2016 Nissan Leaf: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2016 Nissan Leaf: 4 recalls, 36 owner complaints and up to 114 mpg combined.
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Recalls
4 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V244000 · 2016 · 3,296,947 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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,…
Airbags, Electrical Vehicle recall #16V436000 · 2016 · 4,355 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag May not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: 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.
Airbags Vehicle recall #17V253000 · 2017 · 30,038 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017.
Equipment, Visibility (wipers, glass) Vehicle recall #23V296000 · 2023 · 94,343 vehicles
What's wrong: 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."
Why it matters: Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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 May 26, 2023.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 1 mention a fire, 0 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Brakes (16): the most common themes are brake failure / soft pedal (10).
- Electrical (13): the most common themes are electrical failure (8), stalls / loses power (3).
- Fuel & propulsion (8): the most common themes are electrical failure (7), stalls / loses power (2).
- Airbags (3): no single recurring theme in the descriptions.
The 2016 Nissan Leaf has 36 owner complaints, ranking #10 of 17 Leaf model years for complaints (well below the 65 average). Complaints peaked in 2018 (6 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 3 years old, at a median of 20,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2015 (110 complaints, 4 recalls), 2017 (17 complaints, 2 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric (80 kW DCPM) | Automatic (A1) | Front-Wheel Drive | 126e | 101e | 114e | Electricity |
| Electric (80 kW DCPM) | Automatic (A1) | Front-Wheel Drive | 124e | 101e | 112e | Electricity |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2016 Nissan Leaf.
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FAQ
Does the 2016 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 vehicle recalls for the 2016 Nissan Leaf. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2016 Nissan Leaf problems?
Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are brakes (16), electrical (13), fuel & propulsion (8).
What gas mileage does the 2016 Nissan Leaf get?
EPA ratings run up to 114 mpg combined, across 2 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2016 Nissan Leaf repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.