2013 NISSAN LEAF Complaints

PASSENGER AIRBAG SHOWS OFF WHEN PASSENGER IN THE SEAT IS A TYPICAL ADULT, ~130 POUNDS. THE UNDERSEAT SENSOR (ODS OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM) IS NOT CALIBRATED - NEEDS ABOUT 160 POUNDS TO SENSE A PERSON IN THE SEAT. NISSAN HAD A RECALL (MARCH 2013) FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THEY CLAIM THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. NISSAN HOTLINE ([XXX]) SAYS TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAYS CALL NISSAN. THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THE RECALL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. MY SPOUSE STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO LOOK FOR A PROBLEM. SHE FOUND THAT AIR WAS ESCAPING THE FRONT LEFT TIRE OUT OF THE SIDEWALL. SHE THEN DROVE THE CAR TO A SAFE STOPPING POINT AND CALLED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SIDEWALL HAD BLOWN OUT ON THE FRONT LEFT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND WAS REPLACED. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE RIM WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE SIDEWALL OF THE BRIDGESTONE ECOPIA TIRE HAD FAILED AFTER 5,800 MILES. WE WERE CHARGED $183 FOR THE REPAIR DESPITE THE CAR BEING LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD.

MY NISSAN LEAF WAS PLUGGED INTO 220V CHARGING STATION AT MY HOME. IT WAS CHARGING FOR OVER AN HOUR. MY SPOUSE WENT TO LEAVE AND WHEN ENTERING THE GARAGE SHE SMELLED A STRONG BURNING SMELL. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE CHARGING STATION PLUG WHERE IT PLUGS INTO THE CAR. SHE TURNED OFF THE POWER AT THE BREAKER BOX AND THEN PROCEEDED TO UNPLUG THE CHARGER FROM THE CAR. TWO OF THE TERMINALS ON THE PLUG WERE DAMAGED AND 2 TERMINALS ON THE RECEPTACLE ON THE CAR WERE DAMAGED. THE CONNECTION HAD GOTTEN HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE PLASTIC AND CREATE SMOKE INDICATING A FIRE. NISSAN HAS DETERMINED BY PICTURES THAT THE CAR WAS NOT TO BLAME FOR THE INCIDENT. THEY ARE BLAMING THE CHARGING STATION FOR THE FAILURE. THEY HAVE DENIED ANY WARRANTY COVERAGE. THE BURDEN OF THE BILL HAS BEEN PLACED WITH THE CUSTOMER. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY ONLY 5 MONTHS OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 10,000 MILES.

WASHER FLUID NOZZLES SPRAY AIMED TOO LOW. CANNOT CLEAN WINDSHIELD EFFECTIVELY. ONLY THE LOWER PORTION OF WINDSHIELD IS SPRAY LEAVING THE MIDDLE TO TOP PORTION NOT CLEAN. VERY DANGEROUS DURING WINTER AS THE SALT FROM ROAD WILL BLOCK VISION. WIPER WITH POOR SPRAYED FLUID AMOUNT/LOCATION WILL ONLY SMEAR THE WINDSHIELD AND CAUSE POOR VISIBILITY. *TR

WHEN STARTING THE CAR, ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED AND CAR WOULD DO NOTHING. SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND EVERYTHING WAS CLEAR. PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND HAD NOMINAL BRAKING. IT TOOK 10 FEET OF SLAMMING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP AT 2 MPH IN REVERSE. IT LITERALLY FELT LIKE NO BRAKE PRESSURE. STOPPED AND RESTARTED AGAIN AND THINGS WERE SEEMINGLY BACK TO NORMAL. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP WHO BLAMED IT ON LOW 12V BATTERY. BRAKING WAS PATHETICALLY WEAK AT THE ONE TIME... IT WAS NOT JUST THE TYPICAL LACK OF REGENERATIVE AND MOTOR ASSISTED BRAKING YOU WOULD GET DURING A FAULT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RE-CHARGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SOFTWARE WOULD NEED TO BE UPDATED BUT IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO HAVE CONTINUING CHARGE SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY LEAVING ME UNABLE TO DRIVE SOMETIMES DUE NOT BE FULLY CHARGED WHEN YOU EXPECT TO BE CHARGED AND HAVING PROBLEMS ON DIFFERENT CHARGING STATIONS CONTACT NISSAN 06/13/13 AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE TO THE DEALER AND 6/14/13 LEFT THE CAR AT DEALER COMMONWEALTH NISSAN THAT DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM AND CLAIM VEHICLE IS WORKING AS DESIGNED THEY WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE PROBLEM AND NEXT DAY 06/15/13 HAD PROBLEM AGAIN UNABLE ME TO DRIVE HOME AND NEED TO RESTART CHARGE COUPLE TIMES UNTIL GET ENOUGH CHARGE TO DRIVE HOME ON 6/17/13 TOOK THE CAR AGAIN TO DEALER COMMONWEALTH NISSAN AND THEY BEFORE LOOK THE CAR SAID THE PROBLEM IS THE CHARGING STATION ON MY HOUSE THEY RESET THE VEHICLE AND PUT TO CHARGE ON THEIR CHARGING STATION AND PROBLEM ALSO HAPPEN PROVING THE PROBLEM IS THE VEHICLE THEY GAVE THE KEYS BACK SAYING THEY ORDER A CHARGING PORT DID NOT GAVE ME ANY DATE OR IDEA WHEN THE PART WILL ARRIVE HANDLE ME THE KEY OF A DEFECTIVE CAR THAT CAN LEAVE ME STRAND ON THE STREET ANYTIME. *TR

I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE 101 FREEWAY IN CAMARILLO, CA ON THE WAY TO WORK. CAR SUDDENLY FLASHED MULTIPLE CONFLICTING DIAGNOSTIC CODES (TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND REDUCED POWER TO THE CAR AND PUT IT IN TURTLE MODE. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE FROM THE MIDDLE LANE (OF THREE LANES) TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND CALLED NISSAN SERVICE. POWER WAS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THE DASHBOARD AND CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO FORWARD OR REVERSE. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AFTER CALLING NISSAN ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. DEALER REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL PRESSURE SENSOR AND RETURNED CAR BACK TO ME AFTER CAR WAS IN SERVICE FOR THREE DAYS. CAR DROVE FINE FOR TWO DAYS ON VERY SHORT TRIPS. MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR AGAIN AND IT DIED AGAIN ON HIGHWAY 33 IN OJAI IN TOWN. SHE HAD NO POWER TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC. SHE POWERED DOWN THE CAR AND POWERED IT BACK UP AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT POWER WAS RESTORED. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT BACK HOME (ABOUT A MILE) AND WE HAD NISSAN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOW IT BACK TO THE DEALER. CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP NOW FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. DEALER IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE FACTORY TO GET A NEW COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM TO OTHER CAR COMPONENTS. HOWEVER, DEALER CANNOT GIVE US AN ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATE OF THE PART. IT SEEMS THEY MAY HAVE TO GET IT FROM JAPAN. DEALER IS VERY FRIENDLY BUT IS NOT ABLE TO GET CAR FIXED IN A TIMELY MANNER. I ALSO AM CONCERNED THAT THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT IF THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN, EITHER MY WIFE OR I WILL GET INTO AN ACCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY. CAR WAS IS JUST A MONTH OLD WHEN THIS STARTED WITH NO OTHER APPARENT PROBLEMS. *TR

WHEN IN OPERATION THE CAR EMITS A HIGH PITCHED SOUND THAT AFTER DRIVING IT DAILY FOR 3 WEEKS CAUSES MY EARS TO CONSTANTLY RING AFTER DRIVING. NISSAN AND THE SERVICE CENTER CHECKED THE CAR AND DETERMINED THERE ARE NO ENGINE ERROR CODES AND THE CAR DRIVES GREAT. THEY DROVE THE CAR AND WERE NOT ABLE TO HEAR THIS HIGH PITCHED SOUND, YET I HEAR IT EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT AND I WORRY THAT IT MIGHT BE CAUSING AUDITORY DAMAGE OR BE GENERALLY UNHEALTHY. IT WOULD BE REASSURING TO HAVE THE FREQUENCY OF OPERATION CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THIS IS NOT OPERATING AT AN UNHEALTHY FREQUENCY/INTENSITY LEVEL. *TR