2023 Nissan Leaf Safety Report

The 2023 Nissan Leaf presents a mixed safety picture, with several critical issues highlighted by both consumer complaints and manufacturer recalls, despite a relatively low total complaint count of 16. A significant concern is unintentional acceleration, which is the subject of a major recall (22V-048) affecting 2018-2023 LEAF vehicles. This recall specifically addresses acceleration when changing driving modes (e.g., 'D' to 'B', e-Pedal 'On', or 'ECO' mode). This aligns with multiple complaints, including 6 reported crashes, where drivers describe the vehicle accelerating uncontrollably, often at low speeds or when shifting, leading to collisions with other vehicles or objects. For instance, one complaint details an 'Unintended Acceleration Incident' while backing up, resulting in a crash. Another describes the car 'accelerated uncontrollably, spun around twice and struck another vehicle'. Beyond acceleration issues, a critical recall (23V-076) addresses potentially damaged right-hand brake tubes that could corrode and leak, severely reducing braking performance and increasing crash risk. While no specific complaints directly link to this brake tube issue, the potential for reduced braking is a high-severity safety concern. Other complaints point to electrical system failures, with one user reporting a 'NO POWER SERVICE EV SYSTEM' warning and the car going 'completely dead', requiring significant time to restart. Visibility issues are also noted, including a recall (22V-049) for incorrect defroster instructions in the owner's manual, which could limit windshield visibility, and consumer reports of the rear camera intermittently failing or the front collision system sporadically flashing without obstruction. NHTSA crash test ratings for the 2023 Nissan Leaf are currently unavailable (N/A) for Overall, Frontal, Side, and Rollover categories, which means there is no independent crash test data to assess its structural safety performance. However, the presence of multiple recalls addressing fundamental safety systems like vehicle speed control and brakes, coupled with consumer reports of unintended acceleration leading to crashes, suggests significant safety vulnerabilities that potential buyers should be aware of. The 16 total complaints, with 6 resulting in crashes, indicate that these issues are not isolated incidents.

Our recommendation: Given the critical recalls for unintended acceleration and brake issues, along with multiple crash reports, exercise extreme caution; ensure all recalls are addressed before purchase and consider an extended test drive to check for any unusual acceleration behavior.