This page covers 2 recalls, 16 owner complaints and EPA fuel economy for the 2017 Nissan Leaf.
112 MPGe combined
Midsize Cars
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted.
Complaints for the 2017 Nissan LEAF spread across a few systems, with the airbag system drawing the most reports. Several owners describe the airbag warning light flashing persistently, with dealer diagnosis pointing to failures in the passenger seat sensor circuit or the supplemental restraint control unit. One owner describes a collision where the driver-side airbags deployed but nothing deployed on the passenger side. On the powertrain side, a couple of owners report reduction gear or transaxle problems, describing increasing noise and metal contamination in the fluid that eventually makes the vehicle feel unsafe to drive. Both of those owners note the failures occurred well under 60,000 miles. With only 16 total complaints on file for this model year, no single pattern dominates heavily, but the recurring airbag warning light tied to the passenger seat sensor is the most consistent thread across multiple reports.
16
Total Complaints
2
Crash-Related
1
With Injuries
By System
The 2017 Nissan LEAF has 2 recalls, the more serious being a defect in the front passenger airbag inflator that can cause the airbag to fail to deploy properly in a crash, raising the risk of injury to the front passenger.
The second recall involves incorrect instructions in the owner's manual for defroster operation, which can lead to reduced defroster performance and limited windshield visibility under certain conditions.
At a glance
What can fail
The Owner's Manual contains incorrect defroster operation instructions that may reduce defroster performance under certain conditions.
What the fix does
Nissan will mail an addendum with corrected defroster operating instructions at no cost to owners.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
We may earn a commission for purchases made through these links.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
At a glance
What can fail
A manufacturing error in the passenger front air bag inflator may prevent it from deploying properly during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
