Need advice on repairing my Leaf.

[caleb8462]

Bought my leaf less than a month ago in Denver, CO, 2013 SV. LED, quick-charge, and a few other options that happened to come with it. 23,400 miles, paid $12,000. Driving down the road the other day and either hit a pot-hole or something in the road (early in the morning, was half-awake). Towed to the dealership and after the evaluation they said there is $3,300 in repairs needed (see below for the list they sent me). Called a couple other places to get repair quotes and they said all the parts are still locked down to Nissan, have to buy them through the dealership. Wondering if anyone has any advice on where to get it repaired or how to ask the dealership for a break. May end up just buying the parts from the dealership and doing the repairs myself. Whole reason I bought this car was to not have to do car repairs... Whole thing sucks.
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Steering gear assembly Left front strut Left lower control arm Left hub bearing Alignment Knuckle may be needed One tire Wheel repair Parts and labor - $3368.78

 

[mwalsh]

Claim it on the insurance?

Oh, and/or call the City (or public entity responsible for the road you were on) and see if you can file a claim.

 

[Firetruck41]

I agree it may be worth submitting to insurance.

 

[LeftieBiker]

You may be able to find the steering gear assembly through a salvage yard. That isn't something that commonly needs to get replaced.

 

[jpadc]

Whole reason I bought this car was to not have to do car repairs... Whole thing sucks.
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Steering gear assembly Left front strut Left lower control arm Left hub bearing Alignment Knuckle may be needed One tire Wheel repair Parts and labor - $3368.78

I guess its always your time/labor versus dollars. You might try to find a used 2011 S (which I believe would have the same front steering mechanism) with a bad battery (out of warranty) / maybe even a salvage one for not a lot more than the $3369, grab the parts you need and then start parting out the rest to get as much back as possible. But, assuming you have coverage, you might just let insurance handle this one.

 

[powersurge]

This is not a "repair" issue. You should view it as an accident with the car. My understanding is that the suspension is taken off from the Nissan Versa model, and the parts are just regular Nissan parts, and should be available as aftermarket... You should get the part numbers and search what other Nissan cars share those part numbers.. When you order the parts, don't say "Leaf" (which translates to more $$$$) say "Versa" or something. I have a 2015 Leaf and paid a fraction for a new keyless remote fob, which is also used on the Nissan Sentra and Altima! Cheap!!

 

[keydiver]

If you decide not to report it to your insurance, all those parts can be had for fairly cheap from junkyards on http://www.car-part.com
Around Denver, I would think that there has to be a yard with a couple donor vehicles.

 

[harrier]

I went over a bump and bent the wheel mount on my rear axle. The repair was quoted at $2k. The rear end was not alignable.

I bought a used part and am swapping it out. The positive side is that the rear end is trivial to replace. The bad side is that the suspension is primitive and not really serviceable. They don't even sell bushings separate from the rear beam.

My only advice on salvage parts is get a picture before you buy. The beam that was sold to me was a bit rough.

Repairs are doable, but Nissan is not supporting home mechanics. Don't hurt this car, or it will hurt you financially!

 

[TimLee]

... My understanding is that the suspension is taken off from the Nissan Versa model ...

Incorrect.

 

[cwerdna]

I guess its always your time/labor versus dollars. You might try to find a used 2011 S (which I believe would have the same front steering mechanism) with a bad battery (out of warranty) / maybe even a salvage one for not a lot more than the $3369, grab the parts you need and then start parting out the rest to get as much back as possible. But, assuming you have coverage, you might just let insurance handle this one.

There was no S trim in 2011. It began on model year 2013.