2016 NISSAN LEAF Complaints

BRAKE STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON SAN THOMAS EXPRESSWAY IN SANTA CLARA CITY IN CALIFORNIA; I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO "PARK" AND ALSO USED MANUAL BRAKE, EVENTUALLY I MANAGED TO STOP IT; SINCE IT'S BLOCKING A LANE, POLICE CAME AND TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. MILEAGE IS ESTIMATE SINCE THE CAR IS STILL BEING REPAIRED IN THE DEALERSHIP.

I DO NOT HAVE MUCH RANGE. AT 100% CHARGED I'M GETTING A RANGE OF 64 MILES. CONSIDERING THE CAR ONLY HAS 10K MILES ON IT, THAT'S TERRIBLE RANGE. MY CAR WAS SITTING STILL, IN PARK AND TURNED ON WHEN I TOOK THIS IMAGE.

USING THE J-1772 CHARGE PORT AT A SHOPPING MALL WHILE GOING FOR A WALK; ON SUN 5/19 AS WE APPROACHED THE CAR TO LEAVE, WE NOTICED A STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL. I DISENGAGED THE CHARGER, INSPECTED IT AND SAW NO ISSUES. OUR CAR, HOWEVER SHOWED DISTORTION IN THE PORT AT THE UPPER RIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING, 5/20, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND HAD THE CERTIFIED LEAF TECHNICIAN TRY TO PLUG IT IN AND CHECK THE CHARGING. HE FOUND RESISTANCE AS HE TRIED TO PLUG IT IN, LOOKED AT THE DISTORTED PLASTIC, AND SAID "YOU NEED TO REPLACE THAT PORT" IT'S JUNE 1ST TODAY; THE DEALER SAID THEY HAD TO CONTACT NISSAN. AFTER A WEEK OF NO RESPONSE OR CALLBACK, I FINALLY WAS TOLD THAT WE MUST HAVE DAMAGED IT, AND IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED. THEY HAD NO BASIS FOR THAT ASSERTION, AND THEY OFFERED NO EXPLANATION OR ADVICE ABOUT THE DAMAGE ON THE PORT. I'VE CONTACTED NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE, WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM NISSAN WARRANTY DIVISION. IN THE MEAN TIME, I'M CHARGING WITH THE CHADEMO PORT WHENEVER POSSIBLE, AND STILL USING THE J-1772, ALTHOUGH WITH NO EXPLANATION OF WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM I FEEL LIKE IT'S A RISK EVERY TIME. OBVIOUSLY THE CHARGING IS BASIC FOR THE VEHICLE'S FUNCTION.

I HAVEN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE BRAKES NOT WORKING, BUT I HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES THAT OTHERS ARE REPORTING. I'VE LEARNED TO NOT FOLLOW CLOSE AT ALL. MINE IS ONLY AT LOW SPEEDS THAT I'VE NOTICED THE LACK OF BRAKES. SEEMS RANDOM, CANNOT DETERMINE A SPECIFIC SPEED OR CONDITIONS THAT ARE COMMON. IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE BEGINNING. ONLY AT 13700 MILES CURRENTLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 NISSAN LEAF. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE, THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PREMIER NISSAN OF METAIRIE (LOCATED AT 6636 VETERANS MEMORIAL BLVD, METAIRIE, LA 70003, (504) 455-5800) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT A FAILURE CODE COULD NOT BE FOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 33554796. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

I HAD A BRAKE FAILURE AT POWER ON ISSUE ON MY 2016 NISSAN LEAF SL. NOTHING ON THE DASH ALERTED ME. THE BRAKES DID WORK, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE NO VACUUM ASSIST, SO HAD TO PRESS REALLY HARD. TOWED TO A DEALER. REPLACED THE 12V BATTERY. VERY SCARY, I ROLLED OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION AND LUCKILY I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT OR RAN OVER A PEDESTRIAN.

MY 2016 LEAF SL WAS DAMAGED IN A FAIRLY LOW SPEED COLLISION DURING HEAVY OFFICE RUSH TRAFFIC (AROUND 7:30AM IN THE MORNING). WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY STOPPED, I ALSO BRAKED HARD. AT THAT TIME I HEARD ABS LIKE SOUND BUT THE CAR DID NOT ACTUALLY STOP, IT KEPT ON GOING AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS TOO STRESSED OUT AT THE MOMENT THEREFORE I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO THINK. LATER ON, I SPENT SOME TIME SEARCHING INTERNET WITH SEARCH QUERIES LIKE 'NISSAN LEAF BRAKE PROBLEM' OR 'NISSAN LEAF DID NOT BRAKE' ETC. I FOUND MULTIPLE MENTIONS OF EXPERIENCES VERY SIMILAR TO MINE. IF YOU PERFORM GOOGLE SEARCH, YOU WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN. IS THERE A WAY TO LOOK AT THE LEAF ONBOARD DATA TO SEE WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED?

CAR LOST ALL BREAK CAPABILITIES AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL WAS LOOSE AND CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE BREAKS, LOUD CRACK SOUND ON FIRST PUMP BEFORE BREAK WAS LOST. SINCE I WAS GOING AT LOW SPEED (30MPH) I COULD EMPLOY MANUAL BREAK TO STOP VEHICLE. BREAK REMAIN IN FAILURE STATE TILL ON HOUR LATER WHEN IT SEEM TO HAVE RETURNED.

ON 6 OCCASIONS THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK ON FIRST CONTACT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A FULL STOP AT EITHER A STOP LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN ON CITY STREETS. RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REAPPLYING THE BRAKES FINALLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENED TO BOTH MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF AND HAPPENED ON BOTH STRAIGHT FLAT ROADS AND DOWNHILL ROADS. THIS HAPPENED IN BOTH REGENERATIVE AND NON-REGENERATIVE BRAKING BUT THE WORST FAILURE HAPPENED IN NON-REGENERATIVE BRAKING.

BATTERY DEGRADATION OCCURRING MUCH QUICKER THAN REASONABLY EXPECTED. DETAILS FOLLOW. CAR PURCHASED IN JUNE 2016. AFTER DRIVING A TOTAL OF 6,150 MILES UNDER CONDITIONS OF MODERATE TEMPERATURE, CONSERVATIVE DRIVING (NOT EXCEEDING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, USING ECO MODE AS RECOMMENDED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S MANUAL TO ENHANCE BATTERY LIFE) AND RARELY CHARGING THE BATTERY TO MORE THAN 80% NOR MAKING USE OF FREQUENT QUICK-CHARGING (ALSO AS RECOMMENDED IN MANUFACTURER'S MANUAL), I NOTICED THAT 1 OUT OF 12 "BARS" OF BATTERY CAPACITY WERE LOST. USE OF SOFTWARE TO DETERMINE STATE OF HEALTH (SOH) OF THE BATTERY INDICATED THAT AFTER ONLY 2,300 MILES (AND 4 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP), SOH WAS 89%. MOST RECENTLY (NOV. 2016), SOH IS LESS THAN 84%. CAR IS ALWAYS KEPT IN GARAGE WHEN NOT IN USE, NEVER PARKED OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER IN OCT. 2016 AND NOV. 2017 ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. SERVICE DEPARTMENT DECLINED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEMS IN OCT. 2016 WITH SOH WAS ONLY 89%. CONCLUSION: SINCE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN AND CHARGED UNDER OPTIMAL CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE OF OVERHEATING WHILE IN OWNER'S POSSESSION, IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT THERE IS EITHER A DEFECT IN THE BATTERY PER SE OR POOR HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE TIME OF SALE. THERE IS NO WAY FOR A CONSUMER GET AN ACCURATE MEASURE OF BATTERY CAPACITY AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. I CAN MAKE A SPREADSHEET OF BATTERY SOH OVER TIME AS MEASURED BY 3RD PARTY SOFTWARE AVAILABLE TO NHTSA AT YOUR REQUEST.