2017 Nissan Leaf Problems, Recalls & Reliability

27 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2017 Nissan Leaf, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 10/100 on the trouble index — too lightly reported for a fair score.

27Complaints
10/100Trouble index
2Recalls

Few reports

Where 2017 sits among all Leaf years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Electrical 4 complaints (15%)
Airbags 4 complaints (15%)
Other 3 complaints (11%)
Fuel system 3 complaints (11%)
Transmission & drivetrain 3 complaints (11%)
Body & structure 2 complaints (7%)

Recalls (2)

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.

Federal defect investigations

Pedestrian alert sounds DP22005 opened 2023, closed 2023

Led to recall campaign 22V063000.

Technical service bulletins

76 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and airbags — are on file for the 2017 Nissan Leaf. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2017 Leaf TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

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

2017peak 6 in 20262026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2017 Nissan Leaf reliable?

The 2017 Nissan Leaf drew 27 complaints in federal safety records — too lightly reported for a fair score. Its trouble index is 10/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).

What are the most common 2017 Nissan Leaf problems?

The top reported problems for the 2017 Nissan Leaf are electrical (4 complaints), airbags (4), and other (3).

Does the 2017 Nissan Leaf have recalls?

2 recall campaigns apply to the 2017 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.