2016 Nissan Leaf Problems, Recalls & Reliability
50 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Nissan Leaf, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 15/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 20,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2016 Nissan Leaf has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2016 sits among all Leaf years
What owners report
Recalls (4)
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 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.
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…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness, free of charge.…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Technical service bulletins
99 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and airbags — are on file for the 2016 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 2016 Nissan Leaf reliable?
The 2016 Nissan Leaf drew 50 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 15/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2016 Nissan Leaf problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Nissan Leaf are brakes & stability (16 complaints), electrical (13), and fuel system (8).
Does the 2016 Nissan Leaf have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 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.