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2012 Nissan Leaf
No recall campaign and 39 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 2012 Nissan Leaf.
The component named most often is service brakes: 383 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 55.5 per 1,000 across all 2012 model-year vehicles and against 319.8 per 1,000 for the Nissan Leaf line as a whole.
That is more than the average of 17.3 complaints per model year across the 15 Nissan Leaf model years on this register; 6 complaints reported a crash and 0 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2013 (12); the most recent in the file is dated 1 Apr 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 3 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
No NHTSA recall campaign names the 2012 Nissan Leaf. The page exists because 39 complaints do.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2012 Nissan Leaf (black) against all 2012 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2012 | Leaf line | All 2012 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 383 | 319.8 | 55.5 |
| Electrical System | 170.2 | 162.8 | 134.9 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 63.8 | 49.4 | 39.1 |
| Seat Belts | 63.8 | 17.4 | 14.2 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 63.8 | 29.1 | 18.7 |
| Air Bags | 63.8 | 127.9 | 113 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 18 | 383 | 319.8 | 55.5 |
| Electrical System | 8 | 170.2 | 162.8 | 134.9 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 63.8 | 49.4 | 39.1 |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 63.8 | 17.4 | 14.2 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 3 | 63.8 | 29.1 | 18.7 |
| Air Bags | 3 | 63.8 | 127.9 | 113 |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 42.6 | 64 | 60.4 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 2 | 42.6 | 26.2 | 24.2 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 21.3 | 2.9 | 24.5 |
| Equipment | 1 | 21.3 | 5.8 | 3 |
| Seats | 1 | 21.3 | 20.3 | 9.3 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 1 | 21.3 | 5.8 | 6.2 |
| Engine | 1 | 21.3 | 20.3 | 127.7 |
39 unique complaints, 47 component mentions; 6 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DP22005 | Defect petition | Pedestrian alert sounds | electrical system:propulsion system | 27 Jan 2023 | 7 Aug 2023 | 22V063000 |
| PE19015 | Preliminary evaluation | Front Occupant Classification System Mat | air bags:frontal | 9 Oct 2019 | 1 Jun 2020 | — |
| DP19002 | Defect petition | Front Occupant Classification System Mat | air bags:sensor:occupant classification | 16 Aug 2019 | 16 Oct 2019 | — |
Other Nissan Leaf model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 67 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 39 | — |
| 2013 | 5 | 60 | 4,509,888 |
| 2014 | 6 | 21 | 4,428,257 |
| 2015 | 4 | 48 | 3,468,187 |
| 2016 | 4 | 13 | 3,425,683 |
| 2017 | 2 | 4 | 124,381 |
| 2018 | 4 | 6 | 1,417,635 |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 | 1,443,339 |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | 220,816 |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 207,882 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 207,882 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 131,649 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 3,839 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Nissan Leaf model years · Nissan: 46 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2012 Nissan Leaf have?
0 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year. Across all model years the Nissan Leaf line has 20 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2012 Nissan Leaf?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 3 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2012 Nissan Leaf complain about most?
Service Brakes: 18 of 47 component mentions (383 per 1,000). Next is electrical system with 8. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.