2015 Nissan Leaf Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
80/100
#4 most-complained of 16 Leaf years
The 2015 Nissan Leaf has 110 NHTSA complaints, a Complaint Index of 80, and 4 recalls, ranking 4th-worst out of 16 model years. Brakes account for 77% of complaints, with a median failure mileage of 32,500, making this year an Avoid relative to other Leaf years.
- Complaints
- 110
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 8 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 114
- 126 city / 101 hwy
Top 2015 Nissan Leaf problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Brakes85 (77%)
- Electrical System18 (16%)
- Engine10 (9%)
- Other9 (8%)
- Airbags8 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain3 (3%)
- Fuel System2 (2%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (2%)
- Visibility & Wipers2 (2%)
- Structure & Body1 (1%)
What owners report
- Brake pedal travels to the floor or fails to slow the car, leading to low-speed crashes into walls or parked objects.
- Drivers report the car surging forward unexpectedly after shifting from reverse to drive despite pressure on the brake pedal.
- Front passenger airbags failed to deploy in a frontal collision at highway speed.
- Backup camera intermittently goes blank and does not resolve by shifting between park and reverse.
- Vehicle drops into reduced-power 'turtle mode' at low speeds after highway or hill driving, resetting only after the car is turned off and on.
2015 Nissan Leaf recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 23V296000Apr 26, 2023Other94,343 vehicles
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
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."
Risk: Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 17V253000Apr 13, 2017Airbags30,038 vehicles
Air bags
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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 16V244000Apr 26, 2016Airbags3,296,947 vehicles
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
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.
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.
Remedy: 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 service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
2015 Nissan Leaf fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 126 MPG
- Highway
- 101 MPG
- Combined
- 114 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $650
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Electricity
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2015 compared with other Leaf years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2015 Nissan Leaf reliable?
- NHTSA data shows the 2015 Leaf has a Complaint Index of 80 and ranks 4th-worst of 16 model years, so it is rated Avoid compared to other Leaf years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2015 Nissan Leaf?
- Brakes are the top problem area, making up 77% of complaints, with a median failure mileage of 32,500.
- Does the 2015 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2015 Leaf, covering brakes, airbags, and a defroster instruction correction; none are do-not-drive recalls.
- How many complaints does NHTSA have for the 2015 Nissan Leaf?
- NHTSA lists 110 complaints for the 2015 Leaf, including 8 crashes, 3 injuries, and 0 fires.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2015 Nissan Leaf?
- The EPA rates the 2015 Leaf at 114 MPG combined (126 city, 101 highway), with an annual fuel cost of $650.