Second generation (ZE1)
2020 Nissan Leaf
The most reported problem on the 2020 Nissan Leaf is dead battery, with 39 complaints.
- 165owner complaints
- 6recalls
- 1involved a crash
- 35,000median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your Leaf doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2020 model year.
Is the 2020 Nissan Leaf reliable?
The 2020 Nissan Leaf has 165 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, close to the median of 174 for 2020 hatchbacks on this site. Of the 10 Leaf model years since 2014, it has the 2nd most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2019 and 2021
- Complaints ease off across these three model years. Counted per year on the road, the 2019 draws 32, the 2020 24 and the 2021 9.
- Top problem
- Dead battery leads with 39 of the 165 complaints (24%), ahead of hybrid system at 20. Too few of the dead battery reports give a mileage to say when it starts.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- Only 1 of the 165 complaints (1%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, well under the 6% typical of vehicles on this site.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- Dead battery, the one problem here with enough reports to check, has a recall on the same system (24V-700). A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings jumped in 2025, with 85 complaints, 9.4 times the next busiest year. So far in 2026, 53 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: battery dies or the car will not start, 39 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
165 complaints is 1.3 times fewer than the median 2020 model on this site and about the median for a 2020 hatchback. Among the 3 Leaf model years here it ranks 2nd for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2020 Nissan Leaf
Nissan filed 92 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2020 Nissan Leaf. 3 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Battery dies or the car will not start 1 bulletin · 39 complaints
VEHICLE WILL NOT START AND DTCS P31E7 AND P0AA6 STORED IN EV/HEV CONTROL MODULE IF YOU CONFIRM The vehicle does not start, AND DTCs P31E7 (RESTART INHIBITION) and P0AA6 (HV BATTERY VOLTAGE SYSTEM ISOLATION) are stored in the EV/HEV Control Module. ACTION Follow the SERVICE PROCEDURE in this bulletin to: 1.
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 2 bulletins · 17 complaints
AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and there are no related DTCs, inspect the ...
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. You MUST closely follow the entire SERVICE PROCEDURE as it contains information that is essential to successfully completing this repair.
Complaints filed by year
85 complaints came in 2025, 9.4 times the year before. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds. Closed aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V-063.
NHTSA summary
Recalls that include the 2020 Nissan Leaf
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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 and remedy
Remedy: 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.
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 and remedy
Remedy: 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.
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 and remedy
Remedy: 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.
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 and remedy
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 April 1, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22C5.
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 and remedy
Remedy: 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.
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 and remedy
Remedy: 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.
All 6 recalls on the 2020 Nissan Leaf, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
Guide Buying one used? How to research one car’s history before you pay
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2020 Nissan Leaf?
Dead battery, with 39 of the 165 complaints.
At what mileage do 2020 Nissan Leaf problems start?
Of the 22 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 10,000 miles and half by about 35,000.
Is the 2020 Nissan Leaf better or worse than the 2019 and 2021?
Counted per year on the road, the 2020 has fewer complaints than the 2019 and more complaints than the 2021: 24 a year against 32 and 9.
How many 2020 Nissan Leaf complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
1 of them (1%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for dead battery on the 2020 Nissan Leaf?
Yes, NHTSA lists a recall on the same system: 24V-700. Its summary says which failure it covers, and that isn't always the one owners describe.