Used Car Checklists

2025 Nissan Leaf: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical. The 6 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

Nissan Leaf2025
Owner complaints
7
Recalls
0
Crashes reported
0
Reliability
Good
79/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Run the VIN before you go

A history report shows accidents, title brands, odometer readings, and open recalls for this 2025 Nissan Leaf. Ask the seller for the VIN; it is also on the dash at the base of the windshield.

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/6 checked

1

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2

2

Cold start, engine bay, and underside

Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2

3

Test drive

At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/2

These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.

Reported on other Leaf years with the same design

These years share the 2025's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.

2021 Leaf

51 owner complaints
  • Electrical 29
  • Wipers and visibility 4
  • Transmission 3

Worth adding to your 2025 checks

  • Run the VIN for open recalls and get written proof of any completed battery recall remedy.
  • Have a dealer report battery state of health, and check the range shown at full charge.
  • Ask for records of battery cell replacements or charging faults, and walk away if cells keep failing.
Open the 2021 checklist

2020 Leaf

159 owner complaints
  • Electrical 113
  • Transmission 12
  • Fuel system 11

Worth adding to your 2025 checks

  • Run the VIN for open recalls and ask the dealer whether any battery or fast-charging repair is still waiting on parts.
  • Drive at highway speed over hills and watch whether the remaining-range reading jumps or drops sharply.
  • Ask for service records showing battery diagnostics, pack replacement, or a "Service EV System Power Reduced" warning.
Open the 2020 checklist

2019 Leaf

251 owner complaints
  • Electrical 162
  • Fuel system 17
  • Transmission 12

Worth adding to your 2025 checks

  • Run the VIN through federal recall records and confirm whether the fast-charge battery remedy is available and completed.
  • Make sure you can charge at home on Level 2, since owners report being told not to fast charge.
  • Ask a Nissan dealer to scan the battery for cell imbalance before you buy.
Open the 2019 checklist

Which Leaf is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Nissan Leaf. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.

VersionDriveEPA rating
ElectricFWD212 mi range
  • With a full charge, the range estimate on the dash should land near the EPA figure of 212 miles. A much lower number on a mild day can mean a worn battery; ask for a battery health report.

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Nissan Leaf, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

  • Electrical3No crashes

    The car keeps accelerating after the driver lifts off the pedal. It slows only under braking, and the problem can come back after a restart. Other reports describe a "Service EV" message followed by an audible "Caution Fire" warning at 8,750 miles. Owners also report visible smoke filling the cabin during Level 3 charging, with occupants coughing. These failures carry serious risk. Unintended acceleration can lead to a crash, and the fire warning and the smoke while charging point to a possible fire hazard. In the fire-warning case, the cause had not yet been found.

In owners' own words

Excerpts from complaints Leaf owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.

Electrical
when level 3 charging the cabin will fill with visible smoke every other time roughly. i have woken up from naps coughing and pressure in my head

Filed with NHTSA, November 2025

How the 2025 compares with other Leaf years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2025 has the fewest owner complaints of the 5 Leaf years we cover, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2025 Average of other years
  • Electrical380

Where the 2025 fits in the Leaf's history

Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.

The 2025 is the eighth model year of the Leaf's second generation (2018–2025).

It includes the 2023 update.

What changed for 2023

  • Slight EPA range reduction to 240km (149 miles) for the 40 kWh version and 341km (212 miles) for the 62 kWh version.

Also looking at these instead of a Leaf?

Cars shoppers compare with the Nissan Leaf, with their own 2025 checklists.

2025 owner complaints, side by side