56 of the
1,497 complaints filed about the Nissan Leaf
are about the throttle and cruise control —
4% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2018.
56
Complaints
4%
Share of all complaints
20
Crashes
0
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V700000 (Electrical System), 24V071000 (Back Over Prevention), and 23V494000 (Vehicle Speed Control); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the battery level dropped from 100% to zero, causing the vehicle to lose motive power. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle was towed back to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
NHTSA complaint #11749388 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On Saturday, June 20, I was driving my son to soccer. We stopped at a stoplight. When the light turned green, I pressed the accelerator and we went forward. However, when I took my foot off the accelerator, the car continued to accelerate. Luckily it slowed down when I pushed on the break. But every time I took my foot off the break the car continued to accelerate. I did not have a good place to pull over to the side. So at the next stop light, I turned the car completely off. I turned it back on again, but the same thing happened. I arrived at the soccer field and parked the car for the remainder of the day, which was several hours. It did not do that again that evening. The other thing that has happened a couple of times prior to the incident and since is, the Nissan panel display that lights up when you turn the car on turned completely off and on again several times at random while I was driving. Usually the panel stays with eliminated and plays audio or shows a map. It turned itself completely off to Black and then back on again as if the car was starting up again. On Tuesday, I took the car to Nissan because I had called the problem in over the weekend, but their service center was not open. They were unable to replicate the problem. However, on my way to Nissan, the accelerator again pressed forward independently of my actions and the car accelerated without warning. This is very scary and felt extremely dangerous. I told the technicians that Nissan that the problem appeared similar to a recall that had been in place a few years ago. But they said that unless they could replicate the problem, they weren’t able to do anything about it. I was very unsatisfied with that because it seemed like a pretty dangerous situation.
NHTSA complaint #11746576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
"2022 Nissan Leaf 40 kWh (VIN: [XXX], ~41,570 miles) lost motive power at highway speed on [XXX]. Vehicle entered turtle mode and shifted into neutral while traveling on the freeway, requiring me to coast to an off-ramp (I was completely unable to use the accelerator nor move the car into Park). Vehicle was inoperable and required towing. This followed a similar incident on [XXX], where the vehicle entered turtle mode 7 miles from home despite showing 120 miles of indicated range. LeafSpy diagnostics confirm 8 weak battery cells with a 261 mV spread. Open recall NHTSA 25V-655 is unresolved. This is a safety defect, not normal degradation. I am attaching photos that show significant variance in mileage--at one point, I had 95 miles, and within 7 miles, it had gone to 0 miles and after another 8 miles, it entered turtle mode. 3 miles after that, the car essentially shut off and went into neutral. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11744732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle has experienced approximately ten+ incidents while driving at freeway speeds on dry roads where the traction-control indicator illuminated and the vehicle unexpectedly lost power. During these events, the vehicle would not accelerate normally despite accelerator input, and vehicle speed decreased significantly. The incidents occurred under normal driving conditions and were not associated with any apparent loss of traction. The vehicle was inspected by a Nissan dealership, but the concern could not be reproduced and no root cause has been identified. A case has been opened with Nissan North America. I am reporting this because unexpected loss of propulsion at highway speeds creates a potential safety hazard. The speed decreases from 70mph to around 30-40mph on the freeway suddenly.
NHTSA complaint #11743717 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While traveling at normal highway speeds (55 MPH), the vehicle's battery capacity rapidly dropped from 80-90% down to 10% in less than 30 seconds, resulting in activation of the vehicle's "turtle mode" and power throttling, which made it impossible to maintain posted highway speed of 55 MPH. A warning appeared on the dashboard, which stated, "Warning Power Reduced". The vehicle traveled at approximately 40 MPH creating a serious hazard to others on the roadway who were traveling at the posted speed limit of 55 MPH. Upon pulling over to the side of the freeway, the battery charge rebounded back up to 75%, but maintained power throttle, making it unsafe to reenter the roadway, as the vehicle was incapable of accelerating to the posted speed limit of 55 MPH. It was extremely slow to accelerate at all, making it from 0 - 40 in about a minute, which again, was extremely hazardous to others on the roadway. Nissan has since acknowledged that this was due to a factory defect, and covered under their factory warranty. I have attached photos of the warning message displayed, and have videos of the rapid battery loss, but those files are too large to attach.
NHTSA complaint #11732974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Battery charging system cannot be used on fast chargers without potential overheating and fire, therefore, I cannot travel safely beyond my immediate area without incurring a risk to myself and others. The recall has been ongoing with empty promises of a fix since September of 2024, over 1 year and 6 months ago. So, that means this risk has been in place for much longer.
NHTSA complaint #11725343 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 1/6/2026, as I slowed down as I was turning into my parking lot. I had Eco and e-pedal ON for regenerative braking. As I was turning into the parking lot, the car suddenly accelerated, went over the curb, across the street, over another curb before finally stopping after colliding with a structure. I was driving slowly and distinctively recall braking. This sudden unintended acceleration put safety at risk and caused significant property damage. There were no warning signs or messages. The car is in the yard now and will be available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11709726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V700000 (Electrical System), 24V071000 (Back Over Prevention) and 23V494000 (Vehicle Speed Control); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle control module (VCM) had failed and was replaced several times; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start. The contact also stated that the rear driver's side seat belt was locked and inoperable. The Local dealer, Edison Nissan (401 US-1, Edison, NJ 08817), and an unknown dealer were contacted for the recall repairs and informed the contact that a technician for the Nissan Leaf was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (Electrical System). Parts distribution disconnect for NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V071000 (Back Over Prevention) and 23V494000 (Vehicle Speed Control).
NHTSA complaint #11669529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On [XXX], I was slowly pulling into my driveway, took my foot off the accelerator and turned the steering wheel slightly to the right as the driveway is L shaped. Suddenly, the car sped up towards the garage door. I looked down quickly to see if I’d somehow pressed the accelerator by accident but I had not. I slammed on the brakes as hard as I could but the car kept going and smashed into the garage door and the corner of the garage, causing close to $20k in property damage. The hood and front bumper were badly caved in at the point of impact and pieces of the undercarriage were on the ground. The air smelled like rubber and there were tire marks on the driveway here I had slammed on the brakes. The airbags did not deploy. The Automatic Braking System did not work. There were no warning messages or lamps. The only unusual symptom that I noticed was that on my way home from Kona, when I was pulling up slowly to a traffic light, the car seemed to hesitate a couple of times, which seemed odd but not severe enough for me to be concerned about a wreck. That occurred about a half hour before the incident. I was not physically injured but I have been very shook up and depressed since the incident. If this had happened on the highway, I could have been killed and the car could have killed others on the road. I reported the collision to USAA immediately and, on their advice, I had it towed to Kona Nissan, the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and where I have had it serviced. The expectation was that they would perform diagnostics on the vehicle but they won’t touch it, nor will they talk to USAA. I had taken the car in when it was recalled for the VCM issues and I don’t believe it was fixed properly. Or the repair wasn’t effective. The car is at Gerber Body Shop in Kona, Hawaii. Please arrange inspection with them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11661349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2019 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V494000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL), 24V700000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), and 24V071000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH and coming up to an intersection, the vehicle ahead of the contact had stopped in front of the contact due to a crash. The contact attempted to stop the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and crashed into the rear of the vehicle ahead. The contact stated that the vehicle came to a stop at the intersection under the traffic light after the crash. There were no warning lights illuminated; however, there was a beeping sound while attempting to stop the vehicle. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags deployed as needed. The contact was unsure if a Police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact sustained an injury to the right knee from the impact, sciatic nerve injury, shoulder pain, and emotional distress. The contact went to the Emergency room and had since received physical therapy. The contact believed that one other person in one of the other vehicles had sustained injuries. The contact stated that the vehicle had been towed to an auto body shop, and the contact stated that the body shop had deemed the vehicle a total loss. The contact stated that the dealer had contacted the body shop and had been harassing her as well as the body shop about returning the vehicle to the dealer. The contact then took the vehicle home with an abnormal clinking sound. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested that there would be an investigation into the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
NHTSA complaint #11652665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After hard acceleration then releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle does not slow as expected and, at times, will actually continue to accelerate. The vehicle will slow as expected when the brake is applied, but will again gradually accelerate when the brake is released. If slowed to a stop, the vehicle may begin to accelerate once the brake is released. This issue does not occur after normal acceleration. The issue may be related to NHTSA Recall Number 23V-494, which repairs have not been addressed for the subject vehicle, although the issue occurs regardless of the state or change-of-state of the e-pedal switch or cruise control function, both of which are mentioned in that recall. This issue has occurred on multiple occasions in the time that I have owned the car (approx 13 months.) There is no correlation with weather conditions or initial or final speed. The only consistent variable is rate of acceleration.
NHTSA complaint #11647735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
in reduced traction environments vehicle will accelerate a full throttle without driver input to accelerator pedal. The issue is repeatable. though it seems to happen under multiple conditions. Vehicles acceleration is often opposite of the direction selected on shifter. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11647140 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While quickly shifting the car from drive to reverse the car will suddenly go full throttle in reverse with no pedal input. This is very easy to get it to do
NHTSA complaint #11641619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ACCIDENT:Date: [XXX] Time: [XXX] Location: Balboa Park – San Diego – Morley Field Sports Center – Parking lot Parking lot - Google Maps Driver – Geico Insurance coverage || no passengers What: Nissan Leaf 2023 Model SV+ - 8410 miles -- Unintended Acceleration Incident Backing up to leave parking lot – with seat belt on – looked at rear view camera – clear. Backed up slowly – then intersected with the rear bumper of a Honda – slowly I braked – then went into Drive mode to get out of the intersection. Then I lost control of the car. Car went lurching forward fast – zoomed up over parking curb – 5 in – side-swiped the side of a tree with right front bumper – gashed with parts flying all over the grass. Crashing noises from jumping the curb and hitting the tree. I braked hard and got vehicle to stop = approx. 3 feet from another tree – which I would have hit straight on. No airbags were deployed. It all happened at high acceleration in an instant. After I recovered from the shock, I assessed the situation. The dashboard showed a malfunction – right front tire – no air pressure. Contacted my insurance company – GEICO – and opened a claim. GEICO arranged for my vehicle to be towed by ASAP Towing to my home. Took photos of the wreckage – collected all the pieces I could in a bucket – some were too large to fit into my car = air dam or some sort of under side cover – made of gray bendable plastic. Called ASAP - the towing company – asked about a flat bed as my front right tire was flat and the front bumper of the car had fallen off. My Leaf needs to be repaired. It needs to be reprogrammed by Nissan so that I feel safe driving it. Of note, I had to my Nissan dealer – Mossy Nissan Poway – for the recall R23A6 on Sept. 26, 2023. Did they address the recall issue? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11631293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I put the car in park as I was pulling in without turning it off to grab trash from the curb and take it to the car, but the car keep accelerating. I jumped in and slammed on the bricks but it hit the brick wall to the house. I see more recent years were recalled for "unintended acceleration" and "brake issues"
NHTSA complaint #11630366 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was swerving to the right and then accelerated unintendedly. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated as needed upon depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that after the driver pulled over to the side of the road and released the accelerator pedal, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The contact stated that the driver immediately depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that upon releasing the brake pedal, the failure recurred, and the vehicle accelerated to 45 MPH unintendedly. Additionally, the steering was pulling to the right and to the left independently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon depressing the "Cancel" button on the steering wheel to cancel the driver's assist features, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The driver was able to control the steering wheel by using physical strength. Additionally, the driver depressed the brake pedal and stopped the vehicle. The driver was able to drive to the residence nearby. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
NHTSA complaint #11610811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds with the cruise control activated, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lunged forward. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V494000 (Vehicle Speed Control). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100.
NHTSA complaint #11602871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds in a parking area, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and came to a complete stop after colliding with another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and no injuries were reported. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 7,000.
NHTSA complaint #11588673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After backing up and then putting the car in Drive, without warning the car accelerated uncontrollably accelerted, spun around twice and struck another vehicle before stopping.
NHTSA complaint #11587779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.