2025 Nissan LEAF SV
Electric Hatchback · FWD
Based on battery health, build quality, owner data, EPA range, and market pricing
Above average for 2025 EV Hatchbacks (class avg 65 · top 35%)
Personalize this scoreIs a low score bad?
Last scanned 33 days ago
The 2025 Nissan LEAF SV is rated at 214 hp, 212 miles of EPA range and a 56 kWh battery, and plan around the short range and check that home and route charging cover daily use.
Score read
A 67/100 makes this worth comparing, not chasing. Build quality score is the cleaner read at 96/100; range and efficiency score needs more diligence at 34/100. Reddit threads cluster around software tech and battery degradation — verify both against the service records. Use the inspection to confirm the score is not hiding deferred maintenance.
Price context
This trim started from $36,190 new. Used examples have come down since launch, but pricing varies by miles, condition, and how the model is moving right now; pull a current KBB Fair Purchase, an Edmunds True Market Value, or an active dealer listing for this exact trim, and anchor your offer there. Walk if the seller will not move off new-car-style pricing.
Who this is for
✓ Good for
- ⏱ Daily commuter ≤50 mi/day, predictable charging
✗ Avoid if you are a
- ☷ Family hauler 3+ kids, cargo, towing
- ↦ Road tripper Long trips, needs DC fast network
- $ Bargain hunter Best TCO, reliability + low depreciation
Gotchas
- Built in Range is the easy place to overbuy this trim (34/100).
Mitigation Check your commute, winter margin, and fast-charge plan before you assume the EPA number fits your use.
- Verify Current market pricing is not confirmed well enough for this trim.
Mitigation Compare KBB, J.D. Power, and live listings for the same trim before treating price as a buying signal.
Pre-purchase inspection
- 1 Compare the dashboard range estimate with the EPA 212-mile rating after a full charge.
- 2 Confirm how much of the 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty remains and whether it transfers.
- 3 If road trips matter, run a short DC fast-charge session and watch whether speed tapers normally.
- 4 Map your normal highway route and winter margin against the EPA range before you treat it as a road-trip car.
- 5 Review title, service history, tire condition, and charging-equipment records before final price.
No recall records in this scan That helps the shortlist, but it does not replace a VIN lookup, battery report, and service-history check.
Complaint context This scan found 6 NHTSA complaint records (0.9 per 10K VINs, low for any vehicle class). Read the themes below before treating the raw count as the verdict.
Price anchor Current market range is $24,410-$29,280. Use that range to compare listings for the same trim, mileage, and condition.
Pricing & Market Value
Score Breakdown
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Vehicle Specifications
Charging infrastructure note
CHAdeMO DC fast charging is being phased out across major US networks. Verify local availability before purchase, and plan primarily on Level 2 home charging.
EVs at your price point that match or beat this trim
Price-gated peer set: vehicles within $21.5K–$32.2K market value (±20% of $26.8K). 0 outscore · 0 score within ±2. Mixed across makes — no "spend more, score better" comps.
No EVs in TrimIndex's database currently trade within ±20% of $26.8K with a score equal to or higher than this trim. Check back as our coverage expands, or see the full make / model index for broader comparisons.
The federal $4,000 used-EV credit ended Sept 30, 2025.
But 10 states still run their own used-EV rebate programs — some up to $5,000. Pick your state to see what's available for this trim.
Source & disclaimer
Dealers make ~$8,463 on the average car loan.
After the price is set, the finance manager runs four plays to rebuild margin. Every buyer without a pre-approval is a target. Here's exactly what they run — and what stops each one.
78% of dealer loans carry a hidden +1.13% markup above what the lender actually charges. You never see it — it's buried in the contract. · CFPB
Dealer must match or beat your lender — they can't add margin invisibly. The markup play is dead on arrival.
Once you answer, they stretch the term to hit your number. Median result: $4K less off the price, 12 more months on the loan. · Industry avg
Financing is done. Only the sale price is on the table — and the dealer knows it.
Back-office F&I profit averages $1,975/vehicle, up 8.5% YoY. These products exist — but dealer markup is 4–10x what you'd pay elsewhere. · Dealership Guy
Dealer GAP runs $500–1K. Your insurer sells the same coverage for $100–250 over 5 years. Now you know.
"Your loan fell through — come re-sign." This pulls your APR up +5% on average. It's legal. It works because you've already driven the car home. · Ctr for Responsible Lending
A lender commitment letter means the deal is final. "Pending dealer approval" doesn't apply. You can't be yo-yo'd.
That's 21 months of your car payment — handed to the dealer's finance department for nothing.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation to use it — but you'll walk in with all the leverage.
Pre-approval is a soft credit inquiry — no score impact. FICO treats all auto-loan hard pulls within 14 days as one, so you can still shop rates at the dealer.
NHTSA Recalls (0)
NHTSA Complaints (6 total · 0.9 per 10K US vehicles · low for any vehicle class)
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
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
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the message "Service EV" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled for the following day. The contact stated that while driving into the dealer parking lot, the audible warning "Caution Fire" activated. The contact immediately parked the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,750.
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the message "Service EV" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled for the following day. The contact stated that while driving into the dealer parking lot, the audible warning "Caution Fire" activated. The contact immediately parked the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,750.
when level 3 charging the cabin will fill with visible smoke every other time roughly. i have woken up from naps coughing and pressure in my head
when level 3 charging the cabin will fill with visible smoke every other time roughly. i have woken up from naps coughing and pressure in my head
When the outside temperature is below freezing, the heater runs for about 10 minutes and then starts blowing nothing but cold air. This is not just an inconvenience and discomfort, but leads to distracted driving which could result in an accident. Lately the temperature has sometimes dipped below 0 degrees F, and the car is almost undrivable. This problem has been widely discussed on the Leaf owners' forum online and was just acknowledged by my service representative at Valley Nissan in Longmont, CO. There were no warning lamps or other indications of the problem before or after.
When the outside temperature is below freezing, the heater runs for about 10 minutes and then starts blowing nothing but cold air. This is not just an inconvenience and discomfort, but leads to distracted driving which could result in an accident. Lately the temperature has sometimes dipped below 0 degrees F, and the car is almost undrivable. This problem has been widely discussed on the Leaf owners' forum online and was just acknowledged by my service representative at Valley Nissan in Longmont, CO. There were no warning lamps or other indications of the problem before or after.
Door latch hits door striker
Door latch hits door striker
Leased new vehicle, after approximately 900-miles, started to hear knocking sounds during acceleration and deceleration. Checked wheel lug nuts and all were loose and passenger side wheel lock was missing. Torque spec at factory needs to be reviewed. Contacted the dealership, Tynan’s Nissan in Aurora, CO.
Leased new vehicle, after approximately 900-miles, started to hear knocking sounds during acceleration and deceleration. Checked wheel lug nuts and all were loose and passenger side wheel lock was missing. Torque spec at factory needs to be reviewed. Contacted the dealership, Tynan’s Nissan in Aurora, CO.
What Owners Are Saying
"Bought a 2023 Leaf S! Bought a 2023 Leaf S in DFW Metroplex area for USD 30.5 K (after a $500 new graduate rebate). Scanned every Nissan dealer in 250+ mile radius and landed on Grubbs Nissan. They had one that they were willing to negotiate. Saw a lot of bait and switch deals (looking at you - Clay Cooley) that frustrated/disappointed me. Before relocating to DFW, I had a 2017 Nissan Leaf S in Seattle - bought used for 11K in 2020 and sold it to Carvana (bless their aggressive, but costly market expansion approach) for 16K (10 bars) in Jul 2022. I waited for the crazy market to subside.. but took the plunge before the $7500 credit expires this Dec. Very happy with the new model; build quality is fantastic - the door closes with a thud! Looking forward to many years of fun and hassle-free ownership! One quick question - Unlike 2017, where ePedal was sorta enabled in B mode, in the 2023 model I have to explicitly enable it for every drive. Is there a menu/setting that makes it default? Thanks for reading!"
"I became a Nissan Leaf owner (newbie in EV world) Bought it 6500 EUR in East Europe (they actually maintain very high prices compared to US) it has 8 bars and 109 kms range after a full charge (ECO MODE) in real life it would be about 90kms range, just the perfect daily commuter and so cute car! Happy to be part of this family! Cheers! 😍🚙🌿♻️"
"What a beauty 😍 Yes, they are worth a lot more here in Europe. The only other option in this price range is the Renault Zoe. But they usually have rental batteries at €50+ a month and are not nice cars compared to the Leaf."
"I’m am glad the solution is finally being developed for those who are affected by the recall and now have the ability to Direct Current Quick charge. Can you provide the times it takes to charge from 10% to 80%, 10% to 100%, 1% to 80% and 1% to 100% too? It will be interesting to find out if the changes in the charging curve are in line with the advertised times in the owners manual. I would also like to know if you can use provide those times and peak charging kW rates at a 100 kW charging station too. For reference My USA 2024 Nissan Leaf SV Plus peaks at a 80 kW charging rate at a 100kW capable charging station and takes between 30 to 45 minutes to go from 10% to 80% depending on the outside and battery temperature when charging started."
"2022 Nissan Leaf Recall R25C8 — Battery Defect, Software “Fix,” and My Buyback Process (Templates Included) I’m sharing this in case it helps other Leaf owners dealing with Recall 25V655 / Nissan Campaign R25C8. I own a 2022 Nissan Leaf in a state with weak lemon laws. The new recall says the battery may develop excessive lithium deposits inside the cells, which increases resistance and can lead to rapid heating during Level 3 charging. Nissan’s instructions say not to use Level 3 charging at all until the “remedy” is done. However, Nissan’s own recall documents confirm the remedy is software only. It doesn’t repair the defective battery cells. The software simply monitors for “state of charge fluctuation” and may disable the vehicle from restarting or recharging if it detects the defect beginning to manifest. That's not a repair and doesn't fix the underlying issue, just potentially leaves you stranded when the car refuses to charge or restart. Since this fundamentally affects the car’s usefulness, I filed a case with Nissan requesting a repurchase or replacement. I’ve also filed an NHTSA complaint and will file with BBB Autoline if Nissan denies the request. I wanted to share some templates and scripts if anyone else is frustrated with Nissan here. **NHTSA Complaint:** The high-voltage battery on my 2022 Nissan Leaf is subject to Recall 25V655. The recall notice states that the battery cells can develop excessive lithium deposits, which increases electrical resistance and can cause rapid battery heating during Level 3 fast charging. Nissan instructs owners not to use Level 3 charging at all until a “remedy” is available. The issue is that the remedy described by Nissan is not an actual repair of the battery defect. Nissan states it will install software that monitors for “state-of-charge fluctuation” and, if detected, will prevent the vehicle from restarting or recharging in order to avoid a thermal incident. This means the defect inside the battery cells is still present, and the car may disable itself if the defect begins to appear. The recall materials also state there is no warning before overheating occurs. This creates multiple safety concerns: • The underlying battery defect remains uncorrected. • The vehicle can become immobilized (unable to restart or recharge) if the software detects the condition. • Loss of Level 3 charging capability affects the ability to travel safely or plan charging when needed. • A battery fire risk exists during Level 3 charging if the defect is not detected in time. Nissan’s documents state that the software is meant only to prevent the “progression” of a thermal incident, not to repair the defective battery. I am concerned that my vehicle contains a known hazardous defect that has not been physically repaired and that the software-only response is inadequate to ensure safety. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA is aware that the remedy being offered does not address the internal battery defect"
"Just bought a 2021 Leaf from Carvana… normal range behavior or did I buy a problem? \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Update Hi guys! Thank you so much for all the advice and insight about my 2021 Nissan Leaf. I really appreciated how helpful and knowledgeable this community was. After weighing everything (and with the active recall + charging concerns), I called Carvana and scheduled a return. The best part? I don’t even have to stress about driving it back. They’re picking it up from my house. Huge re-Leaf! I’m going to take some time to shop around and do a little more homework on recall history, battery info, and real-world owner experiences before jumping into another EV. Silver lining: I’ve learned *a lot* about EVs in the past few days and now know every public charging station in my town 😅 So not a total loss. Thanks again, r/leaf. Y’all are awesome. \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Hey everyone. I’m hoping for some insight from experienced Leaf owners. I picked up a 2021 Nissan Leaf from Carvana on Saturday. It only has about 20k miles on it, so I felt pretty good about the purchase. Carvana passed it to me with a 20% charge. I live about 45 minutes away and had to take a 65mph highway home. Before leaving Carvana, I found an EVgo fast charger about half a mile away at a hotel. By the time I got there, the battery had already dropped from 20% to 10%. I downloaded the app, read the manual, and after a few tries got it charging. Sat there about an hour and a half and got it to 60%. Based on the estimated range, I thought I’d be fine to get home and charge in my garage. About 30 minutes into the highway drive, I looked down and it was already at 20%. That definitely got my attention. I pulled off and found another charger, brought it up to 40%, and figured I only had about 10 more minutes of highway before I’d be back in town. I drove the whole trip in Eco mode and used e-Pedal the entire time. I was a afraid to use the heater incase that would drain the battery further. I made it home at 12%. Then things got weirder. The included charger is a Nissan Zero Emission Model 296900. It doesn’t have a NEMA adapter, but my garage has a 240V 50A outlet that it physically plugs into. When I plug it in, though… nothing lights up. No indicators. The Leaf says it’s plugged in but it doesn’t charge. I checked the breakers. Same result. I’ve ordered a new charger, but it won’t arrive until Thursday. My brother-in-law gave me a multimeter and I’m planning to test the outlet after work to rule that out. Unfortunetly, I don't have another plug to test it on. My dryer's plug is an entirely different shape. In the meantime, I took it to a local charger and got it up to 80% yesterday. Yesterday I drove about 15 miles total around town running errands and it lost about 18% charge. What’s confusing me is that the battery health bars (the 12 capacity bars on the right side of the dash) show full all 12 bars. So ac"
"I've also just learned that EVGo has blacklisted the leaf which is major ammo. Here is an addition to the script to accommodate that: I also want to note that EVgo, one of the largest fast charging networks, is refusing to initiate fast charging sessions for Nissan Leafs because of this defect. This means Level 3 charging is unavailable not just because Nissan told me to stop using it, but because charging networks themselves are blocking my vehicle. That is a direct and substantial loss of use and value."
"Tried all this, with similar wording, up to _and including_ the BBB Auto Line complaint. Was given a $250 service department gift card, then flatly denied any further remedy by Nissan, then by BBB. Then, for good measure, a few weeks later when I had just about forgotten it, Nissan called me back to re-iterate that any further remedy was denied. Unbelievable."
Showing 8 of 35 owner excerpts (sorted by sentiment strength)