Brake complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owned a 2022 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to work properly causing her to crash into the vehicle in front. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated there was a minor scratch on the front bumper. No injuries were sustained. No police report was filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent an engineer to the dealer to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that braking did occur during the impact via the black box. The contact sold the vehicle back to the dealer. The failure mileage was 24,795.
I had an accident that totaled the Leaf the day after I bought it. It was dark. The road was more congested than usual and a dog ran out into the road. According to eye witnesses, three vehicles including two Honda SUVs (the first vehicle that stated the whole mess didn't stay) managed to brake to a complete stop without rear ending one another. The Nissan Leaf could not brake quickly enough and I rear ended a CR-V with enough force that the Leaf airbags deployed and I could tell the Leaf was totaled at the scene. The emergency braking system never engaged and the brake pedal felt the same from beginning to end. I was not tailgating. The Leaf felt enough like my 2020 Kia Niro that I made the mistake of not being more cautious with a vehicle that was new to me. …
Hello. I have a 20/20 Nissan Leaf SV Plus. This morning I had a total brake failure for lack of a better term. The E-Pedal system, which I always use, suddenly failed while I was driving, showing a warning on screen that said E-Pedal system malfunction... Please use pedal to break. When I went to use the pedal to break nothing happened except for this horrible sound and feel in the pedal. It barely just finally grabbed a little bit enough to stop before I hit the car ahead of me. But it was nothing short of a total brake failure, both E-Pedal and manual pedal. Extremely distressing. What I want to know is how on earth when the E-Pedal fails, the normal manual brake pedal doesn't work either. One thing to note, I let it sit almost all day while I was at work, went out and tried it, and it suddenly was working. …
A yellow warning and two cars crashing comes on and during driving the car applies sudden breaking. I took the car in for repairs but no time line was given for repairs or parts. Also even though it's under warranty the dealer and the headquarter would not give me a rental car until the repairs are made.
The Incident happened on a bright afternoon while I was entering our two car parking garage in our home ; steering wheel steered to the utmost right to enter the right parking space in our garage. I was driving an almost dead battery (8% charge remaining and 13 miles left) and the 2019 model Nissan Leaf car (20K miles driven) was already very heavy while entering our alley (backyard parking). I was driving at 10 mile speed or under when our fence door was in the process of opening (half way opened) and the car garage was already opened; the car jerked forward with a sudden speed, dashed through the fence door and did not stop on drive way (brakes failed) and entered into the garage, hitting the storage racks built to the wall and the toilet right behind it. Things fell on the windshield, obstructed the car when it finally stopped (had to hit the stop button by force). …
I am writing to report a serious safety issue with my Nissan Leaf that needs immediate attention. On two separate occasions, the brakes have failed completely without any warning while driving. A warning light appeared, stating "T/M System Malfunction Warning - See Dealer," but by that time, the brakes had already stopped working. The only way to stop the vehicle was by using the emergency brake, which is extremely dangerous and could easily lead to a fatal accident. The first incident occurred when I was able to quickly pull into a Walmart parking lot, luckily avoiding other vehicles. The second time, the car crashed into the side of my garage and hit a tree stump in my driveway, causing damage to the rear of the car and breaking the side mirror. …
The incident occurred at a stop sign where I was waiting behind one other vehicle. The vehicle ahead of me accelerated from the stop sign to turn into traffic, but abruptly slammed on their brakes. I had began accelerating up to the stop sign and was unable to stop before impacting the car in front of me. As soon as I saw the vehicle was braking, I immediately slammed on the brake pedal. Braking did not immediately occur. My wife said she was afraid that I had slammed the gas pedal because she could hear my foot hit the brake pedal and neither of us felt any braking. The Nissan Leaf was in Eco Mode and ePedal at the time of the incident. I believe that the transition from regenerative braking to mechanical braking delayed the stopping of my vehicle. …
I was stopped at a light, in a long line of cars, my foot on the brake, a few feet away from the car in front of me, and the same in back. All of a sudden, the car started moving, accelerating, jerking forward. I was shocked, pushed down on the brake, nothing happened. starting pulling the car out of line because I was going to hit the car in front of me. I was pumping the brake, and NOTHING HAPPENED. Clipped the car in front's rear left bumper, wrecked my front right bumper. Finally pulled into the turn lane and finally the brakes caught. It was like someone had taken a gizmo and turned on my car (like the OnStar mess a few years ago.). Nothing like this has ever happened to me, in any car, including this one, until 5/12 at 2:00 pm. It was terrifying.
Related recalls (2)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023 LEAF vehicles. The right-hand brake tubes may have been damaged during production and could corrode, possibly causing a hole in the brake line and a brake fluid leak.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the right-hand brake tube, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 7, 2023.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Leaf years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2015 (85), 2013 (32), 2011 (22), 2012 (22) and 2018 (19) model years. Brake complaints make up 77% of all complaints for the 2015.
Is there a recall for Nissan Leaf brake problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 23V-362 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, May 22, 2023); 16V-119 (service brakes, Feb 29, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Nissan Leaf brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles; 84% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock › abs warning light (1 mentions).
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.