Home · 2011 · Nissan

2011 Nissan Leaf Plus (60 Kwh Battery)

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

95 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 19, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Airbags problems dominate (37% of complaints, typically reported near 53k miles).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#82 of 333Among the 2011 models with a matured record, the 2011 Nissan Leaf Plus (60 Kwh Battery) ranks #82, scoring higher than 73% of them. See the 2011 ranking →

Complaint volume89
Severity82
Recall load100
Trend100

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20112025

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

5/5 overall

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2011 Nissan Leaf 5 HB FWD

Front crash
Side crash
Rollover

Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 11%

Stability control: StandardForward collision warning: NoLane departure warning: No

3 open NHTSA defect investigations on file, separate from the recalls above.

NHTSA crash-test photo, 2011 Nissan Leaf 5 HB FWD

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2011 Nissan Leaf Plus (60 Kwh Battery), plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miAirbags~53k mi · 35 reportsElectrical system~34k mi · 29 reportsFuel system~60k mi · 4 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Brakes (20) · Seats (7) · Speed control (5)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Airbags

37%

35 complaints · typically near 53k mi · 2 in the last 2 years

Air bag sensor fault, passenger seat warning on dashboard. Confirmed sensor failure at repair shop. Notified by Nissan that sensors are DISCONTINUED parts. No alternat…

Read the airbags complaints →

Electrical system

31%

29 complaints · typically near 34k mi

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 u…

Read the electrical system complaints →

Brakes

21%

20 complaints

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 t…

Read the brakes complaints →

Seats

7%

7 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

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 …

Read the seats complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

We can place 2 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.

Read all 95 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 5 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Nissan before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. Owners of this model report airbags problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 53k miles). Has this car shown any airbags symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. Owners of this model report electrical system problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 34k miles). Has this car shown any electrical system symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2011 Nissan LEAF PLUS (60 kWH BATTERY) beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2011? See how every Leaf Plus (60 Kwh Battery) model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2011 Nissan Leaf Plus (60 Kwh Battery) against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2011 Nissan Leaf Plus (60 Kwh Battery) as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.