2015 Nissan Leaf: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
110 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2015 Leaf, a CAUTION at 65 with 109 complaints, 85 of them Service Brakes; buy a 2012, 2014 or 2018, which score 94, 84 and 78. Every other scored year is a BUY, and the whole record holds only 442 complaints. Read the full note on the model page. 2015 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 110 complaints on record, verdict CAUTION.
Read the guide
Used Chevrolet Volt, Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf: the years to avoid, including 2015 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 110 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 10.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the brakes failed to engage while the brake pedal was depressed. The brake and master warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions; however, the contact stated that the vehicle recently failed to return to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed tha…
This is the third time my brakes have failed while driving, which seems to have something to do with the 12-volt battery. At least at first, I disconnected my 12-volt battery and reconnected it; this fixed the issue, at least for a while. The other day, I was driving down a road near my house and the brakes failed right before I came around a bend. I had to quickly press the e-brake to slow down, or I would have run …
Was driving the car in a neighborhood setting only going 20 mph, ABS light turned on the dashboard, traction control light or some other light regarding traction came on as well, brakes failed. Had to use parking brake to stop the vehicle.
Recalls: 4 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V253000 | Air Bags | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. |
| 16V244000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification | 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… |
| 23V296000 | Equipment:Other:Owners/Service/Other Manual | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2017 LEAF vehicles. |
| 16V119000 | Service Brakes | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 114 MPGe · estimated annual energy cost $650 · EPA range 84 mi
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Service Brakes86 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Electrical System18 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other9 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Vehicle Speed Control8 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Air Bags8 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Engine3 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Nissan Leaf years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2015 Nissan Leaf?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (86 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2015 Nissan Leaf a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 65/100, computed from 110 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2015 Nissan Leaf's most common problem?
86 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2015 Nissan Leaf sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2015 Nissan Leaf cost to run per year?
About $3,050 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $15,250 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2015 Nissan Leaf have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2015 Nissan Leaf, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 13/04/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2015 Nissan Leaf really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 110 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 110 NHTSA complaints on record (10.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (6.3/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems