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What 81 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Nissan Leaf Plus

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (81)Crash / fire / injury (13)Brakes (32)Electrical system (18)Airbags (17)Speed control (5)Visibility & wipers (5)Fuel system (4)Seat belts (4)Steering (4)Wheels (4)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (3)

7 of 81 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Dec 12, 2024Speed controlBrakesCrash

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 "brake issues"

NHTSA ODI 11630366

Sep 16, 2019AirbagsBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN LEAF. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING 40 MPH, SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT FAILED TO FUNCTION. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S WIFE REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT AWARE IF ANY WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN BECAUSE THE BRAKE LINES WERE STUCK. THE VIN WAS ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V119000 (SERVICE BRAKES) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V244000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO GLENDALE NISSAN (LOCATED AT 727 S BRAND BLVD, GLENDALE, CA 91204) WHERE THEY RELEASED THE BRAKE LINES AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO UNIVERSAL CITY NISSAN (LOCATED AT 3550 CAHUENGA BLVD W, LOS ANGELES, CA 90068, (818) 769-8100) AND WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,736. *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11255885

Feb 26, 2019BrakesCrash

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A ONE-WAY STREET AT AROUND 25-30 MPH AND NEEDED TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO STOP QUICKLY. I HIT THE BRAKES WITH ALL THE FORCE I COULD WITH MY LEG---THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AND THE CAR DID NOT STOP IN TIME. IT SEEMED LIKE SOME KIND OF WEIRD GLITCH BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CAR HAS ELECTRIC SUPPORT FOR THE BRAKES. AT OTHER TIMES THE BRAKES DIDN'T RESPOND IN THE CORRECT TIME. NOTE I HAD THE BRAKES INSPECTED SEVERAL TIMES BY A PUENTE HILLS NISSAN AND THE BRAKE PADS WERE FINE. THERE WAS ALSO A STRANGE CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES WHEN THEY DISENGAGED. IT SEEMS TO BE SOME KIND OF TIME DELAY IN THE SOFTWARE. I ALSO READ THAT SINCE THE CAR HAS REGENERATE BRAKING IT'S LIKE THE CAR GETS CONFUSED WHEN IT SUPPOSED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND NOT SLOW DOWN FROM THE ENGINE. I HAD TROUBLE BRAKING OTHER TIMES WHEN I WORE LIGHT SHOES OR SANDALS.

NHTSA ODI 11182659

Nov 29, 2017BrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN LEAF. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE FRONT DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V119000 (SERVICE BRAKES). NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

NHTSA ODI 11051306

Apr 6, 2015BrakesCrash1 injury

I WAS TRAVELING AT 25 MPH WHEN I WAS FORCED TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP DUE TO THE SCHOOL BUS IN FRONT OF ME STOPPING ABRUPTLY. I ENGAGED THE BRAKES AND THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE. THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE IN ANYWAY. I SWERVED BUT ENDED UP HITTING THE REAR OF SCHOOL BUS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10703972

Oct 31, 2014BrakesCrash

HAVE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE TIMES WHERE AT LOW SPEEDS, IF THE CAR ENCOUNTERS BUMPS IN THE ROAD, THE BRAKES GIVE OUT AND YOU HAVE TO PUMP A TIME OR TWO TO GET THE BRAKES TO ENGAGE. THERE ARE OTHER TIMES AT CITY/HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHERE IF THE BRAKES ARE PUSHED MEDIUM TO MEDIUM-HARD THE BRAKES SEEM TO LOCK ON AND EVEN WHEN REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE DOESN'T DISENGAGE AND THE CAR WILL SLIDE FOR A COUPLE SECONDS. PLEASE DO A THOROUGH SAFETY REVIEW ON THE BRAKES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10651663

Jun 6, 2014SteeringBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10596607

Working with the data? Download all 81 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Nissan Leaf Plus verdict →