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#BS-2018-NISLEA-58F22018 Nissan Leaf
Based on reports from 111 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 111 complaints, 19 crashes, 3 fires, and 4 recalls.
Top reported problems
unintended braking
1 complaints • Severity 6/10
car locked itself with keys inside
1 complaints • Severity 6/10
wheel nut not in car
1 complaints • Severity 4/10
Preview: What's in your full report
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
17 owners reported brakes issues — failures commonly reported around 7K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (36 reports) • Median: 7K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Brakes (17 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
2018 Nissan Leaf: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 15% of all reports filed for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 7,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 7K-mile mark.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Speed Control Issues
Speed Control complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel System complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-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 2018 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)
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
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."
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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."
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.
2018 Nissan Leaf vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)
This vehicle
111
Class avg
143
Complaint volume is roughly in line with other midsize cars vehicles from 2018.
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. 111 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 →2018 Nissan Leaf: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Nissan Leaf?
Is the 2018 Nissan Leaf reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2018 Nissan Leaf problems?
Does the 2018 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 2018 Nissan Leaf Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 111 owner reports. Know before you buy.