEAF vehicles equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. The lithium-ion battery may overheat during Level 3 charging.
Remedy Dealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 3, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R24B2, P4A38, and P5A22.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2024-02-02 · NHTSA campaign 24V071000
Summary 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.
Recall Speed control 2023-07-17 · NHTSA campaign 23V494000
Summary 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.
Recall Owner's manual 2023-02-02 · NHTSA campaign 23V048000
Summary 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.
Recall visibility, side or rear glass 2020-09-22 · NHTSA campaign 20V570000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2020-07-17 · NHTSA campaign 20V412000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 LEAF electric vehicles. Under certain circumstances, the images for the back-up camera can disappear while in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. This recall began August 31, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Complaints by component (165 total)

Electrical system
121
Fuel and propulsion system
34
Powertrain
13
Engine
8
Forward collision avoidance
7
Back-over prevention
5
Service brakes
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Speed control
2
Suspension
2
Air bags
1
Structure
1
Show 4 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

2202052021320228202392024852025532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Vehicle: 2020 Nissan Leaf SV, VIN [[XXX]], ~55,000 miles Recall: R24B2 / NHTSA campaign 24V700000 (battery may overheat during Level 3 charging — fire risk) I brought my vehicle to Conicelli Nissan (Conshohocken, PA)…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-24
  • "We were asked by Nissan corporate to bring in the vehicle for a safety recall related to the battery. The Nissan dealership updated the battery software then gave the vehicle back to us. However, as soon as we drove…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-01
  • "My 2020 Nissan LEAF is subject to open safety recall 24V700 / R24B2 for a high-voltage lithium-ion battery defect that poses a fire risk during Level 3 quick charging. On [XXX], I brought the vehicle to an authorized…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-26
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that 100 miles of…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-08-17
  • "SAFETY COMPLAINT / INCIDENT DESCRIPTION Vehicle presented to Dennis Dillon Nissan on June 20 2026 for a factory high voltage battery recall software update intended to fix Level 3 fast charging safety risks. The…"
    Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-16

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Nissan LEAF (40 KWh Battery) 5 HB FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Nissan LEAF PLUS (62 KWh Battery) 5 HB FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 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 (40 kW-hr battery pack) — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 123 99 111 MPG / 149 mi range $700
Leaf (62 kW-hr battery pack) — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 118 97 108 MPG / 226 mi range $700
Leaf SV/SL (62 kW-hr battery pack) — Automatic (1-speed) Front-wheel drive 114 94 104 MPG / 215 mi range $750

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (ZE1), 2018–present
Body styles Hatchback
Tire size 205/55R16, 215/50R17 (trim dependent)

Compare

Previous year 2019 Nissan Leaf Next year 2021 Nissan Leaf See every Nissan Leaf model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Nissan Leaf reliable?

Owners have filed 165 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Nissan Leaf over 7 years — 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Leaf years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Traction battery, Camera, and Speed control.

What are common problems with a 2020 Nissan Leaf?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (121 of 165), then Fuel and propulsion system (34) and Powertrain (13). The most filings arrived in 2025 (85 of 165). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2020 Nissan Leaf more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Leaf has 259 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2021 has 55 complaints, 4 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Nissan Leaf been recalled?

The 2020 Nissan Leaf has 6 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 2020 Nissan Leaf?

Owners have filed 165 complaints about the 2020 Nissan Leaf with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Nissan Leaf get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Nissan Leaf is 107.7 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.