Nissan Leaf Accidents

[RonDawg]

That would cause the Leaf to become unaffordable due to outrageous insurance costs. Already, some insurers are giving very high quotes for the Leaf as it is (AAA quoted me a whopping $3k every six months).

As far as making spare parts available by junking lots of repairable Leafs, NMAC's lease contract specifies only new OEM parts may be used for repairs. So it would only benefit those who purchased their Leafs.

 

[ksnogas2112]

That would cause the Leaf to become unaffordable due to outrageous insurance costs. Already, some insurers are giving very high quotes for the Leaf as it is (AAA quoted me a whopping $3k every six months).

But what does $3k compare to say a $25,000 Prius to insure? Different locations make a huge difference in insurance prices. When I lived in KC, Mo my insurance for a single car was more than 6 months later when I lived in a worse section of town on the KS side for the same car plus one more car.

Just a side note your $3k quote from AAA compares to my $335/6 mo with USAA in an unfavorable light.

 

[Stanton]

I actually had no idea that airbags came out of the seats. That is news to me!

It may be news to a lot of people, otherwise seat covers wouldn't be as popular. Some are designed to not impair airbag deployment, but it's not always the case.

I just removed the covers from mine.

Only necessary if they don't have the "slits" in the side. For example, the Wet Okole (custom) seat covers a lot of us got on a group buy (way back when) allow for airbag deployment.

 

[DaveEV]

That would cause the Leaf to become unaffordable due to outrageous insurance costs. Already, some insurers are giving very high quotes for the Leaf as it is (AAA quoted me a whopping $3k every six months).

From what I understand, the major cost for automobile insurance is not the cost to repair vehicles, but the cost to cover paying for injuries sustained in automobile accidents.

Since the LEAF is a very safe car, the fact that it has higher repair costs should not significantly increase insurance coverage costs.

Shop around - many insurers give very good prices to insure a LEAF.

 

[Klayfish]

I'm surprised insurers even bother repairing LEAFs, frankly. The hassles associated with it must make things ridiculously costly for the entire supply chain. It's not an Accord (yet). Just total em and go get new ones, insurance industry. Building an inventory of several thousand totaled LEAFs in junkyards across America during the next, say, 12 months, would alleviate much of the spare parts availability issue, in short order.

It wouldn't make any sense from the insurance perspective. In that scenario, as the insurance company I'm now going to pay $25,000 (just using a round number) to total a car that could be repaired for $7000 (again, just making up a number). Yes, I'll get some money back when I sell it at a salvage auction, but it won't be $18,000. Then on future claims, I'd have to pay a very high price to a salvage yard for parts...probably off the very same car I paid to total just a short time ago. Since the LEAF is fairly rare, salvage parts are probably going to cost as much, or more than, brand new ones. So there's no insurance savings there, just profit for a salvage yard.


Drees,
You're correct. The bulk of your insurance premium typically comes from liability coverage. One of the factors of the cost of liability coverage is what you drive...i.e. are you likely to get hurt if someone hits you, or much more of a factor is how likely are you to hurt someone else with the car you're driving?

 

[Rat]

I just removed the covers from mine.

Only necessary if they don't have the "slits" in the side. For example, the Wet Okole (custom) seat covers a lot of us got on a group buy (way back when) allow for airbag deployment.

Mine are FH covers. The website and packaging say they use "special stitching" that allows for airbag deployment, but I'm afraid I don't trust that. I never paid any attention before now, but when I realize now that the side airbag comes out of the seat, I don't want anything to delay the full and instantaneous deployment even a split second. If hit from the side there is much less distance and protective mass between the driver or passenger and the striking vehicle than there is in a head on collision. I was never able to install the covers right anyway. There is a flap that is supposed to go between the seat and the back and pull out underneath the seat, but it must take a special tool or removal of the seat to get that through there. I wasn't able to reach underneath to pull it through or push it through from above. So the seat part of the cover kept pulling away. The passenger seat one looked nice since no one rode there regularly, but the driver's side got loose and wrinkly. The leatherette fabric stayed very nice looking and kept the seats clean, though. I was never able to install the rear one either. I notice that FH no longer sells ones for the Leaf. It's not on their list of Nissan models. I don't know if that's due to complaints, safety issues, or lack of demand, but I'm happy enough to give mine away. Someone is coming by tomorrow for the set.

 

[RonDawg]

That would cause the Leaf to become unaffordable due to outrageous insurance costs. Already, some insurers are giving very high quotes for the Leaf as it is (AAA quoted me a whopping $3k every six months).

But what does $3k compare to say a $25,000 Prius to insure? Different locations make a huge difference in insurance prices. When I lived in KC, Mo my insurance for a single car was more than 6 months later when I lived in a worse section of town on the KS side for the same car plus one more car.

Just a side note your $3k quote from AAA compares to my $335/6 mo with USAA in an unfavorable light.

I realize that insurance costs do vary from location to location, and from person to person. But even in California, the only people who pay that kind of money for insurance are those who have high end cars, and/or have a horrible driving record. Certainly not someone who has never had a ticket in his life, whose last accident was almost 20 years ago (and whose last at-fault accident was over 25 years ago), has never been arrested, who lives in safe part of Los Angeles County, and whose other car is an 8 year old Audi.

When my niece got her driver's license, the surcharge for her didn't amount to $3k/6 months on her parents' policy.

 

[lemketron]

It may be news to a lot of people, otherwise seat covers wouldn't be as popular. Some are designed to not impair airbag deployment, but it's not always the case.

I just removed the covers from mine.

Only necessary if they don't have the "slits" in the side. For example, the Wet Okole (custom) seat covers a lot of us got on a group buy (way back when) allow for airbag deployment.

Just curious... Since this thread includes a link to photos of normal LEAF airbag deployment, does anyone have (or know of any) pictures of airbag deployment when a LEAF had seat covers installed?

 

[lion]

Just found this thread by accident, thanks for posting these pics! I thought for sure there was an airbag hiding in the A-pillar, but I guess there isn't!

Now I don't have to worry about mounting hardware on that plastic (wanted to mount my LeafDD in that spot)!

 

[Pauly]

Hello,

Steering and battery pack were all okay, Nissan technicians had to reprogram the car after all the repairs were completed. I collided with a PT Crusier on the left rear wheel. Bent the rear wheel, rim, axel about 15 degrees. I looked at my speedometer about 4 blocks from the accident site, I was traveling at 50mph. I saw the front end of the PT Cruiser emerge from behind a car that was making a right turn in a right turn lane. I was able to apply full pressure to the brakes before impact. No skid marks on the pavement, so the ABS allowed me to slow down by 5 or 10 mph???

I submitted my gas receipts for three months of rental car use for reimbursement. The very nice lady from the other insurance company called to check if the Leaf had any type of reserve gasoline tank. When I mentioned that the Leaf is 100% electric, she approved the reimbursement....sweet.

The estimate was $7200, final cost was $10,500. Not sure if insurance what the cost would be before they would total a Leaf?

Pauly

 

[WetEV]

Not sure if insurance what the cost would be before they would total a Leaf?

Estimate was 14K, totaled.