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Nissan Leaf abs comes on

50 of the 1,121 owner complaints about the Nissan Leaf describe aBS light or ABS activating, most of them for the 2015 model year.

owner complaints
50
worst model year
2015
typical repair cost reported
$2,600
typical mileage
32,500
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

Often reported together

Brake failure 21Grinding brakes 5Warning lights 4Power windows 1Knocking 1Check engine light 1Battery drain 1

Trouble codes mentioned

C118A 4U1000 2C1A61 2U110D 1P3195 1B29C1 1

What owners say

Filed Sep 1, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · WA

The electrically-driven intelligent brake unit failed on my 2015 Nissan Leaf. The brakes became inoperative: when pressing the brake pedal there is a loud compression/grinding noise and the pedal goes nearly to the floor with little braking force. The failure appeared suddenly after charging the vehicle; it had been working normally before. The vehicle had to be towed to a Nissan dealership. The dealer diagnosed codes U1000 and U110D stored in the ABS module for lost communication with the intelligent brake module, performed an inspection, and confirmed the intelligent brake unit failed. The dealer quoted $5,131.10 to replace the unit, which approaches the value of the vehicle. This is the same electrically-driven intelligent brake system that was the subject of safety recall 16V119000; the federal safety agency VIN lookup shows zero unrepaired recalls for this vehicle, indicating the recall remedy was previously completed, yet the unit failed catastrophically anyway. This failure mode is widely reported by other Leaf owners. Loss of braking without warning is a serious safety risk. The vehicle and failed component are available for inspection at the dealership.

Filed Aug 6, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · NC

The car was parked in a parking lot, and when we turned it on and pulled out of the space, the brake light, ABS light, and other warning lights came on and the brakes went soft. We pulled back into the space and tried again, thinking it was a fluke and heard a strange noise coming from the car when it started. Again the lights came on and the brakes did not work. We had it towed to our normal mechanic and then to the dealership when the mechanic was unable to figure out what was wrong. The brakes looked to be in good repair. The Nissan dealership was unable to reproduce the problem and found only old codes in the system. The codes listed on the receipt were FFD high key cycle counts, C118A, U1000 (ABS, EV/HEV), P3195, B29C1 However, after I saw similar complaints related to the battery in this car and told them about it, they found that the 12V battery was leaking. They replaced the battery and flushed the brake line to be safe, but did not charge us the diagnostic fee since they were unsure if they fully fixed the issue. I had recently felt like the brakes took more pressure than normal (all the way to the floor) to stop on the highway once recently and so did my husband but we both thought we were imagining things. 2 years ago we had a similar issue happen but the mechanic just sent us back home after not being able to find anything. The codes on the receipt from 2024 are not very legible but I think they say "41000Gn Comm Circuit" "C118A EAS System" and "41100 Electronic Back Return."

Filed Jul 31, 2026 · Brakes · OH

vehicle was being driven like normal with no warning lights or icons. vehicle was bring driven at 35 miles an hour when suddenly the ABS fault message appeared on the dash, the dash started beeping and brakes became very hard to press.

Filed Apr 21, 2026 · Brakes · CA

I was driving on city streets at 25 mph or less, using the Nissan Leaf e-pedal system (which automatically slows the car to a stop when you let off the accellerator), when an alert flashed up on my dashboard, saying something like: “e-pedal system disconnected, use brake pedal to stop”. There was also a check engine light and an ABS warning indicator on. When I pushed down on the brake pedal I felt no resistance and no braking action. When I put the brake pedal to the floor, there was a vibration and a little bit of braking, but somewhat ineffective. I drove slow speed to a safe place to stop, and turned the car off. After calling for a tow, I turned the car back on and the brake system functioned normally. I had the car towed to a Nissan Dealership service department. The dealership read code C118A-97 stored as a “past code”. They erased the codes and performed DTC confirmation procedure and code did not return. Dealership service department road tested vehicle and no signs of malfunction. They inspected brake fluid level, level was normal but was dirty. I authorized service department flush and replace the brake fluid, which they did. They again road tested the vehicle, and I picked up the vehicle later.

Filed Dec 11, 2025 · Brakes · IL

Was driving the car in a neighborhood setting only going 20 mph, ABS light turned on the dashboard, traction control light or some other light regarding traction came on as well, brakes failed. Had to use parking brake to stop the vehicle.

Filed Jul 24, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · ME

My Intelligent Brake Unit failed. I was slowing down at a major intersection to stop. The ABS system activated and the brakes did not respond appropriately. The pedal went soft. Multiple lights on the dashboard lit up. My two year old child was in the vehicle with me, and we are still recovering from this traumatic experience. I considered the car disabled and had it towed to a mechanic. I then brought it to a Nissan dealership who identified that the entire intelligent brake unit needs replacing for $5,500, which is more than half of what I paid for the vehicle.

Filed Jan 14, 2025 · Brakes · WA

I was driving my vehicle and the brakes suddenly stopped working. Upon failure, the ABS warning light as well as the braking system warning lights came on. I had to use my emergency brake to stop the vehicle. I had my vehicle towed to Nissan. The Nissan dealership mechanic said it was a Master Cylinder Brake Controller malfunction. It is currently at the dealership and available for inspection. The cost to repair the brake system exceeds the value of the car. This put my safety at risk because I could not safely stop my vehicle. I was minutes away from merging onto the freeway. Had I been traveling at high speeds without any braking system, my life and others would have been at risk.

Filed Nov 11, 2024 · Brakes · UT

Driving normally when the brake light, abs light, and traction control light came on.Brakes were unresponsiveness unless brake pedal was fully depressed causing a the ABS brakes to engage. This caused difficulty stopping and was required to use parking brake to slow down. Restarted vehicle several times but problem persisted. Nissan dealership stated that the intelligent braking system needed to be replaced as that is what their computer stated as all the codes indicated that the module was defective. Codes and diagnostic report attached.

Filed Aug 16, 2024 · Brakes · WA

The intelligent braking system control unit failed. The car is available for inspection, it is at the dealership for repair. I was driving downhill, towards a busy intersection and without any warning, there was no braking when I pushed the brake pedal. It was my two young children and myself in the car, we drove straight through a crosswalk (luckily empty), and towards a very busy intersection (luckily slightly uphill so we were able to stop in time). I cannot imagine what could have happened if losing our brakes would have happened any other time. We could have easily been injured or killed, as well as someone else. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. The vehicle has been inspected by the local dealer and service center, same one the vehicle was purchased from. No warnings, messages, or other symptoms whatsoever. Afterwards, the ABS warning lights did come on.

Filed Apr 23, 2024 · Brakes · CA

Drove home at 7PM mild day (65-70 degrees). Stopped the car and turned it off for an hour. Had to leave home at 8PM. Turned on the car and backed up the driveway. Tried to stop but break wasn't working.. Pressed all the way that ABS started trickling. Used the hand break to stop the car. Turned off the car and turned it back on. This is when I noticed all the dashboard lights are on including break and ABS and had the same break not working issue.. Pulled the car into the driveway slowly and turned it off till tomorrow morning.. Started the car tomorrow morning and everything was back to normal and driving without an issue.

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsReported May 22, 2023 · 758 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023 LEAF vehicles. The right-hand brake tubes may have been damaged during production and could corrode, possibly causing a hole in the brake line and a brake fluid leak.
Risk
A brake fluid leak can reduce braking performance and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the right-hand brake tube, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 7, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1‑800‑867‑7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC976.

Recall number 23V362000 · Recall details

Service brakesReported February 29, 2016 · 46,859 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.
Risk
If the brake relay fails, longer distances or additional brake effort would be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1‑800‑647‑7261.

Recall number 16V119000 · Recall details

Questions about the Nissan Leaf abs

Why does the abs come on in the Nissan Leaf?

Owners who report it most often also describe brake failure, grinding or squealing brakes and multiple warning lights, and the codes they mention most are C118A, U1000 and C1A61.

Which Nissan Leaf years have aBS light or ABS activating problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2015 (24 complaints), 2013 (9 complaints) and 2014 (6 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix ABS light or ABS activating on the Nissan Leaf?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,600 (median of 9 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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