KnownCarProblems2016 Nissan Leaf Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Leaf, most often about the brakes (44% of complaints, typically around 20,000 miles). It is 10th of 17 Leaf model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2016 Nissan Leaf problems
Brakes
16 complaints · 44%Half of these problems showed up before 20,000 miles.
I had a brake failure at power on issue on my 2016 Nissan Leaf sl. Nothing on the dash alerted me. The brakes did work, but it seemed like no vacuum assist, so had to press really hard. Towed to a dealer. Replaced the 12v battery. Very scary, I rolled out into an intersection and luckily I was not in an accident or…
Brake stopped working while I was driving on san thomas expressway in santa clara city in california; I immediately switched to "park" and also used manual brake, eventually I managed to stop it; since it's blocking a lane, police came and towed the car to the dealership. Mileage is estimate since the car is still…
Electrical
13 complaints · 36%Half of these problems showed up before 18,000 miles. Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery.
December 07, 2016 I bought Nissan Leaf 2016 in june 30, 2016. On november 29, 2016, it just stopped and not going in reverse or forward, just stay on neutral and park. It has two recalls issued by transport canada (# 2016179 an # 2016302). Nissan canada never send my any notification about recalls. On november 29…
The consumer owned a 2016 Nissan Leaf. The consumer stated that while asleep at their residence, they were awoken by the police department who informed them that their vehicle was engulfed in flames. No injury was sustained. The fire department was contacted and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. No…
Fuel system
8 complaints · 22%Battery degradation occurring much quicker than reasonably expected. Details follow. Car purchased in june 2016. After driving a total of 6,150 miles under conditions of moderate temperature, conservative driving (not exceeding 65 MPH on the highway, using eco mode as recommended in the manufacturer's manual to…
Using the j-1772 charge port at a shopping mall while going for a walk; on sun 5/19 as we approached the car to leave, we noticed a strong electrical smell. I disengaged the charger, inspected it and saw no issues. Our car, however showed distortion in the port at the upper right. The next morning, 5/20, I took the…
Air bags
3 complaints · 8%December 07, 2016 I bought Nissan Leaf 2016 in june 30, 2016. On november 29, 2016, it just stopped and not going in reverse or forward, just stay on neutral and park. It has two recalls issued by transport canada (# 2016179 an # 2016302). Nissan canada never send my any notification about recalls. On november 29…
Engine
3 complaints · 8%Transmission
3 complaints · 8%
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2016 Nissan Leaf recalls
Equipment: owners/service/other manual
Risk: Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
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's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is r23a1.
Full defect summary
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 to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 103, "windshield defrosting and defogging systems."
Air bags
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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. The recall began on august 9, 2016. Owners may contact nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Full defect summary
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 the dual-stage passenger air bag.
Air bags: occupant classification
Risk: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
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 altima, maxima, murano, rogue, and sentra vehicles, and replace the ocs ecu in leaf, nv200, nv200 taxi, pathfinder, infiniti q50, jx35, and qx60 and chevrolet city express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on may 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, infiniti customer ser
Full defect summary
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 infiniti q50, 2015-2016 nissan murano, murano hybrid, and chevrolet city express, 2014-2015 nissan pathfinder hybrid, and 2013 infiniti jx35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger occupant classification system (ocs) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
Summary
Nhtsa received a petition on or about july 18, 2022, requesting that federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the united states. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under odi number 11486072. Fmvss 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kg or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after march 1, 2021.on january 27, 2023, NHTSA opened defect petition (dp) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Questions about the 2016 Nissan Leaf
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Nissan Leaf?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (16 complaints, typically around 20,000 miles); electrical (13 complaints, typically around 18,000 miles); fuel system (8 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2016 Nissan Leaf have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from April 26, 2023 (equipment). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2016 a bad year for the Nissan Leaf?
- It is 10th of 17 Leaf model years by number of complaints, with 36 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.