Nissan Leaf Complaints

1,117 consumer complaints on file.

#11559018December 7, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I was pulling slowly into a parking spot. The vehicle accelerated all of a sudden on its own very fast. I slammed on the brakes and the vehicle did not stop. It ran us on a sidewalk and crashed into a pole. Luckily no one hurt. Progressive is calling the car a total loss, but they have done nothing The car is still at a parking lot near the crash. Nissan is also doing nothing. I feel that I deserve better treatment. I have a good driving record and my rates are going to go up. I have not been offered a replacement car. The car is very dangerous and I would never drive another Nissan
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11558480December 5, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Having issues with the back up camera it will randomly not work, showing a black screen instead of rearview. Other times the image is excessively dark compared to other surround camera views or has horizontal lines that interfere with view. Car is available for inspection. I have reported to the dealer multiple times. They have not been able to replicate. The problem is intermittent, dealer has not been able to replicate. Asked that I take video when it occurs which I have done. No warning lights or lamp or consistent pattern to warn when the issue will occur. Most recent incident noted below.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557774November 30, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car suddenly lost power during freeway driving. The brake system appeared compromised. Turning off 12v accessories - which includes safety critical functions such as the defrost blower - was necessary to restore functionality. This is caused by a defective DC-DC converter that fails to properly charge the 12V battery, risking and repeatedly causing sudden loss power, loss of braking, and loss of safety critical functions. This is not the result of damage to the DC-DC converter or other such damage. This is proven by the fact that activation of the wipers triggers the DC-DC converter to temporarily raise the charging voltage to a level sufficient to restore power and charge the 12v battery. Due to defective programming of the DC-DC converter, the power provided to the 12v battery and system quickly returns to unsafe low levels. The DC-DC converter has a sense line that senses the voltage of the 12v battery, but the programming of the converter is defective such that it does not actually maintain the battery at a healthy level. This is a commonly reported and discussed issue on Nissan Leaf ownership forums. Reprogramming of the DC-DC converter is necessary, but not available from Nissan. This issue also causes early degradation of 12v batteries, and replacement of the 12v does not cure the issue. The most recent occurrence of loss of power was 11/30/23, but it has happened repeatedly in the past.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557509November 29, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving on Interstate Highway H-3, uphill at 55 mph, when the % charge on the high-voltage battery instantaneously dropped from 18 to 5%. The warning light also came on. I was not using the A/C at the time. Over the next 30 seconds or so, the gauge quickly went from 5...4...3...2....1. By dumb luck, as the gauge hit 1%, I hit peak elevation on the mountain pass, and was able to coast in neutral until the freeway starts going downhill. Normally, an 18% charge would have been more than enough to comfortable complete my trip home from where I was on H-3 at the time. A sudden drop in battery % could lead to a cutoff of the motor, which at high-speed on a highway could cause a serious accident. I have subsequently done a battery health test and found the State of Health rating to be 90%. There don't appear to be any bad cells in the battery that would explain the sudden drop while driving. My hunch is that this problem is related to the firmware update I received at the Nissan dealer to address NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V494000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557148November 28, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
When placing the vehicle in reverse, the display screen shows either a distorted view or no view at all, or a solid pink color across the screen. This result in zero visibility out the rear of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11556300November 21, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake pedal goes to the floor with no braking power. Grinding sounds, then finally brakes engage, but feels like the emergency brake. Super dangeraous, happened on the freeway. Checked 12v battery, based on what I read on line, battery had and still has strong charge. Next day, brakes work just fine. No problems. Happened again on highway a few days later, again, no braking power until just at the end, cant drive the car at any speed now, battery still fine. No cold weather here (unlike the many other 2015 leaf owners reporting the same issue. All dash warning lamps come on. Again, car drives fine the next day. Nissan denies any recall being needed, despite the hundreds of reports of similar dangerous problems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11555512November 16, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle would rapidly suffer from a high energy drain when driving at freeway speeds. Range was reduces from 150 miles EPA, to 80-100 miles. Nissan at first said it was due to the high temperature in Arizona. A few weeks later a "Service EV System" lamp came on, and car would not start the next day after charging overnight. Car stated it was at %80 state of charge at the time. Car was towed to a Nissan service center, and Nissan service determined that some battery modules had bloated battery cells due to overheating after a week of troubleshooting. High voltage battery was replaced under warranty 3 weeks later.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11555417November 16, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The error occurred on [XXX]. The car got me to my destination. Error occurred past the 1/2 way point. The next day was busy w/ personal issues. Later in the afternoon, I was by the vehicle, I called the Nissan Roadside Assistance number. It was at this point that I was informed that no one was available or that my location was out of network. I was then instructed to find my own tow & arranged everything. I did. The vehicle completely died en route to the Nissan Dealership. The EV Motor locks the wheels & there is no way to disengage the motors lock on the CV axle. The vehicle is in the Nissan service department at Flagstaff Nissan currently. My Nissan LEAF SV Plus is currently has 33,258 miles on it. It is currently covered under the basic warranty of Nissan North America. The LEAF was purchased on Saturday, [XXX]. As of11/16/2023, there is no estimated time of repair. I do try & call everyday. The Dealership has issued me a Loaner to use during the absence of my malfunctioned vehicle. The Dealership is solid & I do recommend them. There are several flaws with this 2021 Nissan LEAF SV Plus and they are as follows: 1. The LEAF has an outdated Level 3 charger that is being fazed out in North America. 2. The LEAF has no Active Thermal Management for the Battery. 3. The LEAF’s passive cooling is negated as the battery is too large to enable proper air flow. 4. The LEAF nearly stranded me out in the middle of Nowhere. 5. The LEAF’s battery will degrade at a high rate as there is no ATM for the Battery. Based on the listed evidence, you can see that my confidence in the LEAF has been shattered. I thought the LEAF would be super reliable & would never let me down. After this incident, I realized that the “hate” was actually hard & heavy concerns that I thought was invalid. I have Buyers remorse, BIG Time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11555113November 14, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Warning lights, abs light and brake light illuminated out of nowhere. Unable to brake. Used a lot of force to get the car to slow down. Dealership inspected and said module short circuited.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11554429November 9, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AFTER RECENTLY DOING THE RECALL UPDATE ON THE VEHICLE, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY PERCENTAGE LIGHT INDICATOR NOW SIGNIFICANTLY DROPS ITS PERCENTAGE SOMETIMES UPT TO 15% WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINUTES DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED AND THEN WHEN SLOWING OR COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE BATTERY PERCENTAGE WILL INCREASE BACK ANYWHERE BETWEEN 10 AND 15 PERCENT WHICH LEADS TO DECEIVING THE DRIVER AND MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO SAFETY MODE. CONTINUES TO OCCUR EVERY DAY I USE IT SINCE IT IS A COMMUTER VEHICLE FOR ME. Unable to updload a video. Please email me correspondence so i may send a video.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553702November 6, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Back up camera failed intermittently. Could not see directly behind vehicle. Pedestrian and collision hazard. Dealer confirmed it’s a common problem. I Ordered and paid for a replacement camera through the dealer. No warning lamps or messages.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552876October 31, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while in the drive position, the vehicle erroneously accelerated backward and crashed into a second vehicle that was also parked in the driveway. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V494000 (Vehilcle Speed Control). The local dealer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 150.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552420October 28, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The back up camera failed. It shows a blank grey screen. The other side and front cameras work but not the most important camera, the rear, back up camera. This is becoming a more and more frequent problem to the point now where its failing more often than not.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11549490October 11, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
backup camera was intermittently not working. Dealer tested and found "rear camera image signal test at the avm connector 20-19, and the signal is not normal". Code U111A-00 was found. Camera was replaced under extended warranty with $100 deductible, code was cleared and camera is now working. Vehicle has been in service for 2.5yrs and has 40k miles. I've seen several Nissan backup Camera recalls, but my vehicle was apparently not included? Submitting in case others are experiencing and a recall might be needed?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11548956October 9, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
While driving at highway speeds (65mph) on a cold day (10-20F), the car lost all drive power with no warning. Driver was able to coast to the road margin. In another situation this could have been a catastrophic accident. Driver called 911 for police protection and tow. At this point car was completely unresponsive but still on. The car could not be turned off, turned on, shifted into drive, or any other action performed. The car has shown at least 3 other cold weather failures at highway speeds with various error states (ranging from turtle mode, a complete loss of the info display, and sudden power losses). Our mechanic said "I almost died today, this car is not safe to drive on the highway".
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11548857October 8, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Soon after I leased this Leaf, I noticed shifting interference. It grew steadily worse over the 3 or so months I kept the Leaf. Toward the end of that time period, it took a great deal of maneuvering of the shift knob to get into the correct direction. It would flip back from position before it engaged the forward or reverse motion. I got involved in a fender bender incident which was at least partially a result of the shifting confusion. At one point I put 3-in-1 oil into the top of the shifting pad. It helped for a very short time. Finally, I could not get the car to move either forward or back. I had the car towed to the dealer. The dealer said that foreign something had gotten into the shifting mechanism. I noted that the shifting mechanism in this car is located directly adjacent to a drink cup holder. So, apparently splash from my drink caused problem. If true, at the least, the shifting mechanism ought to be water proofed from outside fluid and particulate travels. An unsafe regular occurrence, I think.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11548731October 6, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Leaf. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle at low speeds, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. As a result, the vehicle jumped the wheel stop, coming to a complete stop after colliding with a tree. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed, and no injuries were reported. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who did not provide a specific diagnosis but advised the contact that a BCM reprogramming was required. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V494000 (Vehicle Speed Control), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 12,300.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547537September 30, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Nissan Leaf has a 6,600 watt charger that is attached to the top of the 26,000 watt electrical motor. A 30 Amp Nissan charging cord connects the 220 volt electrical outlet (dryer) to the Leaf via a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772 Plug. Unknown to me a desert rat had chewed the insulation down to the wires of the charging cord, leaving the wires bare. The desert rat was not electrocuted because the onboard charger safety system in the vehicle turns off the 220 volts AC before it reaches the car using the control box that is part of the the charging cable. But when I plugged the J1772 Plug into the Leaf Nissan's "safety system" sent 220 volts form the dryer plug to the Nissan Leaf creating an electrocution hazard where the rat removed the insulation. I saw a series of sparks and felt the electricity through my electric car safety gear rubber Crocs. Nissan's "safety system" ensures that there is NO arc of electric current when you unplug the J1772 connector. Unfortunately for me and possibly for tens of thousands of other EV drivers Nissan did not envision a rat eating the wire and causing the system to momentarily electrocute a person attempting to charge their car. Nissan 220 volt charging cord no longer charges the Leaf and the Leaf's entire charging system on top of the motor in no longer operational. I suspect the two, 220 volt wires in the Nissan charging cable shorted to the two safety wires (pilot and proximity wires) which is has about 1/16 of an inch separation, and fired Nissans onboard charger. The cost to replace Nissans onboard charging system is about $7,000 for parts and labor. What does Nissan LEAF’s EV warranty coverage include? Your confidence gets a boost with Nissan LEAF’s New Electric Vehicle Limited Warranty. Coverage includes — but is not limited to — Motor, Inverter Unit, VCM, Reduction Gear, DC/DC Converter, Onboard Charger, Onboard Charger Connector, and Trickle Charge Cable. [*]
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546660September 26, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was driving on the highway when the car in front of me applied their breaks - I took my foot off of the accelerator but the car did not slow down. I applied the breaks but they did not work - in fact, the car seemed to accelerate. I heard the collision alarm sound but the automatic emergency braking system did not engage or stop the car, so I crashed into the car in front of me. Air bag deployed and then the car filled with smoke from the batteries but I couldn't get out as the power locks didn't work or allow me to open the door. The EMT's had to break the rear window to get me out of the car
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546502September 25, 2023
SEATS, AIR BAGS
Supplemental air bag warning light started blinking on 9/24/2023. It blinks regardless of whether the front passenger seat is occupied. The OCS sensor for the passenger seat failed. This should have been covered by a recall. The dealer wants over $3,000.00 to replace the seat cushion. I declined the repair. Dealer assured me that driver air bag isn't affected, so I'll operate the car without a front passenger. Dealer Estimate: Denied Repair Step Step Total: $3,687.14 Correction: inspected system, dtc b1018 for occupant sensor unit failure is present. Cleared dtc, when sitting in passenger seat, dtc came back on. Inspected continuity to passenger seat occupant sensor and found ok at this time. Diagnosis says replacement of passenger occupant sensor assembly (lower seat assembly) Labor: $588.00
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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