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#BS-2016-NISLEA-58F22016 Nissan Leaf
Based on reports from 49 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Proceed with Caution
Based on 49 complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, and 4 recalls.
Top reported problems
brake failure on startup
1 complaints • Severity 8/10
battery runs out quickly
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
air bag light on
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
15 owners reported brakes issues — failures commonly reported around 20K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (17 reports) • Median: 20K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Brakes (15 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2016 Nissan Leaf: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 31% of all reports filed for the 2016 Nissan Leaf, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 20,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 20K-mile mark.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 22% of all reports filed for the 2016 Nissan Leaf, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel System complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2016 Nissan Leaf, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2016 Nissan Leaf, with 3 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2016 Nissan Leaf. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (4 recalls)
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured February 9, 2016, to March 4, 2016. The wiring harness connector may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag.
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.
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 Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Nissan Leaf is the 2015 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is electrical.
2016 Nissan Leaf vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)
This vehicle
49
Class avg
213
Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles. A good sign.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 49 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Nissan Leaf Model Years
View all Nissan Leaf years →2016 Nissan Leaf: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Nissan Leaf?
Is the 2016 Nissan Leaf reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2016 Nissan Leaf problems?
Does the 2016 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?
What mileage do Nissan Leaf problems start?
What’s in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
How is this different from Carfax?
What if the report isn’t useful?
Get the Full 2016 Nissan Leaf Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 49 owner reports. Know before you buy.