Research Another Vehicle

Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2018 Nissan Leaf is associated with 66 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 4 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, accounting for 7 reports (11% of total complaints). EPA records certify all-electric efficiency of 112 MPGe with an estimated driving range of 151 miles across 1 certified vehicle configuration. Detailed NHTSA crash-test ratings are not available in the current AutoUtility dataset for this model year.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 66 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 4 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE (7 / 11%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 9 crash / 1 fire / 3 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: Not rated by NHTSA
  • • EPA Certified Range: 112 MPGe across 1 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Leaf 100% Electric Electric Motor Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (A1) 125 MPGe 100 MPGe 112 MPGe 151 mi $700 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
Electric Range & Charging: The 2018 Nissan Leaf provides an official EPA-rated driving range of up to 151 miles on a single battery charge.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
BEV 5 HB FWD —
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 Nissan Leaf models.
View complete 2018 Nissan Leaf crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

Summary of 66 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
66
Crash Reports
9
Fire Reports
1
Complaints w/ Injury
3
Total Injuries
3

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 complaints (1 crash)
Electrical System 6 complaints
Service Brakes 4 complaints
Structure & Body 4 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 4 complaints (2 crashes)

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2018 Nissan Leaf problems & component breakdown (36 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #24V071000 Active Recall
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Defect Summary: 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."

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #23V494000 Active Recall
Affected Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #23V048000 Active Recall
Affected Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Defect Summary: 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."

Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2018 Nissan Leaf recalls & campaign history (4 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2018 Nissan Leaf

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2018 Nissan Leaf

How many safety recalls does the 2018 Nissan Leaf have?

The 2018 Nissan Leaf is associated with 4 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

NHTSA records list 66 consumer defect complaints for the 2018 Nissan Leaf. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, appearing in 7 filings (11% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is there an official NHTSA crash safety rating for the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

An official NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test rating is not available for the 2018 Nissan Leaf in AutoUtility's current federal dataset.

NHTSA publishes crash safety evaluations for a selected sample of passenger vehicles each model year. Consult NHTSA.gov for active safety equipment records and vehicle safety bulletins.

Source: NHTSA NCAP Registry

What is the electric driving range of the 2018 Nissan Leaf?

The all-electric 2018 Nissan Leaf is EPA-certified for an estimated driving range of 151 miles per full charge across certified configurations.

Official EPA combined efficiency ratings reach up to 112 MPGe based on standardized dynamometer laboratory testing.

Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.