repaired · 2025 Q1
Other: owners/service/other manual
Risk. Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
2013 Nissan LeafProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 81 owner complaints about the 2013 Nissan Leaf, most often about the service brakes. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-244 the manufacturer reports only 77% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 13, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: David Villarreal Fernández, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2013 Nissan Leaf has problems
81 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
32Service brakes7 crash/fire/injury
18Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
17Air bags3 crash/fire/injury
5Vehicle speed control
4Visibility/wiper
4Wheels
4Fuel/propulsion system
4Seat belts
4Steering
189 other systems3 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 32 | 7 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 1 |
| Air bags | 17 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 2 |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 1 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 2 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 |
| 9 other systems | 18 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
5 recalls
2013 Nissan Leaf recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2017 Q3
Sensor: 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.
repaired · 2017 Q2
Service brakes
Risk. If the brake relay fails, longer distances or additional brake effort would be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2015 Q3
Air bags: frontal
Risk. If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated.
Show 1 more recall
no report yet
Air bags
Risk. If the vehicle is involved in a crash necessitating airbag deployment and the passenger airbag is suppressed, there may be an increased risk of personal injury.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.
Mileage at failure
When do service brakes problems start?
36kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 28 service brakes complaints. 100% were reported before 100,000 miles.
11under 30k miles28under 100k miles0100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2013 vs. every other Leaf year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Leaf median. How we score
'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2013 Nissan Leaf safety ratings
2013 Nissan Leaf 5 HB FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★Overall rating
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (10.9% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2013 Nissan Leaf, and the recalls they led to.
- Pedestrian alert soundsLed to recall 22V-063
- Occupant Classification System FailureLed to recall 15V-681
- Occupant Classification System FailureNo recall
In owners' words
What Leaf owners report
Recent service brakes complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
On 3 occasions the brakes have randomly failed when traveling. In 2 cases, stopping ability was non-existent except for the use of the parking brake. In the other case, stopping was significantly decreased. 13-Jan-2025, when traveling straight on a 40mph road towards a busy intersection, when the…
I put the car in park as I was pulling in without turning it off to grab trash from the curb and take it to the car, but the car keep accelerating. I jumped in and slammed on the bricks but it hit the brick wall to the house. I see more recent years were recalled for "unintended acceleration" and…
I was driving and wanted to slow the vehicle to turn on a side street. I pressed the brake and nothing happened. The vehicle did not slow down at all. I pushed harder, still nothing. The brakes completely failed to work. Due to this brake failure, I was unable to make the turn I wanted to make…
Own a 2013 Leaf?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.