There are 4 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2019 Nissan Leafin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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. I was fortunate enough to engage the emergency brake before the car entered the road, but it was a terrifying experience that could have ended much worse. Fortunately, did not happen while my teenage children and their friends were driving the car. After researching this issue, I was shocked to discover that many other Nissan Leaf owners have experienced similar brake failures dating back to 2012. This is not an isolated incident, and I am deeply concerned that it continues to happen without resolution. When I brought my car to the dealership, they informed me that the issue is related to the Intelligent Brake Unit Controller, and the repairs would cost $5,000. However, my vehicle is only five years old with 62,000 miles, and I believe this defect should be addressed by Nissan, not at the owner's expense. I urge you to take immediate action to investigate this dangerous defect. There is no warning before the brakes fail, and this puts drivers and others on the road at extreme risk. Does it really take a fatal accident for Nissan to address this issue? This problem has been ongoing for years, and it’s unacceptable that it has not been resolved. I hope that you will take this matter seriously and provide a solution befo
The electronic parking brake does not automatically engage, even when the circumstances described in the owner's manual apply. This could cause some cars to be improperly secured, if drivers expect the parking brake to apply automatically but it does not. I don't think this is an issue with my car specifically as many others on the Internet have reported similar issues. See for example https://www.reddit.com/r/leaf/comments/oxzrne/how_does_the_electric_parking_brake_work/ This problem seems to be pervasive enough that many owners concluded their car simply does not have this feature, despite it being clearly described in the owner manual.
Read the comment, "Vehicle doesn't slow down when taking foot of the acceleration pedal. Same both power settings. It will continue to move at slow speed on level ground. It behaves as though the minimum pedal motor speed is too fast. My concern is that it might get very fast without any pedal. Thank you." I can confirm the same issue has occurred with my 2019 Nissan Leaf. The car is seriously dangerous if you are not aware of this issue that occurs and that the only response is to forcefully hit the brakes...times this occurs: occasionally including merging onto highways at fast speeds and at low speeds as well. Problem is ongoing at least weekly since I bought the car 3/22. Serious injuries and deaths are likely to occur if this problem is not resolved. I would be surprised if injuries have not already occurred. I didn't know where to go to report this until I read an article with the above quotation. Here I am. Thank you.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE E-PEDAL HAS NOT BEEN DESIGNED CORRECTLY FOR THE HEAVIER WEIGHT OF THE 62KW BATTERY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE A PREVIOUS YEAR 42 KW BATTERY MODEL. I PURCHASED THE 2019 NISSAN LEAF PLUS SL TRIM AND TRADED IN MY 2018 NISSAN LEAF SL ON 2/8/2020. I NOTICED THE BRAKING DISTANCE WITH E-PEDAL HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY, BY ABOUT 2X THIS DISTANCE. THAT SEEMS TO BE OUT OF LINE AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026