Are the 2015 Leaf's Still Having Heater Issues? Mine is.

I have a 2015 Nissan Leaf that I purchased in November and until recently it's been a great experience. The biggest complaint I've had is the drastically reduced range in the sub zero temperatures we're experiencing. That is until last week when I pre-heated my Leaf starting at 6:15am while it was plugged into my Clipper Creek HCS-40. When I went outside to put my 1yr old daughter in her car seat the car was luke-warm at best, and pretty cold at worst. I went ahead and drove to daycare and work, but it never warmed up inside.

On my drive home things seemed to be all better so I didn't think too much of it. Then the next day I pre-heated my car again at 6:15am to get in at 6:45am and it wasn't luke-warm, it was cold. The temperatures on the drive to daycare were -4 degrees F. The car was blowing ICE COLD air out of the vents until I just turned off the climate control. I put blankets over my children and got them to day-care. Then I drove another hour+ to work freezing my butt off the whole way. Coldest drive ever.

After work I drove straight to the dealer where I purchased the car. The service advisor verified the problem and replicated it with me. He tried turning the temp up to 90 degrees, etc, but it was still blowing cold. He promptly and gave me a loaner car and I was on my way. Then the next day the service advisor tells me his tech can't replicate the problem, and the heater is working just fine. His tech "can't fix what's not broken" and I need to come pick my car up. I protested, but he said he has no way to identify what caused the issue and since it could have been a fluke to just come get my car, so that's what I did.

When I picked it up the heater was working great. For two days. :-(((

Then another early morning 6:15am I tried to pre-heat it and when I got in my car at 6:45am it was cold. Blowing cold air on the drive to daycare, blowing cold air on the drive to work, blowing cold air on the drive to the dealership. This time the Nissan Leaf tech & the service advisor both verified and replicated the problem in my presence. I told them not to give me the car back until they are convinced that it's fixed. I can't continue driving my toddler & infant to daycare in an ice cold car in below zero weather.

They set me up with another loaner, and that's where it stands currently. We'll see what the dealer is able to accomplish this time.

Am I experiencing the issues that were prevalent in the 2013 model? I hope I'm not looking at a 6 week wait to get this thing fixed... Ugh!

Our 2015 S had an issue with both the heater and AC when we bought it. After two visits to the dealer, they figured out that the factory had too much coolant psi in the system and it was causing it to shut down. Not sure if this would be the same issue, but it was effecting both the AC and heating in mine.

tkdbrusco said:

Our 2015 S had an issue with both the heater and AC when we bought it. After two visits to the dealer, they figured out that the factory had too much coolant psi in the system and it was causing it to shut down. Not sure if this would be the same issue, but it was effecting both the AC and heating in mine.

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Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I don't have this issue, but it will definitely be something to look for if it shows up after some service.

tkdbrusco said:

Our 2015 S had an issue with both the heater and AC when we bought it. After two visits to the dealer, they figured out that the factory had too much coolant psi in the system and it was causing it to shut down. Not sure if this would be the same issue, but it was effecting both the AC and heating in mine.

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Interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Do you have an S or an SV?

keydiver said:

Do you have an S or an SV?

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SV

Mine is S, which is why I suspect this might not be the same issue as my car. Mine was manufactured in 4/14, so I'm guessing that I"m one of the first 2015 model produced, makes me wonder what changed in the AC/Heater for 2015 that would cause them to miscalculate something like that? perhaps is was just an independent screw up, or maybe there's something different about that system?

This could be simple. When we preheat through Carwings or the android app, the climate control shuts off after 15 minutes. In sub-zero weather your car might be turning off the heat and then cooling off fast. Try setting it to start at 6:35am.

LeftieBiker said:

This could be simple. When we preheat through Carwings or the android app, the climate control shuts off after 15 minutes.

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That doesn't explain why it continues to blow cold air while driving.

It's either a heat-pump or PTC heater issue depending on ambient temperatures - I suspect it's the PTC.

Yes, quite possibly. It still wouldn't hurt to see if the heater starts normally.

LeftieBiker said:

This could be simple. When we preheat through Carwings or the android app, the climate control shuts off after 15 minutes. In sub-zero weather your car might be turning off the heat and then cooling off fast. Try setting it to start at 6:35am.

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This is partially true. It only pre-heats for the 15 minutes on battery power, but if it's plugged into my HCS-40 it'll pre heat for up to two hours.

I have this routine every day. This is my normal M-F schedule. The car has always been warm when I take my kids out to it and blows warm air as needed the while drive.

Anyway, the dealer has the car currently and will hopefully fix it this time.

This is purely speculation, but since the SV is using the new heat pump, could it be possible it is just too cold outside for the heat pump to work effectively? I know in home heat pumps, once the temps get below freezing, you normally have to turn on supplemental heating which is probably lacking in a Leaf.
http://www.ozarksecc.com/newsblog/using-a-heat-pump-during-the-winter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DesertSprings said:

This is purely speculation, but since the SV is using the new heat pump, could it be possible it is just too cold outside for the heat pump to work effectively? I know in home heat pumps, once the temps get below freezing, you normally have to turn on supplemental heating which is probably lacking in a Leaf.
http://www.ozarksecc.com/newsblog/using-a-heat-pump-during-the-winter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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The LEAF with a heat pump does have a backup PTC heater for cold temperatures. That's why the "hybrid" heater doesn't offer any range advantage for those who drive at very cold temperatures, although it is a considerable advantage at moderately cool temperatures .

When the heater seems to stop working at very cold temperatures the first thing to check for is a failed PTC heater element. There have been a number of those reported over the years (but most seem to hold up well).