Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Nissan Leaf owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Leaf. While in the driveway of the residence, the contact started the vehicle with his foot on the brake pedal; however, the vehicle rolled. The contact depressed the brake pedal to the floor, but the vehicle continued rolling until it struck a rock wall. The failure occurred without warning. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. There was no Police report filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with an electrical failure, and that the brake booster had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to a dealer not being in the area where the contact resides. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V119000 (Service Brakes) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine temperature warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact depressed the brake pedal and pulled up the parking brake; however, both failed to operate as needed. The contact made a right turn safely and ran onto a curb to bring the vehicle to a stop. The contact drove safely to the destination. The warning lights disappeared. The failure recurred twice within two weeks with no warning light illuminated. The contact notified the manufacturer and was informed that a previous recall had been performed. The vehicle had been towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated his wife was driving approximately 30 MPH as she was slowing for a traffic signal, the vehicle lost all brake function. The contact's wife safely steered the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact stated that he observed that the brake light, ABS light, and the traction control warning light were illuminated. Additionally, the contact noted that when he stepped on the brake pedal there was only a clicking sound and the pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
I was driving with one passenger going at very low speed. I began to turn into parking area and suddenly the car accelerated at an alarming speed. I applied total pressure on the brake to no avail, it did not override the acceleration. I steered into the back of another parked vehicle. The impact pushed the large heavy vehicle down into a ditch and deployed the airbags for both myself and passenger. 911 was called, Police arrived, tow trucks. My vehicle was totalled, and insurance now has the claim. If this has occurred on a highway or busy city street, many lives would have been at risk.
The contact owns 2015 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the brake pedal was almost depressed to the floorboard with the T/M (Transmission-Transaxle) warning light illuminated. The contact called the dealer but was unable to speak with a service tech. The contact was then scheduled an appointment. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V119000 (Service Brakes) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 52,000
I was at Ralphs parking lot ready to leave last Friday (11/5/2021), as I turned on the car, BRAKE'S light got lit up and when I pressed my foot on Brakes and put it on R (Reverse), I realized the Brakes were not working and the car was going backwards beyond my control. I immediately pressed the button and turned the car off. I left the car at Ralphs parking lot and towed the car to Glendale Nissan (California) next morning. They checked and said the Brakes are running on a very low battery and it needs to be fixed. My car has a very very low mileage and this must be a manufacturing defect. Since there was no recall on my vehicle for this issue, they are charging me $450.0 to replace the battery, plus more for other adjustments, for the total cost of $1,200, As I searched the internet, it seemed that there were recalls for this exact issue for 2015 Nissan Leaf ( I have the same). …
In minus 12 degree temperature, I traveled to a store without incident and parked. Upon returning to the car and starting it, several warning lights went on, including the brake warning light was red, the electric shift control icon was red, VDC indicator light was on, master warning light was red. (may have been other warning lights on). Message was displayed to use parking brake to stop the car.Before applying the parking brake I tried to drive cautiously as I was on a small slope and the display showed my battery level was ok, and ample for the miles to go home, When I tried the brake there was a clicking sound somewhere underneath the car. There was no brake action so I stopped by using the parking brake. I tried this slow roll out two or three times to confirm I could stop the car if I used the parking brake, and there seemed to be no other cautionary problems showing. …
The intelligent brake control unit has gone bad. I was driving home and I was preparing to stop at a stop sign . I pressed on the brake pedal and the would not stop. Luckily there were no other cars or else I would have been involved in a car accident. I had the car towed home then I drove it to the Nissan dealership. They ran a diagnostic and they said that they found multiple codes for the brake booster. They recommend that the intelligent brake control unit be replaced. At the time of the incident, the abs light went on, and the traction motor light went on. When I pressed on the brake there was a squealing noise coming from the pedal. That was the first time that ever happened. I reached out to nissanconsumeraffairs.com for assistance to help with the cost of the part. They said that they could not help. My case number is [redacted] and the person that was my contact was [redacted]. …
On Monday, 11/14/2022, while driving at 25 mph in approximately 28 degree temperatures, the brakes completely failed on my 2015 Nissan Leaf and the parking brake light, ABS light and traction control warning light suddenly illuminated on the dashboard. I glided to a stop in the breakdown lane, and while in both Drive and in Park when I pressed the brake pedal to the floor there were odd buzzing/knocking sounds towards the front of the vehicle (where the motor, etc. are located) and a vibration under foot accompanied by a clicking noise similar to that experienced during anti-skid braking. I turned the ignition on and off several times but the system malfunction was still present. I was able to drive 100 yards into a parking lot with minimal braking ability (the emergency brake served as a backup). …
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The electronic braking system seems to have randomly failed due to some electrical glitch. Mechanically the braking system works fine but during this incident the ABS system kicked in causing the car to shutter and the brake petal went to the floor with 0 braking power. Was forced to put the car in Park and apply the emergency brake in the middle of the road in traffic to ensure it would stop. Cycled the car on and off multiple times to see if that would help reset the car but the problem persisted. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Putting other drivers on the road at risk if we were not able to stop the car could have caused property damage and personal injury to others on the road and my family who was in the car. …
Related recalls
Service brakes
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.
Remedy: 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 1-800-647-7261.
Brake complaints in other Leaf years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2015 Nissan Leaf?
NHTSA has 85 complaints about the brakes of the 2015 Nissan Leaf, 77% of the model year's 110 complaints. The component named most often is antilock › abs warning light (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Nissan Leaf brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-119 (service brakes, Feb 29, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Nissan Leaf brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.