YearToAvoid

2011 Nissan Leaf Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

60/100

#7 most-complained of 16 Leaf years

The 2011 Nissan Leaf has a Complaint Index of 60, ranking 7th worst out of 16 model years, with a Caution verdict. Airbags (37% of complaints) and Electrical System (31%) are the top problem areas, with no recalls filed for this year.

Complaints
95
Recalls
0
Crashes / fires
5 / 0
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
99
106 city / 92 hwy

Top 2011 Nissan Leaf problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags35 (37%)
  2. Electrical System29 (31%)
  3. Brakes22 (23%)
  4. Structure & Body10 (11%)
  5. Engine7 (7%)
  6. Fuel System5 (5%)
  7. Other5 (5%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain3 (3%)
  9. Steering1 (1%)

What owners report

  • Airbag warning light flashes and disables the passenger airbag intermittently, sometimes requiring the car to be power-cycled multiple times.
  • Passenger airbag shuts off with fault code B1018 even when an adult occupies the seat, and the code resets only temporarily.
  • Onboard charger reportedly released smoke and a burning-plastic smell into the cabin during 240V and 125V charging while the vehicle was parked and off.
  • Brake pedal reportedly failed to respond at low speed, leading to a collision, and other owners describe reduced brake feel returning slowly after hard braking.
  • Owners report reduced battery capacity and driving range after a software update intended to fix a battery/regen issue, with software updates described as making the problem worse.
  • One owner reported unexpected acceleration while parking that did not respond to braking.
2011 Nissan Leaf complaints: complaints filed per quarter162011 Q32013 Q22015 Q22017 Q22019 Q12020 Q32022 Q32025 Q2
117 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q3 to 2025 Q2; peak 2012 Q3 (16).

2011 Nissan Leaf recalls

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

2011 Nissan Leaf fuel economy and fuel cost

City
106 MPG
Highway
92 MPG
Combined
99 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$750
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Electricity
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2011 compared with other Leaf years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010No verdict010—
2011Caution6095099
2012Good4757099
2013Caution73815115

All Nissan Leaf years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Nissan Leaf reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2011 Leaf a Complaint Index of 60 and a Caution verdict, ranking 7th worst among 16 model years of the Leaf. Airbags and Electrical System issues make up most of the 95 complaints on file.
Does the 2011 Nissan Leaf have any recalls?
No. NHTSA lists zero recalls for the 2011 Nissan Leaf.
What is the biggest problem area for the 2011 Nissan Leaf?
Airbags account for 37% of complaints (35 of 95), with a median failure mileage of 59,100 miles. Electrical System issues follow at 31%, with a median mileage of 20,103 miles.
How does the 2011 Leaf compare to other Leaf model years?
The 2011 Leaf's Complaint Index of 60 is worse than 2012 (47), 2014 (33), 2016 (27), and 2017 (13), but better than 2015 (80), 2019 (100), 2020 (87), and 2022 (93).
What is the fuel economy of the 2011 Nissan Leaf?
EPA rates the 2011 Leaf at 99 MPGe combined (106 city, 92 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $750.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.