2012 Nissan Leaf: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2012 / nissan / leaf
known issues6 clusters (reviewed 2026-09-09)
complaints57 on file (2012-07-17 → 2026-02-21)
recalls0
investigations3
fars1 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Brake grab and pulsation at low speedSERVICE BRAKES7 complaints2016-03 → 2023-06nissan-leaf-2012-low-speed-brake-grab
  • 11454699 When applying the brakes at low speed the brakes grab suddenly causing the car to lurch to a stop. The problem is intermittent, and therefore difficult to predict, but occurs frequently
  • 11430817 As I am approaching a stop, and the car is under ~15mph, and I touch the brakes, the will grab strongly and slam the car to a stop; people in the car lurch forward, and the driver behind me is surprised by the sudden stop and has to slam on their brakes
  • 11150737 BRAKES GRAB AND LURCH THE CAR TO A STOP. THIS OCCURS ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEEDS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC AND THUS IS DANGEROUS. A DRIVER FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND WILL BE SURPRISED BY THE VERY RAPID DECELERATION
Brake lockup or failure to release during hard brakingSERVICE BRAKES13 complaints2012-07 → 2020-03nissan-leaf-2012-brake-failure-to-stop
  • 10980862 TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 NISSAN LEAF. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AS EXPECTED. THE CONTACT FULLY DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE ABS FAILED TO ACTIVATE AND THE VEHICLE STILL FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AS
  • 10522239 I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BEGAN A FAST REDUCTION IN SPEED. I RAPIDLY APPLIED MY BRAKES TO THE POINT OF FULL STOPPING POWER. SHORTLY AFTERWARD I RELEASED THE BRAKE AS I WAS CONFIDENT I WOULD NOT HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME
  • 10766695 THE CAR CONTINUES TO BRAKE EVEN AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL IS NO LONGER PRESSED. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE ABS KICKS IN. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AFTER SOMEONE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME
Battery charge indicator and range depletionELECTRICAL SYSTEM9 complaints2013-02 → 2025-01nissan-leaf-2012-battery-charge-range
  • 10663841 MY 2012 NISSAN LEAF HAS A BATTERY CHARGE INDICATOR ON THE DASH THAT DOES NOT TRULY REFLECT HOW MUCH ACTUAL DRIVING RANGE MILEAGE IS LEFT. IN FACT, IT IS SO FAULTY THAT IT IS REFERRED TO ONLINE AS THE GOM OR GUESS-O-METER
  • 11267582 SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR IT HAS NEVER GOTTEN A FULL CHARGE. EVEN WHEN I TURN OFF ALL THE TIMERS AND CHARGE FOR 2 DAYS I CAN ONLY GO 50 MILES TOPS AND THE POWER BATTERY BAR ONLY GOES TO 5 BARS
  • 11351811 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRIC BATTERY WAS UNABLE TO BE RECHARGED, MAKING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE
A-pillar blind spot obstructing forward visibilityVISIBILITY/WIPER2 complaints2015-04 → 2016-06nissan-leaf-2012-a-pillar-blind-spot
  • 10875872 NHTSA MUST PASS REGULATIONS REQUIRING VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS TO DRASTICALLY IMPROVE A-PILLAR OBSCURATION ANGLE! THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT OF MANY MODERN VEHICLES THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN MANY ACCIDENTS
  • 10705901 SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT IN MANY MODERN CARS - HUGE WINDOW PILLAR BLOCKAGE!!! I AM A RETIRED ENGINEER AFTER ALMOST 34 YEARS OF FEDERAL SERVICE FOR THE US ARMY MOSTLY AT FORT MONMOUTH NJ
Passenger seat airbag occupant sensor failureAIR BAGS10 complaints2014-08 → 2024-07nissan-leaf-2012-airbag-occupant-sensor
  • 11514951 The passenger occupancy sensor has failed and as a result the passenger airbag is now permanently off, as indicated on the console. The dashboard airbag and general error lights are now constantly flashing as well
  • 11193091 PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR (OCS) HAS FAILED. ONLY REPAIR OFFERED BY NISSAN IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE CUSHION SEAT ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES A SIDE AIRBAG AND SEAT HEATER, FOR OVER $4000 - THIS IS APPROXIMATELY THE VALUE OF THE CAR ON THE USED MARKET!
  • 11282156 WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES (CONTINUOUSLY FLASHING) AND CONTINUES TO FLASH WHILE DRIVING. ON 11/22/2019 THE NISSAN DEALER REPORTED THAT THE SEAT OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION MODULE HAS FAILED AND IS REPORTING A TROUBLE CODE B1018
Accelerator pedal sticking or unintended accelerationVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3 complaints2012-08 → 2021-08nissan-leaf-2012-accelerator-pedal-stuck
  • 11430524 multiple times when I have been driving, the accelerator pedal has stayed in the depressed position when I remove my foot from the pedal after going up to about 35 MPH When I brake, the accelerator pedal stays in the depressed position
  • 10508602 DRIVER AND DRIVER'S YOUNG CHILD WERE IN VEHICLE. THE DRIVER WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AND SLIGHTLY INCREASED SPEED TO CROSS INTERSECTION. ACCELERATOR PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN SHARP ACCELERATION AT FULL POWER TOWARDS THE NEXT INTERSECTION
  • 10468947 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WENT OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO A BUSH

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
572012-07-172026-02-2160SERVICE BRAKES:22; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:15; AIR BAGS:11; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:4; VISIBILITY/WIPER:3

Recalls all years →

none listed

Investigations all years →

action_numberstatussubjectcomponentsopenedclosedrecall_campaignsummary
DP19002closedFront Occupant Classification System MatAIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION2019-08-162019-10-16·A defect petition (see DP19-002) was received July 23, 2019 alleging that the occupant classification system (OCS) sensor (mat) in model year (MY) 2011 Nissan Leaf vehicles is defective and affects the proper deployment of the passenger front air bag. The petitioner provided a list of potentially related NHTSA reports and noted a Nissan recall involving later MY Leaf vehicles with OCS defect. NHTSA is granting the petition and opening a preliminary evaluation in response, please see PE19-015.Since receiving the defect petition, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has determined that the
DP22005closedPedestrian alert soundsELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM2023-01-272023-08-0722V063000NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc
PE19015closedFront Occupant Classification System MatAIR BAGS:FRONTAL2019-10-092020-06-01·Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 19-015 was opened as a result of Defect Petition (DP) 19-002 which alleged that model year (MY) 2011 and 2012 Nissan Leaf were affected by the same defect addressed in an earlier recall, NHTSA Safety Recall 16V-244, but were not included in the scope of that recall.NHTSA 16V-244 involved a defect in the Occupant Classification System, a system intended to suppress deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag under certain specific conditions. Although the DP19-002 analysis determined the allegation that earlier MY Leaf vehicles should have been included in 16V-244

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-20241legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2012 Nissan Leaf vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2012/nissan/leaf
@misc{wrenchpro_2012_nissan_leaf_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2012 Nissan Leaf},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2012/nissan/leaf}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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