Recalls
5campaigns
3 air bag · 1 visibility · 1 brake
Source: NHTSA
Complaints
81filed
Owner reports, 2010–2019 shown
Source: NHTSA ODI
Crash tests
4★overall
★★★★☆ Frontal 4★ · Side 4★ · Rollover 4★
Source: NHTSA NCAP
Fuel economy
115mpg combined
$568/yr at this week's prices
Source: EPA · EIA
Specs
Electric· Automatic
EPA-listed configuration
Source: NHTSA vPIC
Recalls (5)
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2013 Nissan Leaf. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Listed for 2013 Nissan Leaf. Not checked against your VIN.
Incorrect Information in Owner's Manual/FMVSS 103
Equipment · other · owners/service/other manual
Official NHTSA text
- 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."
- Consequence
- 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.
100% repairedof 94,343 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 23V296000
Listed for 2013 Nissan Leaf. Not checked against your VIN.
Passenger Air Bag may not Deploy due to OCS Error
Air bags · sensor · occupant classification
Official NHTSA text
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
77.1% repairedof 3,296,947 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V244000
Listed for 2013 Nissan Leaf. Not checked against your VIN.
Brake Relay may Freeze in Cold Temperatures
Service brakes
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.
- Consequence
- If the brake relay fails, longer distances or additional brake effort would be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
77.7% repairedof 46,859 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V119000
Listed for 2013 Nissan Leaf. Not checked against your VIN.
Air Bag may not Detect Passenger in Seat
Air bags · frontal
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
- Consequence
- If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
86.8% repairedof 989,701 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 14V138000
Listed for 2013 Nissan Leaf. Not checked against your VIN.
Occupant Detection System May Disable Pass Air Bag
Air bags
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Repair progress not yet reported82,038 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 13V069000
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (81)
81 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The service brakes is mentioned most often.
11involved a crash
1involved a fire
4injuries reported
0deaths reported
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 81 |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 32 | 39.5% |
| Electrical system | 18 | 22.2% |
| Air bags | 17 | 21% |
| Unknown or other | 10 | 12.3% |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 6.2% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 4.9% |
| Seat belts | 4 | 4.9% |
| Steering | 4 | 4.9% |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 4.9% |
| Wheels | 4 | 4.9% |
How 2013 compares with other Leaf years
Best and worst Leaf years →20101
201195
201257
201381
201434
2015110
201636
201717
201866
2019259
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 95 | 0 |
| 2012 | 57 | 0 |
| 2013 | 81 | 5 |
| 2014 | 34 | 6 |
| 2015 | 110 | 4 |
| 2016 | 36 | 4 |
| 2017 | 17 | 2 |
| 2018 | 66 | 4 |
| 2019 | 259 | 5 |
This year (2013)Other yearsStill collecting reports
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Crash tests: 4 stars overall
Overall★★★★☆
Frontal crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 3★★★★★☆
Side crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 3★★★★★☆
Side pole★★★★★
RolloverRollover risk 10.9%★★★★☆
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2013 Nissan Leaf 5 hb fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 115 mpg combined
115
mpg combined
129
city
102
highway
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $650
- CO₂ tailpipe
- —
- EPA class
- Midsize Cars
What it costs you to run
$568per year
$47per month
130gallons a year
Miles ÷ 115 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.
EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.
Specs by configuration
| Engine · transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | EPA $/yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric · Automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 129 / 102 / 115 | $650 | — |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2013 Leaf for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2013 Nissan Leaf FAQ
How many recalls does the 2013 Nissan Leaf have?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns: 23V296000 (visibility), 16V244000 (air bag), 16V119000 (brake), 14V138000 (air bag), 13V069000 (air bag). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2013 Nissan Leaf problems?
Owners filed 81 complaints with NHTSA. Service brakes (32), Electrical system (18), Air bags (17) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2013 Nissan Leaf get?
EPA rates the Electric · Automatic version at 129 city, 102 highway and 115 combined mpg.
What safety rating did the 2013 Nissan Leaf get?
NHTSA rated the 2013 Nissan Leaf 5 hb fwd 4 stars overall, with 4 stars frontal, 4 stars side and 4 stars rollover (10.9% rollover risk).
How does the 2013 Leaf compare with other years?
Among the 2010–2019 Nissan Leaf model years at least five years old, the 2010 drew the fewest complaints (1) and the 2019 the most (259). The 2013 drew 81. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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