LEAF smashed and fixed!

[Spacep0d]

Hello Fellow LEAFers!

Well I only had my new-to-me 2018 LEAF S for a couple months at most when L.A. street parking bit me hard. Some gigantic truck (we theorize) smashed in to my car, and then smashed in to another car the very next day (same location). We think it was a construction vehicle making turns in a tight spot, since new house construction was happening across the way. I filed a police report, checked for security cameras, interviewed workers (who seemed suspicious but weren't saying anything), and there are no leads as to who did it. It really sucked to come out to my car and see the damage (see pic below).

I took the LEAF S to a great body shop here in Santa Clarita and they did a great job fixing 'er up (Patterson Collision in Valencia). Highly-rated on Yelp, super nice people, very patient and thorough. Can't say enough good things about them. Quick turnaround too...maybe 3 weeks? I expected much longer. Thankfully I had a killer motorcycle to ride to work in mild summer weather (2013 Triumph Daytona 675R). I say 'mild summer weather' because February in SoCal was basically Waterworld 2, and this is what forced me to buy a car AND the first umbrella I ever purchased in my life. I also got really tired of freezing because I ride year-round, and didn't ever drive a car to work until I got this EV and could use the HOV lane.

Here are the before and after pics, all in one image;

The car is running great and all is well.

Two things I learned; the car has a foot-operated emergency brake (I HAD NO IDEA) and the mirrors fold in. Also didn't know that before. I never expected a foot-operated e-brake in a modern car, since I thought the LEAF e-brake was like the Tesla (controlled by park mode). The more you know....right?

Anyway....lament my misfortune and celebrate the rise of my NISMO-style LEAF as it rises again. ><

P.S. I need some proper black wheels! If you have a bead on any in stock sizes, I'm all eyes!

 

[LeftieBiker]

The 2011 & 2012 Leafs had the E-brake, as do new Leafs with the Tech Package. I actually preferred the foot brake on my 2013 SV. I hope that the body shop knew not to bake the whole car to dry the paint. Great job.

 

[Spacep0d]

Hi Leftie,

Yeah I hope so! I'll ask 'em how they did it. The shop is highly-rated and they seem very diligent, so I'm guessing they did it right but who knows. I will definitely ask come Monday (or tomorrow). So far they've been very candid with me, and happy to answer all of my probing questions.

The only package my LEAF has is the upgraded CHAdeMO kit. Is that considered the tech package? I wouldn't have purchased this without the quick-charge ability. I'm using the included converter to trickle charge at home.

Thanks!

 

[LeftieBiker]

The S has two option Packages: the Charge Package, and the All Weather Package, which adds heated seats and wheel, and a rear passenger HVAC duct, but no heatpump.

It looks like the shop only had to replace one whole panel. Hopefully they just painted it first.

 

[Spacep0d]

The S has two option Packages: the Charge Package, and the All Weather Package, which adds heated seats and wheel, and a rear passenger HVAC duct, but no heatpump.

It looks like the shop only had to replace one whole panel. Hopefully they just painted it first.

So I'm guessing that baking the whole car has a serious effect on the battery? Gawl I hope they would know not to do that!

 

[LeftieBiker]

Fingers crossed. I think it mainly happens with rear end damage, because much of the rear area isn't bolt-on panels.