2018 Nissan Leaf Problems, Recalls & Reliability
117 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 48/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports.
Below average
Where 2018 sits among all Leaf years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 32 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 12,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 3,200 and 19,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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…
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness.…
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.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the vehicle control module (VCM), free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at…
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…
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 April 1, 2023. Owners may contact…
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…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Technical service bulletins
123 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and driver assistance — are on file for the 2018 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 2018 Nissan Leaf reliable?
The 2018 Nissan Leaf drew 117 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 48/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2018 Nissan Leaf problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Nissan Leaf are brakes & stability (19 complaints), electrical (18), and driver assistance (17).
At what mileage do 2018 Nissan Leaf problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Nissan Leaf problems around 12,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 3,200 and 19,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Nissan Leaf have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 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.