Table 1 shows one common equipment related problems of the 2021 Nissan Leaf.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Equipment problems |
*high voltage battery defect/failure - this is what was believed to be the issue when it was towed to the dealership. What is left of it is available for inspection at the dealership for now, however the insurance may take it to a salvage yard since the fire department finished their investigation. *while at the dealership after they spent the day trying to recreate what happened they parked it and planned to try again the next day, then someone walked by and saw smoke coming from the car and called 911. They called it a thermal runaway and it burned for hours before being moved to a safer, emptier lot where it was covered in thousands of pounds of sand. The night before the mileage range dropped roughly 70%, unaware of the recall in our mail that hadn't been opened we stopped to try to charge so we could get home. Thankfully none of the chargers worked since the recall was for a potential fire if plugged into a level 3 charger. We tried to drive home only to end up on the side of the road in total system failure. Police sent incident management to get us to safety. If we had made it home we are told this could have caught our home on fire and would likely have blown up our house and taken neighbors houses out as well. It could hurt more people or structures while they tried to recreate the problem. I understand the dealership had $20k in damages from the fire on top of which my car is clearly a total loss. Homes & businesses nearby had to be evacuated. , what is left of the car has been inspected by the county fire marshall, insurance CO. Police were called, but no investigation. When I called consumer affairs at Nissan, I spoke to 3 different people who said there was nothing they could do. Had one other time 3 weeks earlier that the range dropped significant, we got home plugged it in and it seemed fine. The only warnings said we were low on miles and to stop to charge which would have made things worse, could have killed us if they had worked.
I own a 2021 Nissan Leaf with an open safety recall (NHTSA recall 25v-655, Nissan recall r25c8) issued on September 30, 2025. The recall involves a battery defect that creates a safety risk during DC fast charging (level 3). As a result, I am unable to use public fast-charging networks such as evgo. The recall currently has no remedy available and has been unresolved for over 7 months. I do not have access to home charging, and without fast charging, the vehicle cannot be used in a practical or reasonable way for daily transportation. This has resulted in a complete loss of use of my vehicle and has impacted my ability to work. Nissan has not provided a timeline for repair or an alternative solution such as a loaner or rental reimbursement. This delay is not reasonable, and I am requesting investigation into the lack of remedy and the impact on vehicle usability.
The high-voltage battery on my 2022 Nissan Leaf is subject to recall 25v655. The recall notice states that the battery cells can develop excessive lithium deposits, which increases electrical resistance and can cause rapid battery heating during level 3 fast charging. Nissan instructs owners not to use level 3 charging at all until a “remedy” is available. The issue is that the remedy described by Nissan is not an actual repair of the battery defect. Nissan states it will install software that monitors for “state-of-charge fluctuation” and, if detected, will prevent the vehicle from restarting or recharging in order to avoid a thermal incident. This means the defect inside the battery cells is still present, and the car may disable itself if the defect begins to appear. The recall materials also state there is no warning before overheating occurs. This creates multiple safety concerns: • the underlying battery defect remains uncorrected. • the vehicle can become immobilized (unable to restart or recharge) if the software detects the condition. • loss of level 3 charging capability affects the ability to travel safely or plan charging when needed. • a battery fire risk exists during level 3 charging if the defect is not detected in time. Nissan’s documents state that the software is meant only to prevent the “progression” of a thermal incident, not to repair the defective battery. I am concerned that my vehicle contains a known hazardous defect that has not been physically repaired and that the software-only response is inadequate to ensure safety. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA is aware that the remedy being offered does not address the internal battery defect itself and may leave owners exposed to continued safety and reliability risks.
The rear backup camera suddenly started showing a black screen on my 2021 Nissan Leaf. The camera that shows the vehicle from above still works.
When backing up after opening or closing the trunk the backup camera flashes blue and green with lines on the screen. It sometimes worked again when the trunk is slammed or the car is restarted. The safety was put at risk because I was not able to see the ground when reversing and there was a blind spot that the camera usually fills in.
Back up camera failure, image is either: distorted; pink; blank; or scrolling. This is the 2nd occurrence after failing in December 2022. Original fix was to replace the wiring harness.
My car got stuck in a snowbank and became unresponsive. I attempted to gently rock it back and forth by putting it into drive and reverse two or three times. The car began to smoke. I took my foot off the accelerator and attempted to exit the vehicle, but the door was locked and did not automatically unlock. I tried to press the child safety lock button in case the child safety lock had been activated, but accidentally pressed the button to open the window. Smoke started coming into the car. I manually unlocked the door, pressed the button to put the car into park. I evacuated the car, and it was engulfed in smoke and making a very loud noise. I had the neighbor call 911 as I left my phone in the car and I was afraid the car would explode. I left the neighbor's house and waited for the fire trucks. My car's wheels were still spinning extremely fast and pieces were coming off of them. A firefighter was able to enter my car in protective gear and turn the car off. The wheels were burned off my car. The car eventually cooled down and I had it towed to the dealership. The dealer does not know why the wheels kept spinning after I was no longer in the car, so we do not know what malfunctioned. My safety was put at risk as I would have been unable to control the car if it had not been stuck in a snowbank. The problem has not been reproduced. The dealer examined the car and has repaired the tires and rims, but still does not give an answer as to why the wheels kept spinning long after I had exited the vehicle. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the incident.
Intermittent failure of the rear view camera system. Triggered and corrected by opening and then closing firmly rear hatch. Display with show a pink screen, blue screen, scrolling blank screen, or image misaligned/split in half (top half on bottom of screen, bottom half on top of screen.
This vehicle failed to have airbags deployed in this accident on 3. 23. 2022, as photographs that are larger than 10mb will upload, but the estimate did upload. 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. This is the second accident both under usaa on September 03, 2021, with another police report and freeway accident from front end when freeway traffic came to a sudden stop, and into the barrier. Again no air bag deployed. Warning systems failed.
Intermittent problem with the backup camera. The Nissan dealership not able to see it because it started working again. When camera fails I am not able to see people or surroundings behind me. No warning just intermittent failure. Thank you.
9. 3. 2021 freeway comes to a complete stop. Front end collision into vehicle in front at an angle to avoid full collision and into the barrier on passenger side. No airbags deployed! police report filed.