2015 Nissan Leaf Problems, Recalls & Reliability

144 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2015 Nissan Leaf, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 46/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 33,000 miles.

144Complaints
46/100Trouble index
4Recalls
30,000Typical trouble mileage

Below average

Where 2015 sits among all Leaf years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Brakes & stability 85 complaints (59%) · typically ~33,000 miles
“Was driving the car in a neighborhood setting only going 20 mph, ABS light turned on the dashboard, traction control light or some other light regarding traction came on as well, brakes failed. Had to use parking brake to stop the vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Leaf
Electrical 17 complaints (12%)
Other 13 complaints (9%)
Airbags 8 complaints (6%)
Speed control 8 complaints (6%)
Transmission & drivetrain 3 complaints (2%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 86 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 30,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 8,910 and 40,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (4)

EQUIPMENT 23V296000 2023

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…

AIR BAGS 17V253000 2017

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.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

AIR BAGS 16V244000 2016

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…

SERVICE BRAKES 16V119000 2016

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…

Federal defect investigations

Pedestrian alert sounds DP22005 opened 2023, closed 2023

Led to recall campaign 22V063000.

Technical service bulletins

113 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and wheels & tires — are on file for the 2015 Nissan Leaf. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2015 Leaf TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2014peak 22 in 20152026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2015 Nissan Leaf reliable?

The 2015 Nissan Leaf drew 144 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 46/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).

What are the most common 2015 Nissan Leaf problems?

The top reported problems for the 2015 Nissan Leaf are brakes & stability (85 complaints), electrical (17), and other (13).

At what mileage do 2015 Nissan Leaf problems show up?

Owners most often report 2015 Nissan Leaf problems around 30,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 8,910 and 40,000 miles.

Does the 2015 Nissan Leaf have recalls?

4 recall campaigns apply to the 2015 Nissan Leaf. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.