Photo: IFCAR / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
2016 Nissan Leaf: common problems and reliability
One of the better Leaf years.
36 owner complaints, most about service brakes. 4 recalls.
Should I buy a 2016 Leaf?The 2016 Nissan Leaf has 36 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are service brakes and electrical system.
Safety record for the 2016 model year
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2016 Nissan Leaf vehicles (US, public record).
The Year Score compares this year with other Leaf years only. How we score it
Is 2016 a good year for the Leaf?
Across the 17 Leaf model years we track, complaint volume runs from 1 (2010) to 383 (2019). With 36 complaints, the 2016 Leaf sits below the model's median of 57.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Where owners report problems
Recalls affecting the 2016 Leaf
air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Campaign 16V436000Nissan 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.
air bags
Campaign 17V253000Nissan 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.
air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Campaign 16V244000Nissan 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.
equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Campaign 23V296000Nissan 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."
What owners say across generations
Sentiment is sharply divided by generation and use case.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Leaf. See the full Leaf owner picture and every model year.
Other Leaf model years
Compare every Leaf year side by side to see how 2016 ranks against the rest.
Compare the Leaf against its rivals
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