2021 Nissan Leaf Problems

What owners report

The most common complaints describe Level 3 fast charging being restricted while a battery recall remedy is pending, and some say the car charges poorly even on slower chargers. Many complaints also describe rear camera screens that go blank, pink, or distorted, and some say the image returns after the hatch is reopened. Where mileage is listed, complaints range from about 14,000 to 60,000 miles, and some describe sudden power loss or battery fires.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Level 3 charging limited by open battery recall

   • 23 complaints (40%)
   • median 27,500 mi at 5.2 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe being told not to use Level 3 (DC fast) charging under a battery recall, with some saying the car cannot be fully charged on a fast charger or charges poorly even on slower chargers. Many complaints say the dealer had no remedy or repair part available yet, and some describe a software update that monitors the battery and may disable the vehicle rather than repairing it. Some owners say they have waited many months for a fix, and a complaint says a buyback was denied. Most of these complaints do not list mileage; where it is given, it is about 30,000 to 40,000 miles, and some describe waiting many months for a remedy.

   Recall 25V6550001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle is covered by recall 25V655000 and what the current Level 3 charging guidance is. Confirm that the battery has been checked for the problem the recall describes, and ask for the service record of any battery software update.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am submitting this letter as a formal safety complaint concerning NHTSA Recall No. 25V655000, which affects my 2021 Nissan LEAF SV and results in the continued restriction of DC fast charging due to a reported fire risk, without an available or timely remedy. Under this recall, Nissan has restricted the vehicle’s ability to safely utilize DC fast charging. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11709534, filed 2026-01

   “Recall for FAST CHARGE LEVEL 3 CHADEMO has been issued for over 6 months. I am advised not to fast charge due to risk of devastating fire. Very dangerous to continue to use this car in an urban setting. Buyback was denied and told to wait for a fix. No fix yet! I can't get out of Philadelphia in this car. Tesla wouldn't let this happen!”

   NHTSA complaint #11745738, filed 2026-06
2. 2
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rear backup camera goes blank or shows distorted images

   • 11 complaints (19%)
   • median 14,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the rear camera screen going blank, grey, or black, or showing pink, blue, or split images, sometimes leaving the driver without a view while reversing. Some owners say the problem returned after an earlier repair, and a complaint says the original fix was replacing the wiring harness. Other complaints say dealers could not reproduce the fault during a visit, or that recall repair parts were not yet available. Most camera complaints do not list mileage; where it is given it is about 14,000 miles, and some describe failures in cold temperatures or after the hatch is opened and closed.

   Recall 24V0710002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask the dealer to confirm whether this VIN is covered by recall 24V071000 and to check the rear camera harness and connector. Test reverse more than once, including after opening and closing the rear hatch, and confirm the picture stays steady.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “A recall fix was done for the back up camera about a year ago. That was a national recall for an issue with the system. My car started the same exact issue about 3 weeks ago. No back up camera, pink or blue screen, glitchy. I contacted Nissan about it and it didn't seem like they wanted to make the repair again or fix the issue at no cost. I was wondering if other owners have had the same issue and if you can intervene. Thank you”

   NHTSA complaint #11759079, filed 2026-08

   “Intermittent problem with the backup camera. The Nissan dealership not able to see it because it started working again. When camera fails I am not able to see people or surroundings behind me. No warning just Intermittent failure. Thank you”

   NHTSA complaint #11566581, filed 2024-01
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Sudden power loss, shutdowns, or failure to restart

   • 12 complaints (21%)
   • median 30,000 mi at 4.6 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle shutting off or entering turtle mode while driving, in some cases limiting speed to about 30 miles per hour. Other complaints describe a car that would not move after leaving a highway, a range that dropped sharply for a short time, or a vehicle that would not restart after a power cycle. Some owners were towed, and a complaint says the dealer replaced an unidentified battery component after a shutdown. Where mileage is listed, these complaints range from about 25,000 to 40,000 miles, and some describe a sudden loss of power on a highway.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the dealer has read stored diagnostic codes from the EV or control module, and whether any battery-related service bulletin has been applied. On a test drive, confirm the car accelerates normally, holds full power at highway speed, and restarts cleanly after switching off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Around New Years this year, I was driving downhill, my car went from about 60/70% UNKNOWN to about 12%. This was for about 30 seconds until it went back up. This range drop was both dangerous but also caused emotional distress on my behalf as I worried whether or not I could make it to a charger. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11698299, filed 2025-11

   “Vehicle showed a message Service EV system - Unable to restart after power off . Took to my local Nissan dealer on Oct/21 and had the car serviced and message cleared. On my way back home from dealer, same message showed up again and shut off the car. Next morning the same message remained on dashboard and was unable to start the vehicle. Through an internet research, the same issue is happening with Nissan Leaf all over the world (Japan, UK, etc)”

   NHTSA complaint #11490939, filed 2022-10
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Battery fire or smoke during or after charging

   • 6 complaints (11%)
   • median 42,500 mi at 5.4 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the high-voltage battery catching fire or smoking during or after charging, including at dealerships and while driving slowly into a driveway after a charge. Some complaints say the fire lasted for hours or required a hazmat response, and the vehicles were declared total losses. A complaint says the battery had received the recall software update and still caught fire during fast charging. Where mileage is listed, these incidents occurred at about 25,000 and 60,000 miles, and many describe the fire during or after charging.

   Recall 25V6550001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle is covered by recall 25V655000 and whether the battery has been inspected for the problem the recall describes. Ask for the service record of any battery software update and whether the battery post-remedy program has been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Took car to dealership to charge. Got home and an hour later the battery ignited into a fire. Car was engulfed with smoke ,fire in front of our house. After 4 hours with fire dept trying to put out the fire within battery... it still continued to smoke. Hazmat team came out as well. Total loss after having car less than 30 days that I purchased as dealership.”

   NHTSA complaint #11689478, filed 2025-09

   “*High Voltage Battery defect/failure - this is what was believed to be the issue when it was towed to the dealership. What is left of it is available for inspection at the dealership for now, however the insurance may take it to a salvage yard since the fire department finished their investigation. *While at the dealership after they spent the day trying to recreate what happened they parked it and planned to try again the next day, then someone walked by and saw smoke coming from the car and called 911. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11705179, filed 2025-12

Buying note. Anyone considering this model year should check the current status of recall 25V655000 for the specific vehicle, including whether Level 3 charging is still restricted, before buying. Charging restrictions and battery complaints are the most common themes in the sampled reports, so the battery service history and rear camera operation are worth reviewing during a test drive.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 57 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.