2020 Nissan Leaf Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Leaf years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Nissan Leaf. That ranks 2nd out of 17 Leaf model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (123 complaints, 74%), typically at around 29,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 167owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 Nissan Leaf problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 123 | 74% | 29,000 | “electrical contacted” (21%) | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 35 | 21% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 23 | 14% | 1,183 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 8 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 4% | 2,300 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 5 | 3% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 720 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 1% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 2,300 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 Nissan Leaf recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:propulsion system:charging:module:software; electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 LEAF vehicles equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. The lithium-ion battery may overheat during Level 3 charging.
Risk: A quick charging battery that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed June 3, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R24B2, P4A38, and P5A22.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2022 LEAF vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23D7.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2023 LEAF vehicles. The vehicle may accelerate unintentionally if the driving mode is changed ("D" to "B"; e-Pedal "On"; or "ECO" mode) after disengaging the cruise control.
Risk: Unintentional acceleration can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the vehicle control module (VCM), free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 30, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23A6.
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual; visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2023 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.
Fix: 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 April 1, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.
Visibility:glass, side/rear
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
Risk: Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 LEAF electric vehicles. Under certain circumstances, the images for the back-up camera can disappear while in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. This recall began August 31, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I purchased this 2020 Nissan Leaf S Plus on September 22, 2020 for $39,104. The vehicle was fully functional when I delivered it to Nissan's authorized service center to comply with NHTSA Recall 24V-700. Following the software update performed by Nissan's technician, the vehicle would not operate…
In XXX, my 2020 Nissan Leaf experienced a catastrophic battery failure while plugged into a Level 3 DC fast charger at the Nissan dealership where the vehicle was originally purchased. During the charging session, the high-voltage traction battery severely overheated, physically expanded/swelled…
Vehicle: 2020 Nissan Leaf SV, VIN [[XXX]], ~55,000 miles Recall: R24B2 / NHTSA campaign 24V700000 (battery may overheat during Level 3 charging â fire risk) I brought my vehicle to Conicelli Nissan (Conshohocken, PA) for the R24B2 recall software update.The vehicle has been held at the dealership…
We were asked by Nissan corporate to bring in the vehicle for a safety recall related to the battery. The Nissan dealership updated the battery software then gave the vehicle back to us. However, as soon as we drove away the dash lit up with warning lights. We were on the freeway so we pulled over…
My 2020 Nissan LEAF is subject to open safety recall 24V700 / R24B2 for a high-voltage lithium-ion battery defect that poses a fire risk during Level 3 quick charging. On [XXX], I brought the vehicle to an authorized Nissan dealer for the recall remedy. Three days later, on [XXX], while driving…
Other Nissan Leaf years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Leaf | 2 | 2 |
| 2025 Leaf | 7 | 0 |
| 2024 Leaf | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 Leaf | 20 | 3 |
| 2022 Leaf | 96 | 4 |
| 2021 Leaf | 56 | 4 |
| 2020 | 167 | 6 |
| 2019 Leaf | 259 | 5 |
| 2018 Leaf | 66 | 4 |
| 2017 Leaf | 17 | 2 |
| 2016 Leaf | 36 | 4 |
| 2015 Leaf | 110 | 4 |
| 2014 Leaf | 34 | 6 |
| 2013 Leaf | 81 | 5 |
| 2012 Leaf | 57 | 0 |
| 2011 Leaf | 95 | 0 |
| 2010 Leaf | 1 | 0 |
See all Nissan Leaf problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
Similar Nissan models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Nissan Leaf?
Owners most often report electrical system, fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 123 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Nissan Leaf?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 Nissan Leaf a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Leaf model years, the 2020 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.