This week I joined the Leaf main battery warranty replacement club. My thanks to all of you who have been posting on MNL for months about this, providing valuable background knowledge about what to expect.
My capacity dropped to 8 bars in late January at approximately 31,250 miles, after several months of having increasing trouble making my 52 miles round-trip commute. It was getting very frustrating having to take a US highway full of traffic signals instead of taking the Interstate, having to open the windows instead of using the AC, and having to stop at the Nissan dealer sometimes for a brief evening charging session before driving home. (There is virtually no public charging infrastructure in our area.) Nevertheless, seeing only 8 bars was quite a shock because the gauge still showed 9 bars when I had the car inspected and serviced at the dealer just a week before.
My initial reaction was to merely return the car when my lease expired on March 8th and continue looking for an alternative EV to lease for the next 2-3 years. Thanks to a phone call from another local MNL member, however, I instead read this and other MNL threads on the warranty battery replacement. Then I called the dealer and asserted a warranty claim.
First, I was required to take the car in for testing. I had the P3227 update done in July 2013, so I knew that wouldn't be an obstacle. A half-day of tests and telephone calls between the dealer's service manager and Nissan corporate confirmed the situation and my entitlement to a replacement. I also made sure the dealer ordered the necessary bracket pack. It and a replacement main battery assembly arrived at the dealer by the end of the week.
This past Monday, I left my Leaf at the dealer (Wallace Nissan in Stuart, Florida) and was given a loaner to use. Wednesday, I had my car returned to me with a new main battery assembly installed, at no cost to me of course. It was beautiful seeing 12 bars of capacity and over 100 miles estimated range (in ECO mode). I did see the replacement battery before installation and it looked new, although the service manager said he had been unable to get Nissan corporate to confirm that it would be new and not merely "remanufactured." Also, the part number on it is 295B0-3NF9D which - based on what I've read here - seems to confirm it is the new 2015 lizard battery assembly.
My compliments, by the way, to Service Manager Joe Dayton at Wallace for his efforts throughout the process. This was their first replacement, so I didn't begrudge them taking 3 days to be sure they did it right. He was cordial and informative at all times, which helped make the whole experience as painless as possible.
As a result of the battery replacement, coupled with Nissan's unsolicited offer to reduce the end-of-lease buyout amount by $6,000 (resulting in a $10,900 buyout plus the ridiculous $300 "purchase option fee" and state taxes/fees), I have purchased my Leaf rather than turn it in. With the new tires I had installed 8 months ago (Ecopias again, from Costco) and the detailing I had done to prepare for the end-of-lease inspection (which never happened, as it turns out), the car drives and feels almost new again.