NISSAN LEAF · model year

2017 NISSAN LEAF

23 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2017NISSANLEAF carries 23 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2017 LEAF is air bags with 4 filings, followed by unknown or other (3) and electrical system (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 54 investigation files overlapping the 2017 LEAF, and 5 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

23
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

23 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
STRUCTURE:BODY2
SERVICE BRAKES2
VISIBILITY/WIPER2
SEAT BELTS1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
POWER TRAIN1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING1

Recalls (2)

23V29600026/04/2023

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

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

17V25300013/04/2017

AIR BAGS

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.

Recent Complaints

20260209CrashAIR BAGS

My son and I were in a major crash on a freeway, we were hit by a semi-truck, sent into a spin, hit by another vehicle and stopped by slamming into freeway guardrail. The car was totaled. My son was driving and airbags on the drivers side all deployed but nothing deployed on the passenger side at all.

20260209CrashSTRUCTURE:BODY

My son and I were in a major crash on a freeway, we were hit by a semi-truck, sent into a spin, hit by another vehicle and stopped by slamming into freeway guardrail. The car was totaled. My son was driving and airbags on the drivers side all deployed but nothing deployed on the passenger side at all.

20240423AIR BAGS

Airbag light flashing. Airbag might not deploy in event of accident. Nissan service stated "code B00A0 triggered in SRS control unit. Failure within OCS circuit. Recommends replacement of OCS SENSORS and Control Unit." Stated my VIN is not included in all the other OCS recalls.

20230608AIR BAGS

My Nissan LEAF's airbag warning light is flashing, so I took it to the local dealer called Mike Rezi Nissan in Atlanta, GA area. They inspected it, and came back with the OCS control unit & sensor failure report, and wanted a thousand dollars to replace them. While there is a OCS recall for multi Nissan models, and my car is left out, and the VIN# is not included in this recall... ** also called Nissan custome affair, and I was told the same thing about my VIN# has no OCS recall, and was provided no explanation ** ** the LEAF's been driving normal, no accidents, and clean record **

20230512VISIBILITY/WIPER

My vehicle (VIN [XXX] )remains listed as subject to a recall on the NHTSA website even though the remedy/repair was executed on April 3, 2023 by an authorized dealer/service center: Nissan of Downtown LA. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

20230424AIR BAGS

SRS Airbag light flashing. Code reader shows B00A0 0009 code indicating a problem with the OCS / Occupancy sensor. I believe this puts all passengers in the front seat at risk since the airbag may not operate in an accident. The car is available for inspection. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer or others.

20220801SERVICE BRAKES

7/21/22 -we left our property, brakes working fine, drove 1/2 mile, no brakes. Dash lights lit up, brake, abs, ! And anti skid. Finally jammed parking brake and regular brakes on, creating a grinding noise and car stopped. 7/22/22-Towed car to mechanic in Sonora, Ca…he said brakes working now. 7/23/22- drove car to Central Valley Nissan. New intelligent brake control unit was installed. Car has less than 36,000 miles on it. This part should not have failed. Part is available for examination. 7/23/22-I called Nissan Consumer Affairs to discuss the issue with the part, they said the car was no longer under warranty, so to bad, so sad.

20220801FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

7/21/22 -we left our property, brakes working fine, drove 1/2 mile, no brakes. Dash lights lit up, brake, abs, ! And anti skid. Finally jammed parking brake and regular brakes on, creating a grinding noise and car stopped. 7/22/22-Towed car to mechanic in Sonora, Ca…he said brakes working now. 7/23/22- drove car to Central Valley Nissan. New intelligent brake control unit was installed. Car has less than 36,000 miles on it. This part should not have failed. Part is available for examination. 7/23/22-I called Nissan Consumer Affairs to discuss the issue with the part, they said the car was no longer under warranty, so to bad, so sad.

20210113ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

HELLO! I HAVE MY 2017 NISSAN LEAF SV WITH 30KWH BATTERY IN AT NISSAN OF TROY, MAINLY DUE TO TWO PROBLEMS. THIS IS A 2017 NISSAN LEAF WITH 30KWH BATTE HELLO! I HAVE MY 2017 NISSAN LEAF SV WITH 30KWH BATTERY IN AT NISSAN OF TROY, MAINLY DUE TO TWO PROBLEMS. THIS IS A 2017 NISSAN LEAF WITH 30KWH BATTERY WITH A DC-FC FAST CHARGE PLUG THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY ROUGHLY 15X FASTER THAN 6.6K LEVEL2/3 CHARGERS. THE KEY TWO PROBLEMS ARE AS FOLLOWS: A. DCFC FAILS TO CHARGE ON 2017 NISSAN LEAF AND CAUSES J1772 TO BE UNABLE TO CHARGE IT ANYMORE SUBSEQUENTLY GETTING A CHARGE IN A PINCH LEADS TO REALLY NEEDING A TOW TRUCK!! B. THE RANGE ON THE BATTERY DROPS DRASTICALLY ON A REGULAR DAY TO DAY DRIVE... THE OTHER DAY I LEFT FOR A 4.5MILE TRIP WITH 17MILES ON GOM AND BY TIME I DROVE 2 MILES RANGE WENT DOWN TO 11MILES. BEFORE I WAS 1/2 WAY LOW BATTERY INDICATOR WENT OFF AND ~1.5MILES TO HOME VERY LOW BATTERY KICKS IN. - I BELIEVE THE CAR GOM ALWAYS OVER ESTIMATES T

20210113FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

HELLO! I HAVE MY 2017 NISSAN LEAF SV WITH 30KWH BATTERY IN AT NISSAN OF TROY, MAINLY DUE TO TWO PROBLEMS. THIS IS A 2017 NISSAN LEAF WITH 30KWH BATTE HELLO! I HAVE MY 2017 NISSAN LEAF SV WITH 30KWH BATTERY IN AT NISSAN OF TROY, MAINLY DUE TO TWO PROBLEMS. THIS IS A 2017 NISSAN LEAF WITH 30KWH BATTERY WITH A DC-FC FAST CHARGE PLUG THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY ROUGHLY 15X FASTER THAN 6.6K LEVEL2/3 CHARGERS. THE KEY TWO PROBLEMS ARE AS FOLLOWS: A. DCFC FAILS TO CHARGE ON 2017 NISSAN LEAF AND CAUSES J1772 TO BE UNABLE TO CHARGE IT ANYMORE SUBSEQUENTLY GETTING A CHARGE IN A PINCH LEADS TO REALLY NEEDING A TOW TRUCK!! B. THE RANGE ON THE BATTERY DROPS DRASTICALLY ON A REGULAR DAY TO DAY DRIVE... THE OTHER DAY I LEFT FOR A 4.5MILE TRIP WITH 17MILES ON GOM AND BY TIME I DROVE 2 MILES RANGE WENT DOWN TO 11MILES. BEFORE I WAS 1/2 WAY LOW BATTERY INDICATOR WENT OFF AND ~1.5MILES TO HOME VERY LOW BATTERY KICKS IN. - I BELIEVE THE CAR GOM ALWAYS OVER ESTIMATES T

20201015ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

A SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WITH OUT AN AUDIBLE WARNING. THE VEHICLE OPERATES AT CREEP SPEED. I NOTICE IT BECAUSE THE CAN NOT ACCELERATE. A MOMENT OF CONFUSION SETS IN IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. A TELL TALE LIGHT OF A TURTLE COMES ON. I HAVE TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC TO PULL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A CONCERN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE TELL TALE LIGHT GOES AWAY AFTER CYCLING THE POWER BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND STARTING IT ALL OVER. IT GIVES ME THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TROUBLE WENT AWAY. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED ONCE A YEAR. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. IT IS NOW HAPPENING ONCE A WEEK IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. SOMEONE CAN GET HURT IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO. I BELIEVE THE WARNING LIGHT SHOULD REMAIN ON UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED. I NOTICED THE ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE CLIMATE IS HOT AND I AM DRIVING WITH THE AC ON. THE BATTERY TEMPERATURE IS IN THE SAFE ZONE. NISSAN DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT.

Mileage: 61,749

20201015FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

A SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WITH OUT AN AUDIBLE WARNING. THE VEHICLE OPERATES AT CREEP SPEED. I NOTICE IT BECAUSE THE CAN NOT ACCELERATE. A MOMENT OF CONFUSION SETS IN IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. A TELL TALE LIGHT OF A TURTLE COMES ON. I HAVE TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC TO PULL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A CONCERN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE TELL TALE LIGHT GOES AWAY AFTER CYCLING THE POWER BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND STARTING IT ALL OVER. IT GIVES ME THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TROUBLE WENT AWAY. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED ONCE A YEAR. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. IT IS NOW HAPPENING ONCE A WEEK IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. SOMEONE CAN GET HURT IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO. I BELIEVE THE WARNING LIGHT SHOULD REMAIN ON UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED. I NOTICED THE ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE CLIMATE IS HOT AND I AM DRIVING WITH THE AC ON. THE BATTERY TEMPERATURE IS IN THE SAFE ZONE. NISSAN DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT.

Mileage: 61,749

20201015POWER TRAIN

A SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WITH OUT AN AUDIBLE WARNING. THE VEHICLE OPERATES AT CREEP SPEED. I NOTICE IT BECAUSE THE CAN NOT ACCELERATE. A MOMENT OF CONFUSION SETS IN IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. A TELL TALE LIGHT OF A TURTLE COMES ON. I HAVE TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC TO PULL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A CONCERN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE TELL TALE LIGHT GOES AWAY AFTER CYCLING THE POWER BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND STARTING IT ALL OVER. IT GIVES ME THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TROUBLE WENT AWAY. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED ONCE A YEAR. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. IT IS NOW HAPPENING ONCE A WEEK IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. SOMEONE CAN GET HURT IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO. I BELIEVE THE WARNING LIGHT SHOULD REMAIN ON UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED. I NOTICED THE ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE CLIMATE IS HOT AND I AM DRIVING WITH THE AC ON. THE BATTERY TEMPERATURE IS IN THE SAFE ZONE. NISSAN DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. I TOOK A PICTURE OF IT.

Mileage: 61,749

20200513UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHEN DRIVING OUR NISSAN LEAF FROM 4000 FEET ALTITUDE UP TO ABOUT 7000 FEET ALTITUDE (ABOUT 2500 FEET ALTITUDE CHANGE), SOMETHING UNDER THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR (BEHIND THE DRIVER) MAKES A LOUD BANG AND CAN BE FELT THROUGH THE FOOT-WELL OR FLOOR. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE SAME SECTION OF ROAD, WHICH IS USUALLY TWICE A WEEK. INTERNET RESEARCH SUGGESTS OTHER NISSAN LEAF OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND AT ALTITUDE, AND THAT IT MAY BE A ISSUE WITH COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION OF THE BATTERY CASE. I HAVE REPORTED THIS BEFORE, BUT AM REPORTING IT AGAIN AS IT CONTINUES TO OCCUR. *TR

Mileage: 36,500

20200203VISIBILITY/WIPER

WHEN TURNING LEFT THE VISIBILITY IS VERY POOR FOR A 5' 1" DRIVER. THE DOUBLE "A" PILLAR AND LARGE SIDE VIEW MIRROR BLOCK THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE VISIBILITY ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENTS ON A LEAF BLOG WEBSITE. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN TURNING LEFT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND AN OLD LADY FELL BECAUSE THE LEAF DRIVER DID NOT SEE THE PEDESTRIAN SOON ENOUGH DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY ON A CLEAR DAY AROUND NOON. THE LEAF HAD STOPPED WAITING FOR 3 VEHICLES TO PASS BEFORE MAKING THE LEFT TURN AT A SLOW SPEED BUT THE LARGE DOUBLE "A" PILLAR AND LARGE SIDE MIRROR BLOCKED THE DRIVER'S VIEW.

Mileage: 4,000

20190820ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHEN DRIVING OUR 2017 NISSAN LEAF ELECTRIC VEHICLE AT ABOUT 65 MPH UP A STEEP HILL / STEEP INCLINE, WE ARE EXPERIENCING A LOUD CLUNK FROM THE BATTERY AREA WHEN THE VEHICLE CLIMBS OVER 2000FT ELEVATION WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE (16 MILES). THE CLUNK ALWAYS HAPPENS WITHIN THE SAME 1 MILE STRETCH OF ROAD AND HAPPENS EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE CAR FROM SALT LAKE CITY, UT (4,226 FEET) TO SUMMIT PARK, UT (6,887 FEET). WE FIRST NOTICED IT THIS SUMMER 2019. THERE IS AN AUDIBLE CLUNK AND IT CAN BE FELT THROUGH THE PASSENGER FOOT-WELL BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THERE IS A THREAD ON THE MYNISSANLEAF.COM DISCUSSION FORUM THAT DESCRIBES THE SAME ISSUE (HTTP://WWW.MYNISSANLEAF.COM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=30&T=19883&P=565545#P565545). THE CONTRIBUTORS THINK IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRIC BATTERY CASE EXPANDING OR CONTRACTING UNDER PRESSURE. I'M PLANNING ON LETTING THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP KNOW AND POINTING THEM TO THE DISCUSSION FORUM (THE DISCUSSION INFORMATION IS HERE: HTTP://WWW.MYNISSANLEAF.COM/

Mileage: 29,500

20190820FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHEN DRIVING OUR 2017 NISSAN LEAF ELECTRIC VEHICLE AT ABOUT 65 MPH UP A STEEP HILL / STEEP INCLINE, WE ARE EXPERIENCING A LOUD CLUNK FROM THE BATTERY AREA WHEN THE VEHICLE CLIMBS OVER 2000FT ELEVATION WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE (16 MILES). THE CLUNK ALWAYS HAPPENS WITHIN THE SAME 1 MILE STRETCH OF ROAD AND HAPPENS EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE CAR FROM SALT LAKE CITY, UT (4,226 FEET) TO SUMMIT PARK, UT (6,887 FEET). WE FIRST NOTICED IT THIS SUMMER 2019. THERE IS AN AUDIBLE CLUNK AND IT CAN BE FELT THROUGH THE PASSENGER FOOT-WELL BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THERE IS A THREAD ON THE MYNISSANLEAF.COM DISCUSSION FORUM THAT DESCRIBES THE SAME ISSUE (HTTP://WWW.MYNISSANLEAF.COM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=30&T=19883&P=565545#P565545). THE CONTRIBUTORS THINK IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRIC BATTERY CASE EXPANDING OR CONTRACTING UNDER PRESSURE. I'M PLANNING ON LETTING THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP KNOW AND POINTING THEM TO THE DISCUSSION FORUM (THE DISCUSSION INFORMATION IS HERE: HTTP://WWW.MYNISSANLEAF.COM/

Mileage: 29,500

20190820UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHEN DRIVING OUR 2017 NISSAN LEAF ELECTRIC VEHICLE AT ABOUT 65 MPH UP A STEEP HILL / STEEP INCLINE, WE ARE EXPERIENCING A LOUD CLUNK FROM THE BATTERY AREA WHEN THE VEHICLE CLIMBS OVER 2000FT ELEVATION WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE (16 MILES). THE CLUNK ALWAYS HAPPENS WITHIN THE SAME 1 MILE STRETCH OF ROAD AND HAPPENS EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE CAR FROM SALT LAKE CITY, UT (4,226 FEET) TO SUMMIT PARK, UT (6,887 FEET). WE FIRST NOTICED IT THIS SUMMER 2019. THERE IS AN AUDIBLE CLUNK AND IT CAN BE FELT THROUGH THE PASSENGER FOOT-WELL BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THERE IS A THREAD ON THE MYNISSANLEAF.COM DISCUSSION FORUM THAT DESCRIBES THE SAME ISSUE (HTTP://WWW.MYNISSANLEAF.COM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=30&T=19883&P=565545#P565545). THE CONTRIBUTORS THINK IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRIC BATTERY CASE EXPANDING OR CONTRACTING UNDER PRESSURE. I'M PLANNING ON LETTING THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP KNOW AND POINTING THEM TO THE DISCUSSION FORUM (THE DISCUSSION INFORMATION IS HERE: HTTP://WWW.MYNISSANLEAF.COM/

Mileage: 29,500

20180502SERVICE BRAKES

BRAKE FAILURE AT LOW SPEEDS. IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE, TWICE THE CAR FAILED TO STOP WHEN I APPLIED BRAKES. I WAS GOING AT AROUND 20-25 MPH IN BOTH THE CASES.

Mileage: 4,800

20180502UNKNOWN OR OTHER

BRAKE FAILURE AT LOW SPEEDS. IN THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE, TWICE THE CAR FAILED TO STOP WHEN I APPLIED BRAKES. I WAS GOING AT AROUND 20-25 MPH IN BOTH THE CASES.

Mileage: 4,800

Compare 2017NISSANLEAF to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 5 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2017 NISSAN LEAF have?
The 2017 NISSAN LEAF has 23 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2017 NISSAN LEAF?
Yes, the 2017 NISSAN LEAF has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 NISSAN LEAF?
The most-complained component for the 2017 NISSAN LEAF is AIR BAGS with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2017 NISSAN LEAF safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.