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Vehicle safety record

2012 Nissan Leaf Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 57 complaints about the 2012 Nissan Leaf with NHTSA, most often about the brakes (22) and the electrical system (15). Those complaints describe 6 crashes and 6 injuries. There are no recalls for it. For comparison, the 2011 has 95 and the 2013 has 81.

NHTSA data checked

CAbout as many problems as a typical Leaf year, for its age

#116 most complained-about 2012 vehicle

Complaints
57
Recalls
0
Crashes
6
Fires
0
Injuries
6
Deaths
0

Most common 2012 Nissan Leaf problems

Share of all 57 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

No recalls for the 2012 Nissan Leaf

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2012 Nissan Leaf. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.

What owners say

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57 complaints about the 2012 Nissan Leaf

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 3.

Electrical system

High voltage battery keeps shorting out stalling while driving on interstate almost got hit by 18 wheeler a few times it's a very unsafe car to drive and I keep smelling something like an odor from the battery I've been trying to get help to do the door ship Nissan consumer affairs and seem to be getting nowhere and they're letting me drive a car with a high voltage battery problem that obviously has a short in it help me

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11719541
Electrical system

Lithium batteries Depletion

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11635786
Airbags

Dealer is Mike Erdman Nissan Merritt Island Fl 32953 Airbag warning light flashing red on console. Paid $260 for diagnostic check on July 21, 2024. They cannot fix it as an airbag sensor on the passenger side seat is malfunctioning and the entire passenger side seat must be replaced and part is not available or is no longer in stock. They MAY be able to locate an entire seat Nissan Leaf 2012 somewhere, but if they do (and they said probably not) it will cost $4000.00. The seat is no longer made by Nissan and after...

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market seats would not meet safety standards (they said). There is a published complaint list of well over 2000 Nissan Leaf owners regarding 2011 and 2012 Leaf owners who say there should be a safety recall as this issue has been known by Nissan and the 2013 and later models had safety changes installed for this issue but no safety recall was made for 2011 and 2012 models. I believe a safety recall to fix this issue is imperative.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11603953
Airbags

My Nissan Leaf is showing a warning sign that front passenger side airbag is disabled. I see that this is a common complaint from many 2011-12 Nissan Leaf owners. I would like to add my name to the list of owners who had a similar complaint and please update if you make Nissan do a recall for this issue.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11541074
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

Car stops completely due to a defective battery should be recalled by dealer manufacturer

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11539574
AirbagsBrakes

The brakes on the vehicle jerk alot when going under 15, causing everyone in the vehicle to get jerked forward multiple times and are touchy resulting in almost being in an accident. Airbag sensor for front passenger also no longer works and Nissan refuses to repair any defect

Filed Incident Air bags · Service brakesNHTSA 11529118
Airbags

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. The dealer indicated the failure is the mat in the seat, OBD code B1018, and there is no repair for this failure. I see there are mutiple complaints online about this same problem on 2011-2012 LEAFs, and that NHTSA had opened an investigation. Do I have some recourse here? I am concerned to have people ride in the vehicle with no airbag.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11514951
Electrical systemAirbagsSeats & seat belts

I believe my newly purchased 2012 Nissan LEAF is suffering from the same passenger-side airbag faulty sensor problem that has been documented in NHTSA case id: 11234415. I am experiencing the same flashing warning lights when I operate the vehicle. There are no signs of damage or tampering with the passenger-side seat. I will do my best to make the vehicle available for inspection upon request. I am worried that the faulty senor, if unfixed, might be shutting off the whole airbag deployment safety system. If it...

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is doing that, Nissan MUST recall these vehicles for repair! A previous owner took the vehicle to the dealership that originally sold the car and their service center reported that the problem was a known issue. [NOTE: Date of Incident in this report refers to date of purchase of the vehicle, NOT the date that the problem began to occur. I do not have that information available to me.]

Filed Incident Electrical system · Air bags · SeatsNHTSA 11473743
Brakes

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. This behavior is an ongoing hazard to the driver and passengers while also increasing the risk of a rear end collision if someone is following too closely.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11454699
Brakes

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. I notice there are 2 campaigns for this issue, one just before my VIN, and one after my VIN, but it looks to be the same problem. It is dangerously strong and difficult to control.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11430817
Acceleration & cruise controlFuel system

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 and the vehicle resumes acceleration as soon as I remove my foot from the brake. Today the only way I was able to get it back to a normal position was to pull over and turn the car off.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11430524
Electrical systemHybrid & EV battery

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan leaf. The contact stated that the electric battery was unable to be recharged, making the vehicle inoperable. The contact stated that with the remaining charge in the battery, the vehicle was driven to the local dealer coral springs nissan located 9350 west atlantic blvd, coral springs, fl 33071, who diagnosed that the onboard charger was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,000.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Hybrid propulsion systemNHTSA 11351811
Brakes

On 3/3/20 I returned to allied park and fly lot in san juan. My car could not be driven from the lot, it had sudden failure of brakes. Car was towed to adriel nissan in toa baja, mar4, where it remains, unrepaired as of today. The dealer has not contacted me since 3/13, when it closed, under island covid 19 shutdown. Sudden failure of abs brake should not occur on a car with only 42,000 miles! I feel nissan should cover abs repair costs.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11319798
Electrical system

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan leaf. The contact stated that the battery box was severely corroded. The vehicle was taken to king windward nissan located at (45-568 kamehameha hwy, kaneohe, hi 96744, (808) 439-6901) and was informed that an inspection was performed and found ev battery case and bolts showed severe rust and that the mechanic was unable to remove bolts from the case. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 14,340. *Js

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11301191
Airbags

The airbag light is on, and the dealer has told us the entire front passenger seat will need to be replaced for $4,000 to fix the problem.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11286687
Airbags

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. The repair involves replacing the passenger seat cushion assembly at a cost of $3938. The cost to repair is a significant portion of the value of the vehicle. I understand that this is know issue with later my nissan leaf and is the subject of a recall.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11282156
Electrical system

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. I just bought this car and I'm scared to pay more for a new battery. As it might as well be purchasing a new car😭😥

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11267582
Airbags

B1018 passenger seat senosr needs replacement nissan says is not covered under there 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. Will cost $3900.00 To replace the passenger seat. What is covered under the air bag warranty? This is a major safety issue for me and my family.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11256669
Airbags

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! A similar failure for later model years (2013-2016) resulted in a mandatory recall. Using parts in a critical safety system that barely survive past the car warranty should be criminal.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11193091
Driver assistanceEngine & cooling

A case#33557927 was reported to nissan leaf consumer relation and a car was taken to a dealership at long beach nissan(phone #562-264-400) to report a batter that is not holding charge and recently the car begin to lurch forward. Nissan was able to reproduce the issue. Nissan corp should correct the battery and safety issue. So far, they have been professional and does not take any ownership to solve the problem. I request an email after the case was opened and they never send me the email. This issue involve...

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safety and battery not holding charge. The battery is still under defective warranty. Nissan wants to put the vehicle on public road that is not safe. Nhtsa board would agreed with me that nissan acted irresponsibly should they go forward with not fixing the batter and the car lurching forward issue.

Filed Incident Unknown or other · Electronic stability control (ESC) · EngineNHTSA 11174755
Brakes

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. It happens often, always at speeds below about 10 - 15 mph, but not every time I brake, and it is unpredictable. The problem has been widely reported on blogs. I have informed my nissan service department on many occasions. About 6 years ago nissan released a firmware patch, which was installed in my car. That did not fix the problem. The service department acknowledges the existence of the problem but doesn't have a solution. It's almost certainly a software/firmware issue.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11150737
Electrical system

Nissan leaf. Consumer writes in regards to a number of concerns: electronic key problems, failed night lights in the driver door controls and mileage issues. *Ld *js

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11111618
Electrical systemBrakes

This is an all electric vehicle. When applying the brakes at slow speeds the vehicle pulsates. This is a problem with the regenerative braking system since it doesn't happen when the vehicle is fully charged and not regenerating through the braking system.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Service brakesNHTSA 11112177
BrakesCrash2 injuries

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 expected. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The driver's side air bag deployed. The contact and the driver of the other vehicle suffered minor back pain, but no medical attention was required. A police report was...

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filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the contact's insurance company confirmed that the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure, although the contact had previously been in contact with them about similar brake issues. The manufacturer attempted to repair the vehicle. The contact was advised to file a complaint with nhtsa. The contact had not spoken to a nissan dealer, but notified another dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 72,264.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 10980862
Airbags

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan leaf. While starting the vehicle in a parking lot, the air bag indicator illuminated and continued to flash. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and the computer system was reset. The technician also diagnosed that the side air bag sensor and cushion needed to be replaced. The failure recurred two days later. The failure was not remedied. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,470.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 10959555

Nissan Leaf: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
201636411BrakesB
2015111480BrakesD
201434632BrakesB
2013815111BrakesC
201257060BrakesC
201195050AirbagsC
20101000BrakesA
All Leaf years

2012 Nissan Leaf vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2012 Nissan Leaf

Does the 2012 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2012 Nissan Leaf right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Nissan Leaf?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the brakes (22), electrical system (15), airbags (11).

How many complaints has the 2012 Nissan Leaf had?

57 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on July 17, 2012 and the latest on February 21, 2026. Of these, 6 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 6 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2012 Nissan Leaf a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 57 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Nissan Leaf year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Nissan Leaf years have the most complaints?

2019 (261), 2020 (168), 2015 (111). See every Nissan Leaf year compared.

What should I do if my 2012 Nissan Leaf has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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