Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Nissan Leaf owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
The brakes go from a soft braking to a jolting stop at speeds below 20 MPH. I have small children in the car, and their heads are being jolted around when the car brakes this way. I am concerned this will be a problem on slick roads and I'm worried about being rear-ended when it stops so suddenly. It does this everyday that I drive it, however the dealership can find nothing wrong with the car. Lately, the brakes have also been releasing when I'm trying to stop, giving the feeling that I May not get stopped in time. I would say it feels like the car cannot smoothly transition between regular and regain brakes. I have had it at the dealership twice, and they performed a software update that did not fix the problem. It is only getting worse. The car especially jolts when creeping forward at a light or into a parking spot. …
Intermittently, little or no braking force maybe be available when the car is put in gear after initial key-on following about 10 minute key-off after a 20-30 minute drive cycle. The fault is more likely to occur in warm weather. Pumping the brakes once before putting the car in gear will clear the problem. If the brakes are not pumped the car will continue to roll due to the residual torque from the electric drive that exists even when the accelerator is not depressed. I took the car to a Nissan dealer who charged $209 for analysis and to apply a, "software upgrade," to the car's computer system. It s not yet known if the software resolved the issue due to intermittent nature. This issue could pose a hazard for itinerant drivers of leafs without software upgrade because those drivers would not know brake pumping alleviates the problem. …
I was on the freeway traveling appropriately 65 MPH. The vehicle to the right and in front of me suddenly swerved in to my lane and braked hard in front of me. With no place to go on either side of me, I was forced to brake fast and hard. The ABS kicked in as expected but once I had decelerated to a point where I knew a collision was not imminent and took my foot off the brake, the car continued breaking very hard. It took the better part of a second with my foot now completely off the brake before the brakes actually released. In this time, the car behind me was not able to stop and hit me hard, causing injury to two people in the car who were not belted in. This accident would have been avoidable if the Leaf had not failed to decrease the braking effort when I released pressure and then ultimately took my foot completely off the brake pedal. …
When depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle goes from a soft braking to a jolting stop at speeds below 20 MPH. The vehicle jerks severly when braking and I am also very concerned this will be a problem on wet roads and I'm worried about being rear-ended as it stops suddenly. I experience this everyday that I drive it. Now, the brakes have also been releasing when I'm trying to stop at higher speeds, giving the feeling that I May not get stopped in time. And this is only getting worse. The car especially jolts when creeping forward at a light or into a parking spot. The releasing, where I felt like I could not stop the car, I have experienced recently also happened in the same situations. The car will also occasionally creep forward when the car was stopped, and the brake pedal is still depressed.
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.
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, [phone]) 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.
I have had the car into the dealer twice in the past 1 1/2 years to 'reprogram' the grabby brakes. They get very sensitive when braking below 25 MPH. They grab, let go, grab, and let go. I am now being told that it will cost me over $100 just for them to look at them a third time. I am tired of the bandaid approach and want it fixed but should not have to pay a penny for it. The car just turned 40,000 miles. I love it except this annoying and possibly dangerous braking problem.
I echo so many others who have had the experience of the brakes being out of one's control at low speeds. Instead of allowing for a smooth, slow deceleration, the brakes activate hard end end up jerking the car. There have been times when this has been really frightening. Enough people have complained about this that it should be looked into! It's hard to recall exactly the conditions under which this happens, because it's intermittent, but mostly at low speeds.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle. The contact sustained injuries that did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,060.
Brake complaints in other Leaf years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2011 Nissan Leaf?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 Nissan Leaf, 23% of the model year's 95 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2011 Nissan Leaf brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2011 Nissan Leaf. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Nissan Leaf brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 12,000 miles, and 62% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.