2011 NISSAN LEAF — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
117
Owner Complaints
0
Recalls
26
Service Bulletins
1
Investigation
Overview of the 2011 NISSAN LEAF
The 2011 NISSAN LEAF has received a total of 117 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. 26 technical service bulletins have been issued by Nissan North America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (35 complaints), Electrical System (28 complaints), and Service Brakes (16 complaints).
Recalls for the 2011 NISSAN LEAF
There are no recalls on file with NHTSA for the 2011 NISSAN LEAF. No Active Recalls
Owner Complaints for the 2011 NISSAN LEAF
117 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2011 NISSAN LEAF. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulic | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Electric | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System12v24v48v Battery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
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 fix this is a full seat replacement, which is cost prohibitive at over $3000. Previously, a recall was issued for 2013-2016 LEAFs for a similar issue, but the 2011-2012 was not included in that recall.
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 fix this is a full seat replacement, which is cost prohibitive at over $3000. Previously, a recall was issued for 2013-2016 LEAFs for a similar issue, but the 2011-2012 was not included in that recall.
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 life left. How is Nissan allowed to discontinue supply of an essential safety component?
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 replacement with no ETA as the part is on back order. There is no option to simply replace the OCS alone and there is no workaround from Nissan to re-enable the passenger airbag without paying the $4k for the new seat. Opened a case with Nissan Consumer Affairs who advised they could do nothing for me. The repair is more expensive than the value of the vehicle. Because Nissan offers no workaround other than paying $4k for a new seat, consumers are incentivized to bypass the airbag sensor using a 3rd-party box (see here [XXX] rather than properly repair it. This is a safety issue and Nissan should do the right thing in making the repair affordable or making an official way to bypass the sensor/enable the airbags. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 replacement with no ETA as the part is on back order. There is no option to simply replace the OCS alone and there is no workaround from Nissan to re-enable the passenger airbag without paying the $4k for the new seat. Opened a case with Nissan Consumer Affairs who advised they could do nothing for me. The repair is more expensive than the value of the vehicle. Because Nissan offers no workaround other than paying $4k for a new seat, consumers are incentivized to bypass the airbag sensor using a 3rd-party box (see here [XXX] rather than properly repair it. This is a safety issue and Nissan should do the right thing in making the repair affordable or making an official way to bypass the sensor/enable the airbags. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Safety Rating for the 2011 NISSAN LEAF
The 2011 NISSAN LEAF received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2011 NISSAN LEAF
Nissan North America, Inc. has issued 26 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2011 NISSAN LEAF. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
NTB17-019H — VISIBILITY/WIPER
WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB12-014A — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2011 LEAF; SOFTWARE UPDATES Service Campaign ID # P1273 is no longer active. ï· Repair orders opened after this bulletinâs published date are no longer eligible for reimbursement under Campaign ID # P1273. ï· Discard all previous versions of NTB12-014.
NTB12-007A — STRUCTURE
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2011 - 2012 LEAF®; APRON LOWER BRACKET Service Campaign ID # P2501 is no longer active. ï· Repair orders opened after this bulletinâs published date are no longer eligible for reimbursement under Campaign ID # P2501. ï· Discard all previous versions of NTB12-007.
NTB11-038B — EQUIPMENT
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2011 LEAF®; VCM REPROGRAM Service Campaign ID # P1213 is no longer active. ï· Repair orders opened after this bulletinâs published date are no longer eligible for reimbursement under Campaign ID # P1213. ï· Discard all previous versions of NTB11-038.
NTB11-038B — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2011 LEAF®; VCM REPROGRAM Service Campaign ID # P1213 is no longer active. ï· Repair orders opened after this bulletinâs published date are no longer eligible for reimbursement under Campaign ID # P1213. ï· Discard all previous versions of NTB11-038.
NTB11-038B — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2011 LEAF®; VCM REPROGRAM Service Campaign ID # P1213 is no longer active. ï· Repair orders opened after this bulletinâs published date are no longer eligible for reimbursement under Campaign ID # P1213. ï· Discard all previous versions of NTB11-038.
NTB11-088c — EQUIPMENT
A/V CONTROL UNIT EXCHANGE AND MAP SD CARD REPLACEMENT This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB19-074 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2011-2012 LEAF; 24 KWH TYPE 1 BATTERY PACK GASKET INSPECTION SERVICE INFORMATION When servicing a 24 kWh Type 1 battery pack, the gasket between the upper and lower cases should be reused/reinstalled, unless it is visually damaged and/or fails the air leak inspection. ï· Only replace the battery pack case...
P7332 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Disabling the 2G TCU Voluntary Service Campaign ***** Campaign Summary***** Nissan is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign on certain specific 2011-2015 LEAF vehicles to disable (turn off) the 2G Telematics Control Unit (?2G TCU?). The subject LEAF vehicles are equipped with Continental GEN1 TCU devices transmitting at 2/2.5G (GSM/GPRS/UMTS) frequencies...
NTB14-059c — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2011-2017 LEAF; REPLACEMENT HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY PACK This bulletin has been amended. The Parts Information has been revised. No other changes have been made. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Showing 10 of 26 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2011 NISSAN LEAF
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation into potential safety defects in the 2011 NISSAN LEAF.
Investigation DP19002 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION Closed
Opened:
Front Occupant Classification System Mat
Other Model Years of the NISSAN LEAF
- 2010 NISSAN LEAF — 1 complaint
- 2011 NISSAN LEAF (current)
- 2012 NISSAN LEAF — 71 complaints
- 2013 NISSAN LEAF — 120 complaints
- 2014 NISSAN LEAF — 45 complaints
- 2015 NISSAN LEAF — 138 complaints
- 2016 NISSAN LEAF — 49 complaints
Other NISSAN Models
- NISSAN ALTIMA — 20,037 total complaints
- NISSAN PATHFINDER — 10,111 total complaints
- NISSAN ROGUE — 9,608 total complaints
- NISSAN MAXIMA — 8,834 total complaints
- NISSAN SENTRA — 8,129 total complaints
- NISSAN MURANO — 7,410 total complaints
- NISSAN VERSA — 4,436 total complaints
- NISSAN FRONTIER — 4,425 total complaints