When moving the vehicle out of park you must depress the brake pedal. I've had 3-4 times where as soon as the gear selector moves to "d" the brake pedal softens and sinks in and the car rolls forward until the brakes engage. I took it to the dealer and they could not duplicate the problem and won't do anything about it. So far I've had time to stop before hitting the car in front of me but I'm…
2012 Nissan Leaf brakes problems
severe 17 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
17
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
3crashes
5injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 17 brakes complaints filed for the 2012 Nissan Leaf, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Brakes accounts for 30% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 6 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA brakes complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 11 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
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…
The car continues to brake even after the brake pedal is no longer pressed. This happens when the ABS kicks in. I had to slam on the brakes after someone pulled out in front of me. I did not want to completely stop as I could have been rear ended but the car continued to apply full brakes even when I no longer wanted to stop and no longer pressed the brake. This has happened 4 times total, always…
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…
Had brakes trouble with your 2012 Nissan Leaf?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the brakes problem on the 2012 Nissan Leaf?
It's a meaningful issue. 17 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $450.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Across the 12 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most brakes failures cluster between 10,000 and 50,000 miles, with the median around 25,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 10,000; a quarter make it past 50,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $450 for brakes repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2012/Nissan/Leaf.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.