2011 Nissan Leaf Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Leaf years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 95 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Leaf. That ranks 5th out of 17 Leaf model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (35 complaints, 37%), typically at around 59,100 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 5 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 95owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 Nissan Leaf problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 35 | 37% | 59,100 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 29 | 31% | 20,103 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 17% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 7% | 49,672 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 5% | 25,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 4% | 59,150 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 4% | 2,960 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 4% | 41,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 3% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 3% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 2% | 14,175 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 2% | 900 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | 100 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 Nissan Leaf recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2011 Nissan Leaf.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
- Front Occupant Classification System Mat (PE19015) — opened Oct 9, 2019, closed Jun 1, 2020.
- Front Occupant Classification System Mat (DP19002) — opened Aug 16, 2019, closed Oct 16, 2019.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Car throws a B1018 DTC, which is for the passenger seat occupancy sensor. The seat occupancy sensor failing poses a major safety risk, as it causes the airbags to not deploy properly in the event of a crash. This is a very well known issue for the 2011-2012 LEAF, and the only option Nissan gives to…
Air bag sensor fault, passenger seat warning on dashboard. Confirmed sensor failure at repair shop. Notified by Nissan that sensors are DISCONTINUED parts. No alternative solution suggested. This means all airbags in this vehicle are disabled. Car has less than 40,000 miles and has years of service…
Please see thread: [XXX] My 2011 Nissan Leaf's OCS has failed randomly. I pulled the code via an Bluetooth OBD reader and the LeafSpy Pro app installed on my phone: B1018-00 09 AIR BAG Occupant Sens [Unit Fail] SRC-41. I took the car to a local dealership and was quoted over $4k for a full seat…
When applying brakes, at a point in the pedal travel the vehicle deceleration goes from too little to vastly too much. This makes the vehicle challenging to drive in traffic without colliding into the vehicle in front and not stopping so quickly as to cause the trailing vehicle to collide. The…
Supplemental air bag warning light started blinking on 9/24/2023. It blinks regardless of whether the front passenger seat is occupied. The OCS sensor for the passenger seat failed. This should have been covered by a recall. The dealer wants over $3,000.00 to replace the seat cushion. I declined…
Other Nissan Leaf years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Leaf | 2 | 2 |
| 2025 Leaf | 7 | 0 |
| 2024 Leaf | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 Leaf | 21 | 3 |
| 2022 Leaf | 96 | 4 |
| 2021 Leaf | 56 | 4 |
| 2020 Leaf | 167 | 6 |
| 2019 Leaf | 259 | 5 |
| 2018 Leaf | 67 | 4 |
| 2017 Leaf | 17 | 2 |
| 2016 Leaf | 36 | 4 |
| 2015 Leaf | 110 | 4 |
| 2014 Leaf | 34 | 6 |
| 2013 Leaf | 81 | 5 |
| 2012 Leaf | 57 | 0 |
| 2011 | 95 | 0 |
| 2010 Leaf | 1 | 0 |
See all Nissan Leaf problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Nissan Leaf?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, service brakes problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 35 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Nissan Leaf?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2011 Nissan Leaf a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Leaf model years, the 2011 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.