Nissan›Leaf›2012›Electric/nissan/leaf/2012/electric/

2012 Nissan Leaf

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2012 Leaf.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine Electric

The 2012 Nissan Leaf Electric is a passenger car powered by an electric engine, and within the model’s 2010–2025 complaint record it ranks as a relatively early but not anomaly-free entry. It generated 57 owner complaints, recorded zero recalls, and had service brakes flagged as the top complaint area—well above the line’s low of one complaint in 2010 but far below the 251 complaints logged for 2019. That places the 2012 Leaf in the lower-middle range of the nameplate’s reported-reliability history, making it a useful baseline for tracking how owner-reported issues evolved across later model years.

Model year2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2018 2017 2012

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque72-87 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

Tail / brake / turnSIDEOEM · verified

Tire sizeP205-55R16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Front wiper blades	288903NA0C alt 288903NA1B
Cabin air filter	272771FC0A

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	175.2 in
Overall width	69.7 in
Overall height	61 in
Wheelbase	106.3 in
Curb weight	3384 lb
Track (front / rear)	60.6 / 60.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	56/44

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent published road-test results.

9.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.60 sec — 2012 SL Hatchback

107 hpHorsepower (as tested)

187 lb-ftTorque (as tested)

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2012	SL Hatchback Elec 80-kW 24-kWh	9.60 sec	17.30 sec	107 hp	FWD
2011	SL Hatchback Elec 80-kW 24-kWh	9.40 sec	17.20 sec	107 hp	FWD
2011	SL Hatchback Elec 80-kW 24-kWh	9.70 sec	17.30 sec	107 hp	FWD
2011	SL Hatchback Elec 80-kW 24-kWh	10.00 sec	17.60 sec	107 hp	FWD
2011	SL Hatchback Elec 80-kW 24-kWh	10.00 sec	17.60 sec	107 hp	FWD
2013	SL Hatchback Elec 80-kW 24-kWh	10.20 sec	17.70 sec	107 hp	FWD
2016	SL Hatchback Elec 80-kW 30-kWh	10.40 sec	17.90 sec	107 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Torque lug nuts to 72-87 ft-lbs.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	Nissan CVT fluid NS-2
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	8.6
Automatic Transmission Fluid	Nissan Matic-S
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	1.3
Power Steering Fluid	EPS

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	72-87 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	133-136 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	.90 lbs
Oil Type	ND-11 or equivalent.
Oil Capacity	5.10 oz

Service checks

Radiator Cap Pressure Relief

Radiator leak pressure testing, 5 psi.

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	32 ft-lbs / 20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	62 ft-lbs / 122 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.04 in / 0.0014 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.63 in / 1.102 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.63 in / 1.102 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.551 in / 1.024 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the coolant at 125,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 125,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 6,000 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Steering System (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 30,000 mi	Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Exterior Lighting (inspect) · Headlamp (inspect alignment) · Radiator Cap (inspect) · Windshield Wiper Blade (replace)
At 125,000 mi	Hybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)
At 200,000 mi	Hybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2012 Nissan Leaf received 57 complaints, which is lower than the 95 complaints recorded for 2011 but higher than the single complaint filed for 2010. Recalls remained at zero for 2010‑2012, then rose to five in 2013 and fluctuated between four and six in the subsequent years shown. Investigations were steady at three for both 2011 and 2012, comparable to the four investigations in 2013 and the one‑to‑four range seen later. Technical service bulletins stayed elevated at 128‑130 for 2011‑2012, slightly above the surrounding years’ totals. Taken together, the 2012 model shows a moderate complaint level with no recalls, positioning it as a relatively stable early‑generation choice for a used purchase.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

128

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

6 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Overall★★★★★

Frontal★★★★★

Side★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’10 ’11’12’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’25

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 57 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes17

Electrical System9

Air Bags9

Visibility/Wiper3

Electrical System,Service Brakes2

Seat Belts2

Vehicle Speed Control2

Electrical System,Engine1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 128 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
NTB09-131C	2026-04-13	Structure	CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
NTB09-131C	2026-04-13	Structure	CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
NTB13-107G	2024-05-20	Electrical System	VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been…
NTB13-027D	2024-05-20	Electrical System	CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See…
NTB10-066C	2024-05-20	Electrical System	CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended…

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Leaf. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Front wiper blades 288903NA0C Cabin air filter 272771FC0A

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

Does the 2012 Leaf have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.