Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 34 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Nissan Leaf, and it carries 6 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 15 | 44% |
| Air bags | 3 | 9% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
| Seat belts | 1 | 3% |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 3% |
| Power train | 1 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 3% |
| Unknown or other | 1 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
[XXX] - I was on the way to work on a clear and sunny morning. After stopping at a traffic light, vehicles started moving forward through the intersection. Traffic was building and the lady in front of me stopped very qu
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while his wife was reversing from the garage, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. Additionally, several unknown war
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
Complete braking system failure. After putting the car into reverse, only the emergency brake and parking system were functional. Once taken out of park, the vehicle was effectively free-rolling and nearly hit a struct
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
The power steering has intermittently been de-activating. There is a warning light that comes on (yellow triangle with an exclamation mark). When this happens it causes the steering wheel to feel like it’s pulls in a d
NHTSA complaint: Steering
1) start the vehicle 2) exit the vehicle 3) Unplug the vehicle 4) re-start the vehicle 5) put in drive Seat belt chime does not ring. I found that I can also 1) Start the vehicle 2) Put in drive 3) Put in park 4) exit t
NHTSA complaint: Seat belts
Brake Failure - ABS noise, there is zero brake action. Pedal goes all the way to the floor and nothing happens. Car makes an ABS noise but there is zero brake action. I reported this to Nissan dealer twice at first, the
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
My car suddenly accelerated out of my control and my car was totaled in a supermarket parking lot. Amazingly no serious injuries though two other cars were damaged by this event. No warnings and no time to act. I dema
NHTSA complaint: Vehicle speed control
I WAS DRIVING MY 2014 NISSAN LEAF SL AT A LOW SPEED (5-10 MPH) WHEN THE BRAKES HAD A SUDDEN AND UNANTICIPATED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. WHILE PULLING UP TO A STOPLIGHT TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR FOR AP
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2014 Nissan Leaf. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.
Risk: If the brake relay fails, longer distances or additional brake effort would be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may
Risk: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted)
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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
Risk: 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.
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 Alti
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 28, 2014, through March 12, 2014. The front structural member assembly may be missing welds, which could reduce the structural integrity of the vehicle if the vehicle is involved in a crash.
Risk: Missing welds may effect the vehicle's integrity in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the vehicle's occupants.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect to see if any of the welds are missing. Any vehicle missing welds will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on June 2, 2014. Owners may
| Reliability raw | 72 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 74 | good |
| Maintenance | 71 | good |
| Depreciation | 59 | average |
| Performance | 55 | average |
| Efficiency | 88 | excellent |
| Safety | 80 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 34 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and service brakes is the most reported area with 15 of them (44%). There are 6 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 72/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 74/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2014 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 71/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.