Service question

I leased my Leaf about 3 weeks back (36 months lease) and I was offered $500 for 3 years service (original $700). I did not take it thinking that that is too much to commit for service. Did I make the right decision? Since it is a lease car, what kind of maintenance that is considered as mandatory when I return it?

Thanks in advance.

Depends on if you're handy with a car. Or unlucky with wear items that aren't covered under warranty.

In 3 years I've needed:

A brake fluid exchange (warranty requirement)
Windshield wipers
Cabin air filter
Tire rotations

The only thing I really had to have done for me was the brake fluid exchange, which was around $100, if I'm remembering correctly.

I had the cabin air filter done once by the dealer, since I got my car earlier than most and there wasn't really a DIY "how to" online yet. That cost around $70. I've done it myself since then for the cost of the filter, which was around $15.

The wipers I bought and did myself. I got the Nissan items for, I think, about $25 a set.

Tire rotations I have always done myself. I think dealers typically charge about $20 a time.

I've never heard of a brake fluid flush being required by warranty. If that's the case, then everything in the Maintenance Guide would be a requirement. I can see a warranty claim being denied if the car was neglected for so long that it caused a problem.

The only thing I know of that you MUST do to keep the warranty in effect is the annual battery check.

I was quoted $200 by a Nissan dealer when I asked for a quote on a 1 year service. It included the battery check (supposed to be free), all the inspections, tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, and brake fluid flush. That's the "severe service" recommendation; the normal service one omits the brake fluid flush. I just told them to do the battery check and paid them $20 for a tire rotation; most of the inspections are covered under Nissan's complimentary "safety check."

But at the 2 year mark, these services are recommended for even the normal service schedule, and I plan on spending the money at that time. So this is my breakdown of what I expect my Leaf to cost me in servicing over my 3 year lease:

6 months: $20 for tire rotation
1 year: $20 for tire rotation, free required battery check
18 months: $20 for tire rotation
2 years: $200 to include free battery check, tire rotation, brake fluid flush, cabin filter replacement, inspections
30 months: $20 for tire rotation
36 months: give car back to Nissan
------------------------------------

Total expected servicing costs over 3 years: $280

That does not include tire replacements, which based on others' experienced will be likely before my lease ends, nor any unexpected events. Also, if you frequently drive on rough or dirt roads like at least one member here does, I would recommend going by Nissan's severe service schedule which will also recommend yearly brake fluid flushes and inspections every 6 months.

Thanks mwalsh & Ron for the response. When we return the car after 3 years, do they check the maintenance record? If so what is their required maintenance? Looks like brake fluid & cabin air filter are the 2 things that needs to be done?

When you return the car, it will be judged against Nissan's Wear and Use Guidelines:

https://www.nissanusa.com/pdf/owning/Wear_and_Use_Guide.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Your Leaf should have come with a Service and Maintenance Guide in that thick stack of books that includes the Owners Manual. It will specify what services are recommended at what interval, depending on whether your fall under "severe" or normal service. Again, unless you drive your car regularly on rough or dirt roads, I would go with "normal" service intervals. Normally I go with "severe" for cars driven in the city, but an EV lacks most of the things that city driving is hard on (engine oil and transmission fluid in particular).

RonDawg said:

I can see a warranty claim being denied if the car was neglected for so long that it caused a problem.

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That's really what I meant. There are fluid filled parts in the braking system that exceed $1200. There is no way I'm chancing having to pay that out of pocket for the sake of $100 in labor for a fluid flush.

mwalsh said:

RonDawg said:

I can see a warranty claim being denied if the car was neglected for so long that it caused a problem.

Click to expand...

That's really what I meant. There are fluid filled parts in the braking system that exceed $1200. There is no way I'm chancing having to pay that out of pocket for the sake of $100 in labor for a fluid flush.

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Oh I agree with you on the brake fluid flush. Brake fluid is naturally hygroscopic (meaning it likes to attract water) so it's important to have it done regularly, otherwise you'll end up with corrosion and even brake fluid that boils under heavy use.

Nissan recommends it every other year for normal service (in line with recommendations I have seen elsewhere) and every year for "severe" service. But there are some folks that think every other year is not necessary.

RonDawg said:

mwalsh said:

RonDawg said:

I can see a warranty claim being denied if the car was neglected for so long that it caused a problem.

Click to expand...

That's really what I meant. There are fluid filled parts in the braking system that exceed $1200. There is no way I'm chancing having to pay that out of pocket for the sake of $100 in labor for a fluid flush.

Click to expand...

Oh I agree with you on the brake fluid flush. Brake fluid is naturally hygroscopic (meaning it likes to attract water) so it's important to have it done regularly, otherwise you'll end up with corrosion and even brake fluid that boils under heavy use.

Nissan recommends it every other year for normal service (in line with recommendations I have seen elsewhere) and every year for "severe" service. But there are some folks that think every other year is not necessary.

Click to expand...

I know we've hashed aspects of this in other threads but in almost 30 years of car ownership I've never had a brake flush. Why would the Leaf be any different from the Fords, Chevy, Saturns and Toyotas I've had?

ksnogas2112 said:

I know we've hashed aspects of this in other threads but in almost 30 years of car ownership I've never had a brake flush. Why would the Leaf be any different from the Fords, Chevy, Saturns and Toyotas I've had?

Click to expand...

$1200.

As soon as I'm out of warranty, I'll quit having it done.

ksnogas2112 said:

I know we've hashed aspects of this in other threads but in almost 30 years of car ownership I've never had a brake flush. Why would the Leaf be any different from the Fords, Chevy, Saturns and Toyotas I've had?

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More complex braking systems for one. Back when 4 wheel drum brakes were common, you might have gotten away with it. But as mwalsh said, today's braking systems have some particularly expensive components, like ABS controllers.

It's not just Nissan that recommends this. My independent Audi mechanic (well regarded in my community, he's so popular you have to make an appointment to get in) recommends every 2 years, as does Pat Goss of MotorWeek. A quick Google search is showing 2-3 year brake flush intervals often being recommended.

Plus as mwalsh said, what's a $100 brake fluid flush when you just spent $30k+ on a car?

mwalsh said:

$1200.

As soon as I'm out of warranty, I'll quit having it done.

Click to expand...

I'd still have it done even after the warranty is over. Assuming you keep your Leaf for 10 years, you've only spent $500 on brake fluid flushes. That's a lot less than a $1200 brake component that stopped working because the fluid was stale and contained water.

Plus if you carry your loved ones in the car with you, do you really want to cheap out on a hundred bucks?

RonDawg said:

I'd still have it done even after the warranty is over. Assuming you keep your Leaf for 10 years, you've only spent $500 on brake fluid flushes. That's a lot less than a $1200 brake component that stopped working because the fluid was stale and contained water.

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Well, I extended my warranty out to 7 years. So if I had it done in year 6, chances are I'd probably be thinking about a new car the next time it was due. If not, I'd probably go with moisture testing instead. Because it's not just the labor cost, it's the environmental impact from disposing of old fluid and manufacturing more fluid to replace it

ksnogas2112 said:

I know we've hashed aspects of this in other threads but in almost 30 years of car ownership I've never had a brake flush. Why would the Leaf be any different from the Fords, Chevy, Saturns and Toyotas I've had?

Click to expand...

It's not any different. It depends somewhat on climate and humidity levels. When I lived in Cleveland and drove used cars, I had to do a number of repairs due to contamination and rust in brake systems. On one VW I had to replace nearly the entire system. Admittedly these were 15 and 20 year old cars, but still...

There are ways to measure the water content of the fluid, but every 2 years is cheap insurance and gives you a chance to do a visual inspection.

Can somebody who has done the leasing answer this question? I leaf is 6 months old on a 3 year lease.

waltmalt said:

Thanks mwalsh & Ron for the response. When we return the car after 3 years, do they check the maintenance record? If so what is their required maintenance? Looks like brake fluid & cabin air filter are the 2 things that needs to be done?

Click to expand...

The general consensus is that maintenance records only come into play if the car is damaged when returned. No one called to ask us why we didn't have every 'suggested' service performed on our last Prius, and it wasn't in pristine shape.

Pat Goss is a shill, as are most 'car experts' you see on TV. His TV show segment (and that whole show, for that matter) is usually unwatchable.

I can see replacing brake fluid on a modern ABS-equipped car every three years. I'd do it first at four or five years and every three after that. More often than that should be necessary only under unusually severe conditions. Doing it after one or two years on a new car means you either feel for a sales pitch, or the manufacturer has a record for building Crap cars and using Chinese brake components.

Our 2012 Leaf just clocked 15,000 miles and ~34 months of service.

Do you, or a friend or neighbor, own a digital multimeter that will read DC volts to easily read 0.3 V DC? If so, you can remove the cap from the brake fluid reservoir and check the DC voltage between the fluid and chassis ground. If the voltage is <0.3 volts, and the fluid looks clean (ours is water white on our Leaf and a pale yellow on our 2004 Prius and both are 0.08 - 0.09 volts) you should not need to change the brake fluid.

Search "brake fluid" and DC volts 0.3 and look at the answers until you've read one that satisfies your level of confidence.

Perhaps in humid Florida brake fluid may not last as long as here on the mid-left coast.

Now I need to search for the simplest way to examine my cabin air filter to see if it really needs replacing. With most of my neighbors paying mow-and-blow gardeners for maintenance, a lot of dust is in the air in our community, not to mention pollen from exotic trees.

Do I really have to pretty much remove it to get a look at it?

baumgrenze

baumgrenze said:

Do I really have to pretty much remove it to get a look at it?

baumgrenze

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No need to look. If the air blows strong and cold the filter is fine.

smkettner said:

baumgrenze said:

Do I really have to pretty much remove it to get a look at it?

baumgrenze

Click to expand...

No need to look. If the air blows strong and cold the filter is fine.

Click to expand...

I disagree.
My filter became contaminated with something that was causing odor.
Replacement eliminated the problem.

Even if you take it out and look at it may not look all that bad, but may be pretty contaminated, or limiting air flow way more than you recognize.

Just like the air filter on a lawnmower.
Should be changed at some reasonable interval.