2013 Nissan Leaf Problems, Recalls & Reliability
120 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Nissan Leaf, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 49/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 36,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2013 sits among all Leaf years
What owners report
“Driving about a mile away from my house on a local street this morning, i was approaching an intersection at about 35 mph, the lights were about to turn red, tying to brake to stop...all the brake lights lit up after i push the brake pedal, brake pedal came all the way to the floor, car had no…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Leaf
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 85 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 29,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 8,500 and 44,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
Fix: Nissan will mail an addendum with updated instructions on how to operate the defroster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact…
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…
Fix: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Led to recall campaign 15V681000.
Technical service bulletins
143 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and wheels & tires — are on file for the 2013 Nissan Leaf. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2013 Nissan Leaf reliable?
The 2013 Nissan Leaf drew 120 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 49/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2013 Nissan Leaf problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 Nissan Leaf are brakes & stability (32 complaints), electrical (18), and airbags (17).
At what mileage do 2013 Nissan Leaf problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 Nissan Leaf problems around 29,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 8,500 and 44,000 miles.
Does the 2013 Nissan Leaf have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 Nissan Leaf. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.