2011 Nissan Leaf
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Nissan › Leaf › 2011
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2011 Nissan Leaf. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
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)
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 dealer has confirmed the behavior. There is a TSB to supposedly address the problem, and a receipt is attached of that TSB software update being applied. However, this has not changed the behavior. This is at least partially a software issue, since the vehicle blends physical brakes with EV regenerative braking.
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 the repair. Dealer assured me that driver air bag isn't affected, so I'll operate the car without a front passenger. Dealer Estimate: Denied Repair Step Step Total: $3,687.14 Correction: inspected system, dtc b1018 for occupant sensor unit failure is present. Cleared dtc, when sitting in passenger seat, dtc came back on. Inspected continuity to passenger seat occupant sensor and found ok at this time. Diagnosis says replacement of passenger occupant sensor assembly (lower seat assembly) Labor: $588.00
Vehicle doesn't slow down when taking foot of the acceleration pedal. Same both power settings. It will continue to move at slow speed on level ground. It behaves as though the minimum pedal.motor speed is too fast. My concern.is that it might get very fast without any pedal. Thank you.
My airbag sensor light went off for no reason. I took it into the dealership and was told that it would cost $3,700 to get it repaired/replaced since the seat needs to be removed. I am concerned that this safety issue is not taken care of and have read that many 2011 Leaf's are having this same issue.
On 05/28/23 while i was trying to park my 2011 Nissan Leaf in a parking lot, the car accelerated unexpectedly and hit a pole and fence and scratched an already parked car. Applying break did not slow down my car. I own this car since 2011 and never had an experience like this.
The airbag warning light has come on. An independent shop and the dealer say the repair is $4500 or more -- greater than the value of the vehicle, because Nissan only sells the complete passenger seat as a repair part, and requires the airbag be paired with the car at the dealer. I ask that this situation be resolved by Nissan making just the seat cushion available as a repair part, as they have for recalls of airbags on other model year cars. The SAFETY problem is that Nissan's refusal to sell a repair part, leads to a FISCAL INCENTIVE TO BYPASS THE AIRBAG. See also NHTSA #: 08V-521
Air bag occupant sensor in front passenger seat failure causing air bag system shut off. DTC Code: B 1018 Description: Air Bag Occupant Sensor (Unit Fail). Well documented common failure of this critical safety component on the Nissan Leaf Forum. Sensor is not available to replace the defective part and a recall campaign was issued by Nissan, but doesn't cover 2011-2012 models. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The system scan revealed the DTC Code. Code returns after code clearing. Component has not been inspected by manufacturer. Air Bag Warning indicator lamp and Air Bag Off X 2 lamp illuminated.
Passenger airbag sensor is not working. When car is turned on and driving, the dashboard continually displays a red flashing warning light indicating an airbag malfunction. There is also a message that the passenger air bag is off. Newer Nissan Leaf models have had the same problem and have been recalled, but not the 2011 year. It should be recalled. Estimated cost to fix is $3000. Seat bottom was replaced in 2016.
Airbag light comes on when it should not. Vehicle disables the passenger airbag because it has code B1018. Airbag should not disable when an adult is sitting in the passenger seat. Code can be reset, but will come back any time someone sits in the passenger seat, regardless of size.
The air bag sensor unit failed. The car only has 5271 miles on it and it was stored in a warm garage since 2011. This failure isn't due to use so it must be a manufacturing defect.
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that the Telematics Control Unit, which locates the nearest charging station, was inoperable and could not be upgraded. Additionally, the 12 Volt battery would not charge, and the doors would not unlock to open. The windows would not roll up, and the gear shifter would not shift out of park into neutral. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. However, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was unavailable.
2011 nissan leaf vehicles IS defective and affects the proper deployment of the passenger front air bag. I have a faulty ocs system for the passenger air bag sensor and I will need to scrap the car rather than pay the 4-6 thousand dollar cost of a new passenger seat.m I have been able to reset the odbc code but now its not allowing me to do that anymore
When I accelerated from a stop on a city street to turn left on my way home the engine lost power even as I pushed the accelerated pedal more till the car almost stopped in the middle of the turn. Engine returned to normal acceleration power after I prepared to pull over out of traffic. No warning lights came on.
Passenger airbag sensor IS not working. When car IS turned on and driving, the dashboard continually displays a red flashing warning light indicating an airbag malfunction. There IS also a message continuously displaying that the passenger air bag IS off. Newer nissan leaf models have had the same problem and have been recalled, but not the 2011 year. It should be recalled. Estimated cost to fix IS $3000.
Airbag light flashing. Passenger air bags are disabled. Dealer fix IS a need a new passenger seat at a cost of $3,000+. Current fault code IS b1018. Occupant sensor unit fail. Seat IS perfect and no one sits on it - it just stopped working. this IS a known iissue
2011 nissan leaf has code b1018 occupant sens(unit fail) following a cup of water spilled on front seat. vehicle was stationary at time. only proposed remedy IS to replace front seat and sensor for ~$2,624. 2013-2016 leaf were recalled nhtsa campaign number 16v244000; please expand recall to 2011 & 2012 nissan leaf.
Airbag light flashing. passenger air bags are disabled. Dealer fix IS a need a new passenger seat at a cost of $3,000+. Current fault code IS b1018. occupant sensor unit fail. no damage to seat or cushion. it just stopped working. Safety issue. safety recall should be implemented.
I recently purchased a 2011 nissan leaf vehicle from a private party. I quickly noticed that my battery capacity was at 5 bars and the vehicle has 73300 miles. I also noticed the EV system warning light was on. I took the car to my local nissan dealer and let them know that I was going to need a new battery but wanted to know the history of the vehicles battery because I believe that the degradation of the vehicles battery would fall into the severe category and because the vehicle was in between owners at the time no one took it in for a battery replacement. Currently in 2020 the 2011 vehicle IS at 5 bars meaning that if the battery only lost one bar in the last year the battery would have to have lost more than 50% capacity within the timeframe that it would have been covered under the 8 yr/100,000miles extended warranty. They would not provide me with any vehicle battery information although the representative of the dealer did confirm that the warranty would have been in effect last year. They then quoted me $6600 for a battery replacement. After researching I found a letter from nissan which states that the vehicle warranty would be effective for 2011 models with implementation starting sometime in spring of 2013. Nissan so far IS not willing to repair the battery or assist in the repair although the warranty would have covered this issue. The vehicle has come close to turning off while I've been on the road. I am afraid of my cars battery dying while I'm on the road. It's my only vehicle. *tr
Air bag light flashes indicating air bag system inoperative. it can be reset by recycling the car on/off 3 time within certain time limits. the light starts flashing again within about 5-20 miles of driving. same problem on other nissan leafs that were previously recalled. nissan dealer wants $250 and change to diagnose the problem and then tell me what the solution IS, but everybody already knows the solution in a few thousand dollars to replace the passenger seat and sensor. the nissan customer affairs office insists that I pay the diagnosis fee despite the fact that the dash board light already diagnoses this problem, which along with the know history of nissan leaf clearly points to the known problem. nissan customer affairs says "we will consider good will assistance" - after I pay the diagnosis, but later in the call noted that the car IS out of warranty so it IS clear no good will assistance IS being considered. The dealer service manager (hayward) tells me that he has had a number of leafs in with the airbag light flashing and it could be "anything from a loose connector to the wiring harness," which interestingly IS a set of possibilities that excludes the sensor/seat replacement which IS the well known fix. This IS a safety issue that IS nissan's responsibility. please recall this vehicle. thanks.
The brakes malfunction at low speeds, but are not included in a recall program. Nissan has not helped and does not respond to emails or questions on twitter. At low speeds the brakes will sporadically engage and disengage with regenerative braking enabled. They will sometimes catch which causes sudden stopping or skidding in hazardous conditions. They will also not engage until they are pressed extremely hard which will also cause sudden braking and can be hazardous in traffic or hazardous conditions. I've been attempting to reach nissan to resolve the issue, but they do not respond. This IS an ongoing issue that makes the vehicle dangerous to drive at times.
Passenger air bag has shut off. dealer ran a diagnostic test and said I need a new passenger seat at a cost of $3,182. current fault code IS b1018.
TL* the contact owns a 2011 nissan leaf. While driving 55 mph down a mountain, there was insufficient braking ability and the vehicle was uncontrollable. Additionally, the hill descent assist failed to engage. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to valley nissan of staunton (297 lee jackson hwy, staunton, virginia 24401, (540) 213-9600) where it was diagnosed that the regenerative braking was not responsive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The contact stated that additional testing should be performed on electric vehicles. The failure mileage was 30,000.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
NHTSA 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 March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
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 was not founded, the Office of Defects Investigation nonetheless granted the petition and commenced this investigation into the 2011 and 2012 Leaf since OCS failures were reportedly occurring in these vehicles. Further details on DP19-002 can be found at NHTSA.gov.On October 25, 2019, ODI sent an information request letter to Nissan North America (Nissan) requesting pertinent information on the subject 2011 and 2012 Leaf. Nissan provided its response on December 13, 2019. ODI has reviewed the information Nissan provided as well as new reports submitted to NHTSA's Vehicle Owner Questionnaire database. Based on review of all available information, and at this time, ODI has identified evidence supporting that a total of 76 subject vehicles likely experienced a failure of the subject passenger seat OCS mat. The count represents an incidence rate of about 0.4% on subject vehicles that average 8 to 9 years in service.Consistent with Nissan's explanation of how the subject OCS was intended to function, ODI's review of the reports indicates that when an OCS mat failure occurs, two different warning indicators appear on the instrument panel. The warnings provide clear and unambiguous notice to occupants that an OCS problem has been detected, and the owner's manual provides further information regarding the meaning and consequences of the detected failure, as well as advice to seek service. Additionally the OCS will store a diagnostic trouble code to aid service technician diagnosis, and the occupant warnings remain present until the underlying failure has been corrected.In its responses to ODI, Nissan also provided its assessment of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles, stating that it does not believe that an unreasonable risk to safety exists. Nissan states that its assessment of failed OCS mats recently collected from the field showed that external factors (e.g., damage from foreign objects) were responsible for the failures, rather than a design or manufacturing defect. Nissan also cited clear visual warnings and low incidence rates occurring in comparatively older vehicles as factors in its determination that a recall was not warranted. Lastly Nissan noted that most of the complaints received for this issue involved a high customer expense for the cost of repair for the OCS system, which is consistent with ODI's observations. Nissan is apparently considering a reduction in repair part cost as a means to address the customer satisfaction aspect of these complaints.Based on the analysis conducted, this investigation will be closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. NHTSA reserves the right take additional actions if warranted by future circumstances.The 20 ODI numbers cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following identification (ODI) numbers:11176324, 11193091, 11286687, 11290303, 11152569, 11207486, 11180021(duplicate of 11103556), 11103556, 11196006, 11287002, 11101830, 11193208, 11256669, 11172159, 11282156, 11102456, 11123812,
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 MY 2011 and 2012 Leaf share a common OCS design, both using the same sensor mat for passenger presence sensing. Starting in MY 2013, Leaf OCS was changed to a design using a different sensing system, one that did not use the mat present in prior model year, Nissan Leaf. While MY 2013-2016 Leaf vehicles were recalled for an OCS defect under recall 16V-244, a recall influenced by ODI investigation EA15-004, earlier MY Leaf vehicles were not included because they were not affected by the particular defect involved in that recall.ODI identified and reviewed 13 vehicle owner questionnaire (VOQ) reports in its database, one of which is a duplicate, involving MY 2011 and 2012 Leaf vehicles that allege a problem with the OCS. The VOQs indicate that an OCS warning light illuminated at which point the vehicle was diagnosed and it was determined the sensor mat was the cause of the OCS problem. Most of the VOQs also noted the high cost of repair, which apparently involves replacement of the passenger front seat, according to complainants. None of the VOQs allege a problem with the performance of the passenger air bag, an injury, or a fatality due to the failure of the OCS.During the evaluation of this petition, ODI did not request information from Nissan regarding the complaint data in its possession, and accordingly the manufacturer complaint counts shown above are marked as not applicable. ODI will request this information during the upcoming investigation.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following identification (VOQ) numbers: 11234415, 11207486, 11196006, 11193208, 11180021, 11176324, 11172159, 11152569, 11123812, 11103556 (duplicate of 11180021), 11102456, 11101830, 11052546.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.