Recalls (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 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 ↗Incorrect Information in Owner's Manual/FMVSS 103
- 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.
Front Passenger Air Bag may Deploy Improperly
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
Passenger Air Bag Harness Connector Disconnect
- 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.
- Consequence
- If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- 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.
Passenger Air Bag may not Deploy due to OCS Error
- 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.
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 (36)
36 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The service brakes is mentioned most often.
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 36 |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 16 | 44.4% |
| Electrical system | 13 | 36.1% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 8 | 22.2% |
| Air bags | 3 | 8.3% |
| Engine | 3 | 8.3% |
| Power train | 3 | 8.3% |
| Steering | 2 | 5.6% |
| Structure | 1 | 2.8% |
| Unknown or other | 1 | 2.8% |
How 2016 compares with other Leaf years
Best and worst Leaf years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 57 | 0 |
| 2013 | 81 | 5 |
| 2014 | 34 | 6 |
| 2015 | 110 | 4 |
| 2016 | 36 | 4 |
| 2017 | 17 | 2 |
| 2018 | 66 | 4 |
| 2019 | 259 | 5 |
| 2020 | 166 | 6 |
| 2021 | 56 | 4 |
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
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2016 Nissan Leaf 5 hb fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 114 mpg combined
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $650
- CO₂ tailpipe
- —
- EPA class
- Midsize Cars
What it costs you to run
Miles ÷ 114 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 | 126 / 101 / 114 | $650 | — |
| Electric · Automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 124 / 101 / 112 | $650 | — |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2016 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
2016 Nissan Leaf FAQ
How many recalls does the 2016 Nissan Leaf have?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns: 23V296000 (visibility), 17V253000 (air bag), 16V436000 (air bag), 16V244000 (air bag). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2016 Nissan Leaf problems?
Owners filed 36 complaints with NHTSA. Service brakes (16), Electrical system (13), Fuel/propulsion system (8) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2016 Nissan Leaf get?
EPA rates the Electric · Automatic version at 126 city, 101 highway and 114 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.
What safety rating did the 2016 Nissan Leaf get?
NHTSA rated the 2016 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 2016 Leaf compare with other years?
Among the 2012–2021 Nissan Leaf model years at least five years old, the 2017 drew the fewest complaints (17) and the 2019 the most (259). The 2016 drew 36. 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.