2021 Nissan Leaf — Known Issues & Recalls

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf's battery was recalled in September 2024 due to a potential fire risk when using DC fast chargers, and you were instructed not to use them. Nissan promised a remedy but repeatedly delayed it from October 2024 through fall 2025. When you initiated a buyback request and couldn't respond due to unexpected medical treatment, Nissan closed your claim without contacting you directly despite your husband's attempts to reach them. This leaves your vehicle unable to make long-distance trips to medical appointments that require DC fast charging capability. The fix will require Nissan to either provide a replacement battery pack or complete the buyback process.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf is subject to a safety recall (25V-655) involving a fire hazard that can occur during fast charging (Level 3 DC fast charging). Nissan recommends avoiding fast charging until they provide a fix, which they say should be ready by December 31, 2025, but they haven't confirmed this timeline. Until the repair is available, your car's charging capabilities are limited, reducing its practical usefulness.

Your 2021 Leaf has a recalled issue with Level 3 DC fast charging that poses a fire risk. You're currently unable to use rapid charging on your vehicle. Nissan has not yet provided a fix or solution for this recall, leaving your car unable to charge.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf has a known issue (recall 25V-655) where lithium deposits have built up inside the high-voltage battery, causing charging problems even on Level 1 charging. Your battery's internal resistance has dropped to 44% due to these deposits, though the battery's overall health is still at 86%. Your Nissan dealership has been unable to help because Nissan hasn't released a repair solution yet, and you've been waiting over 5 months since receiving the recall notice. Fixing this will likely require Nissan to release an official software update or battery service procedure to address the lithium buildup.

Your Leaf's battery is subject to a recall issued in October 2025, but you haven't received any repair update. The battery has degraded significantly, leaving you stranded or nearly stranded multiple times and preventing you from using most fast-charging stations. When you can charge, it takes much longer than expected. The repair will likely involve a battery replacement or firmware update to address the degradation issue.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf shut off unexpectedly while driving, forcing you to pull over safely. The dealer replaced a battery component to fix the issue, but there's an ongoing recall (Campaign 25V655000) for the electrical system that hasn't been fully remedied yet due to parts unavailability. The repair will likely involve replacing the faulty battery component once the recall parts become available.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf occasionally shifts into Turtle Mode while driving, limiting your speed to 30 MPH. You'll see an EV Battery failure message and a Turtle Mode warning light on your dashboard. The dealer was unable to identify or fix the problem, though there's an open recall (Campaign 25V655000) for the electrical system that may apply once parts become available.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf is subject to a recall (Campaign 25V655000) affecting the electrical system, but the repair part isn't yet available from the manufacturer. Because of this recall, your car cannot fully charge using the fast charger until the repair is completed. The manufacturer hasn't indicated when the part will be available, and you haven't experienced an actual failure yet. Once the part becomes available, the dealer will need to replace or repair the electrical system component to restore fast charging capability.

Your car's battery range display dropped dramatically from 60-70% to 12% while driving downhill, then recovered after about 30 seconds — a confusing glitch that made you worry about reaching a charger. The dealer couldn't reproduce the problem during testing. Additionally, your car can no longer fast charge using the CHAdeMO connector due to a recall, and many charging stations no longer support your vehicle, significantly limiting your charging options.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf's high-voltage battery pack is showing severe degradation (40.07% health rating) due to a known defect covered by manufacturer recall 25V655. The battery has experienced significant range loss, power limitations, and even shut down while you were driving at highway speeds. Because fast charging has been disabled and your battery shows dangerous internal cell damage, Nissan warns this is a fire risk during charging or operation. The recall repair involves battery pack replacement, though Nissan's current software update only monitors for failure rather than fixing the underlying cell defects.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf has been restricted from using DC fast charging due to a fire risk recall, but Nissan hasn't provided a fix or timeline for when one will be available. This removes a key feature you relied on when buying the car, and the dealer confirmed no solution exists yet. The recall limits your vehicle's ability to charge quickly for longer trips indefinitely.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf has a battery defect that Nissan's software update can only detect and manage—it doesn't actually fix the faulty battery cells. Level 3 fast charging remains unusable because of this underlying issue. You're requesting either a full repurchase or a replacement vehicle since the software won't resolve the core problem.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf's high-voltage battery is subject to a recall due to potential lithium deposits building up inside the battery cells, which can cause excessive heat during fast charging. Nissan has instructed you not to use Level 3 fast charging until a fix is available, but the current remedy is a software update that simply disables fast charging rather than actually fixing the battery problem. The remedy will involve a software update to your vehicle's charging system, though this may limit your charging options rather than resolve the underlying battery issue.

Your 2022 Nissan Leaf's high-voltage battery has a known defect where lithium deposits can build up inside the battery cells, increasing electrical resistance and causing dangerous overheating during fast charging. Nissan's recall fix is a software update that monitors for problems and disables the car if an issue is detected — rather than actually repairing the faulty battery cells themselves. You're concerned that the underlying defect remains unfixed, your car could become stranded if the software detects the condition, and there's still a fire risk during fast charging if the problem isn't caught in time. The fix involves installing monitoring software, but this does not repair the actual battery cell defect.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf is subject to a recall that prevents Level 3 DC fast charging due to a fire risk, leaving you unable to travel beyond about 200 miles from home since Level 2 charging is too slow for road trips. This is especially frustrating because Nissan recently replaced your battery in December 2025 due to earlier issues like sudden deceleration on the highway, but the replacement battery is also under the same recall with no fix available yet. The car can no longer be used as originally advertised for longer-distance driving. Resolution will require Nissan to release an official remedy for the charging recall, likely involving a software update or battery management system fix.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf's high-voltage battery experienced a thermal runaway failure that caused a fire, both while being serviced at the dealership and during a subsequent attempted restart. The battery's range dropped significantly before the incident, and you were unaware of a safety recall warning against charging at Level 3 chargers due to fire risk. The fire burned for hours and required emergency response; nearby homes and businesses were evacuated due to the danger. Repair will require complete battery replacement or the vehicle will be deemed a total loss.

Your car's battery drains quickly after charging, and you're experiencing multiple electrical failures: the passenger wiper doesn't work (affecting visibility in rain), the backup camera image blurs and cuts out, and the high beams won't turn on. You've also lost the ability to use Level 3 chargers, and inaccurate mileage readings have caused the car to unexpectedly die twice, leaving you stranded without cell service in unsafe situations.

Your 2021 Nissan Leaf is subject to a safety recall that prevents you from using DC fast charging (Level 3), which significantly limits the vehicle's practical use for long-distance trips. Without fast charging, you're limited to Level 2 charging, which requires 6+ hours and makes the vehicle unreliable for trips of 300+ miles. Nissan has not yet provided a repair timeline, interim solution, or loaner vehicle while the issue is being addressed.

During wet weather, moisture can enter your brake system, causing your front brakes to feel partially seized and produce a squeezing sound when backing up — especially after using the parking brake overnight. The noise typically goes away after several normal brake applications. Additionally, your forward collision warning system only alerts you with beeps and dashboard lights, but doesn't automatically apply the brakes to help slow or stop your car. Addressing this may involve inspecting and servicing the brake system for moisture intrusion and checking the forward collision avoidance system's brake application function.

After a dealership software update last November, your car's heater and defroster stop working when temperatures drop below about 17°F, causing the windshield and interior to fog up dangerously. The system only starts working after about 10 minutes of driving, and the dealership says this is intentional. The dealership's suggested workaround of letting the car idle for 10 minutes before driving doesn't actually help. Fixing this will likely require the dealership to release a software update that allows the heating system to function normally in cold weather.