2017 Leaf battery warranty

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kindred

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2017
Messages
21
Hi All,

last week my 2017 Leaf finally lost its 4th bar with 64,000 miles and, I brought it to the dealership. The good news, the 30kw batter is under warranty and qualifies for replacement under warranty. The bad news, it will take up to two months for Nissan to ship the replacement battery.

I had some questions the service lady couldn't answer.

1. Will the battery be new or refurbished?
2. Will the battery be the same 30KW battery design with the same capacity issues or something more advanced?
3. Is there anything I need to be aware of when I get the battery replaced?

Thanks in advance!
 
Lucky you. Odds are, you will get a new 40kWh battery. The warranty period will still be 8 years/100k miles from when the car was put into service (when it drove off the dealers lot) but the 40kWh batteries seem to last quite well so you should be good for a long time. Once the battery arrives it should take the dealer only a day to swap the pack. Some dealers will provide a loaner during this time but I don't know if all do. Best of luck and congrats, your Leaf will be better than new.
 
Battery capacity is measured in kWh, not "kw" nor "KW".

The TSB mentioned at https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=600227#p600227 mentions 40 kWh packs being warranty replacements for 30's...
 
kindred said:
I had some questions the service lady couldn't answer.

1. Will the battery be new or refurbished?
2. Will the battery be the same 30KW battery design with the same capacity issues or something more advanced?
Nissan has a lot of wiggle room. You will know for sure what they decided when you get the car back, but a 40 kWh pack seems likely based on what Nissan has done lately in N. America. The warranty language is that Nissan has to restore your pack to 9 bars in whatever manner they see fit, using their current pack tech. That is a low bar, but presumably due to practical inventory considerations Nissan has been giving more. YMMV. Worse case, it could be a used, crappy 9 bar 30 kWh pack. Second worse case, it could be a crappy 40 kWh pack that failed QA. Best case, you get a new, 'standard' 40 kWh pack.
 
Thank you for the responses. I will let everyone know how it works out in two months.

Update: The Nissan dealership has had my Leaf for 4 days going on 5 days. I am not sure what is taking so long for the battery replacement.

Update 2: The dealership still has my car going on 2 weeks. They encountered a master code alert that they cant figure out, they called in a specialist.
 
Final Update:

After 4 weeks I finally picked up my Leaf with 40 kwh battery.

Nissan sent the wrong battery for my replacement, that is why it was receiving a master error code. I had to wait for another replacement battery to arrive.

It cost Nissan $34,200 (they showed me the bill) for the warranty repair because of the battery mix up.

They should of just given me the cash!
 
Good for you! I have to think that $34k bill has something to do with tax write-offs.....I can't imagine how one new battery could cost them that much. Either way, you came out ahead. Enjoy the 'new' car.
 
kindred said:
Nissan sent the wrong battery for my replacement, that is why it was receiving a master error code. I had to wait for another replacement battery to arrive.
I wonder if the dealership had to send that battery back or if they still have it.... for sale? ;)
 
The dealership said they have to keep the wrong battery because it was already installed. They couldn't send it back to Nissan. Nissan just ate the cost of both batteries and labor. I am not sure what they did with the other battery.
 
kindred said:
Nissan just ate the cost of both batteries and labor.
How does one 'eat the cost' of what is already owned ?

Ignore the invoice #s -- they are BS. Enjoy the battery !
 
kindred said:
The dealership said they have to keep the wrong battery because it was already installed. They couldn't send it back to Nissan. Nissan just ate the cost of both batteries and labor. I am not sure what they did with the other battery.

Really???? What/where is the dealership? I might know someone who wants to buy it... :mrgreen:
 
kindred said:
Final Update:

After 4 weeks I finally picked up my Leaf with 40 kwh battery.

Nissan sent the wrong battery for my replacement, that is why it was receiving a master error code. I had to wait for another replacement battery to arrive.

It cost Nissan $34,200 (they showed me the bill) for the warranty repair because of the battery mix up.

They should of just given me the cash!

That is awesome news. 14 months ago they claimed our 40 kWA battery was $13K plus $500 labor. Clearly some fuzzy math is going on. :) Main thing is you have a new battery with a range of 150 miles. When we bought our 2016 SL with 22K miles in 2019 our range was down to 60 miles and showing 9 bars.
 
knightmb said:
kindred said:
The dealership said they have to keep the wrong battery because it was already installed. They couldn't send it back to Nissan. Nissan just ate the cost of both batteries and labor. I am not sure what they did with the other battery.

Really???? What/where is the dealership? I might know someone who wants to buy it... :mrgreen:

Southern California, La Puente Nissan
 
I also have a 2017 Leaf with a bad battery. I was contacted by Nissan Consumer Affairs Arbitration representative yesterday. They said there are no replacement batteries available for in-service Leafs, period. They said they will buy the car back from me for the original purchase price plus whatever interest I paid on the auto loan. I am having a hard time believing that they cannot/will not provide a replacement battery. Any words of wisdom on what to do in this situation would be greatly appreciated.
 
The Nissan dealer through which I submitted my claim said that a crop of new 40kWh battery replacements were released on April 1st, 2023, and to just be patient.

I'd be okay with a buyback, if that's the route. I like my Leaf, but I don't love it. Feels like a glorified golf cart compare to the Volt, and I wouldn't mind milking it for cash, using it to bridge until next year, and then doing a buyback and taking the money to buy a used PHEV, like the Chevy Volt.

If you bought it in 2023 I suggest you claim the Used Vehicle Tax Credit before you go through with the buyback. (Wait until 2024 to ensure nobody else claims it). From the way I read it, it can only be claimed once per vehicle, but I don't see any rules about how long you have to retain ownership of the vehicle. The IRS records the VIN #, so if Nissan resells it, someone else might beat you to the punch, January 1st, 2024.

Also, check out if there are any local EV incentives. I'm got a $4000 credit from my utility provider. If Nissan buys back my Leaf at the purchase price (If I get a buyback offer, I intend to negotiate hard based on my time, effort, and future increased fuel costs since they don't want to honor their warranty). Who knows if I'll make any headway, but oh well. I still make about $8000 on the deal. I don't mind getting paid $8000 to drive an EV for 8 months.

The only annoyance would be not being able to claim the used EV credit on the next vehicle. The IRS only lets you claim one used credit every 3 years. Maybe spouse and I will file separately next year...
 
Good tips, thanks.
I like the idea of negotiating to get a new Leaf. I purchased my 2017 used in 2018 for 18.9K. I like this Leaf but the heater on the driver's seat is broken, and it would take $3000 to fix it. It had 6000 miles on it when i bought it and it now has 43000 miles on it. If I wait for the 150 mile battery, I am still not confident that it will last long enough to be cost effective. To clarify, the Nissan Dealership ordered a replacement battery back in February 2023 and the order is not cancelled (still active). They cannot provide an ETA for the replacement battery.
I think they are offering to buy it back because I am pushing for a loaner car in the interim. All that being said, it boils down to whether I want to wait for the new battery or accept the buyback offer. I am sending the documents they requested to make me a detailed offer. I will see what that looks like and go from there ... stay tuned. This is a tough choice, but it may make more sense to cash out now and buy another EV later when the power grid can support more chargers strategically located. The battery range will continue to increase as well.
 
That's helpful info, thanks! I think I'll wait for the battery (even if years), since I can't really push hard for a favorable buyback if Nissan isn't trying to get out of their warranty. If I change my mind, I'll start agitating with them and see what sort of offer they make.
 
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