Used Nissan Leaf review and buying guide
A used Nissan Leaf can be a good starting point to the world of EVs, but early versions of this pioneering car are not without their quirks.
The first-generation Nissan Leaf is a landmark car in the EV world. When introduced in 2010, the it was the world’s first mass-produced EV. To date and two generations later, over 650,000 of them have been sold globally.
Prior to the Leaf’s arrival, EVs were somewhat of a niche product. Yet with its easy-to-live-with nature and eventual range of 155 miles, the Leading Environmentally-Friendly Affordable Family Car showed that an electric car could be used like an internal combustion engine (ICE) car without breaking the bank.
The first-gen Leaf, the focus of this review and buying guide, was updated twice in its life – firstly in 2013, then again two years later. As well as improvements to the car’s electrical architecture and therefore range, Nissan tweaked the Leaf’s visuals to give it a more mature, less Parrot Fish-like appearance.
While the Nissan LEAF’s range is somewhat compromised compared to newer EVs, its low purchasing cost on the used market makes it a popular first EV and amongst drivers wishing to dip their toes into making the switch from ICE to EV.
Nissan Leaf in the UK
The Nissan Leaf was available in three trim levels, entry-level Visia, mid-tier Acenta, and flagship Tekna. Throughout its life, the Leaf was available with a 107bhp, front-wheel drive powertrain. However, the initial 24-kilowatt hour battery could be swapped out for a 30kWh unit from 2015 onwards on Acenta and Tekna models.
When it comes to range, the Nissan Leaf could initially achieve 109 miles on a single charge. The mid-life update in 2013 saw this boosted to 124 miles. Meanwhile, cars with the 30kWh battery were capable of achieving 155 miles. Irrespective of trim level, battery size and range, the Nissan Leaf benefits from regenerative braking and an 89mph top speed. Regardless of battery capacity, all first-gen Leafs had a maximum DC charging rate of 46kW – positively glacial by more modern standards.
In early 2017 – the year when the first-gen Leaf was replaced by the second-gen car Nissan launched an Acenta-based ‘Black Edition’ featuring 16-inch black alloy wheels, black door mirror caps, and a black roof spoiler. Addtionally, the first Black Edition model recieved a free in-car Wi-Fi hotspot.
Moreover, the Nissan Leaf was a pivotal car for the UK car industry: From 2013 onwards, Leaf production moved to the Japanese brand’s factory in Sunderland. Nissan also confirmed that manufacture for the third-gen car will take place at the plant when it arrives in 2026. Over 280,000 Leafs were produced on British shores.
Prior to moving to the Sunderland facility, the Leaf was manufactured in Oppama, Japan. These cars can be identified by their cream-coloured interiors. British versions came with a black dashboard and upholstery. Cars from 2013 onwards came with a foot-operated parking brake, instead of a finger-operated mechanism.
Nissan Leaf equipment
In base Visia form, the Nissan Leaf was equipped with a four-speaker sound system, a DAB radio, Bluetooth smartphone integration, and a USB port. The Acenta trim adds touchscreen navigation and telematics to inform the driver of how they are driving, and what changes they can make to be more efficient.
Meanwhile, Tekna (and the Tekna-derived Black Edition) benefit from all of the above, plus parking assistance, a reversing camera, and a Bose stereo system.
Nissan Leafs manufactured for the 2016 model year onwards can be used with the NissanConnect EV smartphone and smartwatch app. This allows owners to monitor and control the car’s functions including the battery level, remote charging, and pre-setting the climate control ahead of setting off on a drive.
Note, however, Nissan stopped support for NissanConnect on the first-gen Leaf in April 2024. There have also been several online reviews commenting on the app’s lack of user-friendliness.
Used Nissan Leaf price range and running costs
Due to its age and now relatively low power and range, costs for the first-generation Nissan Leaf are reasonable. The cheapest Nissan Leaf we found was £1,990 for a 2014 car with a 24kWh battery and 70,856 miles on the clock. The most expensive was a 2017 Tekna model with a 30kWh battery.
According to the ad, the battery indicator showed 11 of its 12 battery bars, meaning its range will be close to its original 155 miles – a 2025 study showed that EVs from 2016/2017 with 90,000 miles on the clock have retained an average of 75.87% of their battery capacity.
Using the lowest off-peak/overnight EV charging home tariff costing 6.7 pence per kilowatt hour, a Nissan Leaf with a 24kWh battery will cost a minuscule £1.61 to charge fully. Opt for the slightly larger 30kWh, and this figure jumps to £2.01.
Without an EV tariff and using the new standard variable tariff of 25.73p/kWh, charging the 24kWh Nissan Leaf will cost £6.17, while its newer, 30kWh sibling will set you back £7.72.
Be aware, charging a first-gen Leaf can take a while. Original cars had feebly slow 3.3kW AC charging, which was eventually upgraded to 6.6kW in 2013.
Insurance
The Nissan Leaf comes under insurance groups 19 to 25, which are in the low-to-mid point of the 50-group ranking. Entry-level Visia models are in either insurance group 20 and 21. The mid-range Acenta is either group 20 or 21, while the flagship Acenta and Black Edition fall in groups 20 and 25. As with all insurance quotes, remember that prices will be dictated by several factors including age, location, and what type of property you live in.
Also note that EVs are no longer exempt from road tax, meaning cars registered from April 1, 2017 will now cost £195 per year in road tax. Tax for all EVs built between March 1, 2001 and March 31, 2017 is just £20 annually.
Used Nissan Leaf reliability
The first-gen Nissan Leaf fared well in a What Car? reliability survey with a score of 98.6%. However, Nissan as a brand languised 27th out of 30 manufacturers due to the poor reliability of its ICE models.
The biggest concern with the Nissan Leaf is its battery and range. As well as being unable to return comparable ranges to newer EVs, they can also cost up to £5,000 to replace on pre-2016 cars. As we’ve seen, this is more than the value of some earlier models.
The Nissan Leaf’s battery health is gauged via a battery graphic featuring 12 bars in the driver’s instrument cluster.
On 30kWh cars produced from 2016 onwards, if the battery level fell below nine bars, Nissan would replace the battery components free of charge to bring the capacity back to nine bars.
Moreover, the battery is covered by Nissan for eight years/100,000 miles, meaning some 2016 cars onwards could still be under warranty, albeit only just.
In terms of battery health, it is also worth looking into the previous owner’s charging behaviour. If the car often charged beyond 80%, then the battery has undergone extra stress meaning range will be further compromised. In fact, it has been reported that Leafs with depleted range may need to be charged multiple times in one day.
Faults to look for
Having been around for almost 15 years now, the first-gen Nissan Leaf isn’t without its age-related problems. Alongside range depletion, the following issues have been cited: Leaking windscreens, broken charger flaps, a distorted Bose sound system on top-tier Tekna models, and sticking start/stop buttons – some cars would also shut down without warning.
Cars that haven’t been driven often may suffer from airbag failure, which can be identified if the airbag warning light doesn’t extinguish after five seconds while powering up, or stays on completely. Rear-wheel alignment, and clattering front suspension have also been cited as other sticking points.
Official recalls
Happily, the first-gen Nissan Leaf underwent very few recalls throughout its life. In fact, we’ve found just three from 2015 to the car’s life to the end of 2017 when the second-gen car was introduced. These recalls of the first-gen cars were due to a loss of steering control, the sticking on/off switch, and the auto-aiming headlamps not working.
An entire rundown of the Nissan Leaf’s recalls from 2015 to-date is available here.
‘The one to have’
The early Nissan Leaf may be a tempting proposition as it represents a low-cost entry point into the wonderful world of EVs. However, there is a lot of truth behind the saying “there’s nothing more expensive than a cheap older car”. Factor in battery depletion, an already-compromised range, and relatively slow charging speeds by today’s standards, then an early Nissan Leaf becomes a hard sell.
Nonetheless, later Sunderland-built cars with the 30kWh battery and the 155-mile range should be more than enough for daily driving, especially if they are still under warranty. These later cars – especially in flagship Tekna trim – have also aged somewhat handsomely in comparison to previous models.
