Looking at items numbered below, a reasonable person might see a pattern. I suspect many folks buying 2013s and 2014s don't know all of the history here. For their sake I hope the corporate management at Nissan changes their approach because the pattern, track record, or whatever you want to call it is not good, not good at all.
As a former two (2) LEAF family, we will never own another Nissan product as a result. Even with a double-hit on LEAF(s) I was content to keep quiet, but today a former student and fellow LEAF owner here in North Carolina lost a bar. She is selling her LEAF too, which unfortunately I recommended to her. So here are my reasons for joining the EX LEAF-OWNER club:
1. Range: We pre-ordered in 2010. In all the excitement in 2010 there was not enough information known. Nissan advertised a 100-mile range, but the real life experience was quite a bit different. After we started using the car, we found that if you drive at highway speed, you are going to get 70+ miles max (if you charge to 100%). But Nissan recommends that you charge only to 80% to prolong battery life. That drops the highway range to 50+ range, and even worse in winter. Next, lets factor in some battery degradation and all of a sudden in the North Carolina winters the range is 30-40 miles if you use the heat. I know the weather is different in California, perhaps the LEAF is better suited to more moderate climates.
2. Capacity bars: the LEAF has this display with
12 bars, that is supposed to show how much of the battery capacity is remaining. It is supposed to show any degradation in the battery pack. Most reasonable people would expect that each bar would represent about 100/12 = 8.3% of remaining capacity. Nissan hides any initial degradation by making the topmost bar 15%. So the top bar would remain until at least 15% is gone! Someone please propose another possible reason for indexing of the battery capacity guage, other than to hide battery degradation...
3. Rapid battery degradation: Read
the 675 page thread for yourself. Another
good summary thread is here. While waiting for our LEAF we saw several Nissan videos touting 80 percent capacity after 5 years and some saying much more than that. With my GID meter designed and assembled by Gary Giddings himself, I watched my 2012 LEAF drop 12 percent the first ten months in temperate North Carolina. I traded it when it was down 14 percent so as not to be trying to sell something with a lost bar.
4. Class action warranty: Nissan announced a battery warranty about a year ago. While Nissan presented this as something it decided to do, the warranty was actually part of a settlement for a class-action lawsuit
Case Number 2:12-cv-08238(link)
5. Software fixes: We waited a year for a fix to the onboard charger to prevent it from blowing out diodes, even though there was code available -- just not to normal people.
Nissan Dealer Warns Customers: Using GE’s WattStation Charger Can Damage Your LEAF By Zach McDonald PlugInCars.com Web site, July 13, 2012 *and*
Problems With G.E.’s WattStation Charger for Some Nissan Leafs By JIM MOTAVALLI The New York Times Wheels Blog, July 13, 2012
6. No replacement part (battery): Nissan promises a price for a replacement battery over a year ago. A few months go by and Nissan has changed their mind. Nissan now refuses to sell a replacement battery pack, instead
the "steal your battery" (SYB) program is announced. Basically we give Nissan our LEAF's battery and for $100 per month forever we are guaranteed a 9 bar battery. In the North Carolina winter what kind of range will 9 bars really provide? Is that 20 - 30 miles per charge in the winter for that $100 per month? Who would buy our used LEAF when they are told, "oh by the way, you need to send Nissan a check for $100 per month from now on." This was the final straw.
In summary, ficticious range, deceptive battery capacity guage, rapid battery degradation, a class-action battery warranty that will not help most owners, no price for a replacement battery after promising otherwise, and forcing owners to give away their battery in order to pay $100 per month in perpetuity for 30 miles of range.
By the way, if anyone would like some of the 2012 Nissan LEAF dealer brochures, I can send you ten. I used to carry them around in my LEAF to hand out. I have not done that for 12 months. I can't honestly recommend the car to someone.
Ken Clifton, former LEAF Owner x2