2013 Nissan LEAF: complaints, problems and recalls

WHEN IN OPERATION THE CAR EMITS A HIGH PITCHED SOUND THAT AFTER DRIVING IT DAILY FOR 3 WEEKS CAUSES MY EARS TO CONSTANTLY RING AFTER DRIVING. NISSAN AND THE SERVICE CENTER CHECKED THE CAR AND DETERMINED THERE ARE NO ENGINE ERROR CODES AND THE CAR DRIVES GREAT. THEY DROVE THE CAR AND WERE NOT ABLE TO HEAR THIS HIGH PITCHED SOUND, YET I HEAR IT EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT AND I WORRY THAT IT MIGHT BE CAUSING AUDITORY DAMAGE OR BE GENERALLY UNHEALTHY. IT WOULD BE REASSURING TO HAVE THE FREQUENCY OF OPERATION CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THIS IS NOT OPERATING …

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10510535 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE 101 FREEWAY IN CAMARILLO, CA ON THE WAY TO WORK. CAR SUDDENLY FLASHED MULTIPLE CONFLICTING DIAGNOSTIC CODES (TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND REDUCED POWER TO THE CAR AND PUT IT IN TURTLE MODE. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE FROM THE MIDDLE LANE (OF THREE LANES) TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND CALLED NISSAN SERVICE. POWER WAS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THE DASHBOARD AND CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO FORWARD OR REVERSE. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AFTER CALLING NISSAN ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. DEALER REPLACED THE ACCELERATO…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10519929 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO HAVE CONTINUING CHARGE SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY LEAVING ME UNABLE TO DRIVE SOMETIMES DUE NOT BE FULLY CHARGED WHEN YOU EXPECT TO BE CHARGED AND HAVING PROBLEMS ON DIFFERENT CHARGING STATIONS CONTACT NISSAN 06/13/13 AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE TO THE DEALER AND 6/14/13 LEFT THE CAR AT DEALER COMMONWEALTH NISSAN THAT DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM AND CLAIM VEHICLE IS WORKING AS DESIGNED THEY WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE PROBLEM AND NEXT DAY 06/15/13 HAD PROBLEM AGAIN UNABLE ME TO DRIVE HOME AND NEED TO RESTART CHARGE COUPLE TIMES UNTIL GET ENOUG…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10520480 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RE-CHARGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SOFTWARE WOULD NEED TO BE UPDATED BUT IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10522140 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN STARTING THE CAR, ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED AND CAR WOULD DO NOTHING. SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND EVERYTHING WAS CLEAR. PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND HAD NOMINAL BRAKING. IT TOOK 10 FEET OF SLAMMING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP AT 2 MPH IN REVERSE. IT LITERALLY FELT LIKE NO BRAKE PRESSURE. STOPPED AND RESTARTED AGAIN AND THINGS WERE SEEMINGLY BACK TO NORMAL. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP WHO BLAMED IT ON LOW 12V BATTERY. BRAKING WAS PATHETICALLY WEAK AT THE ONE TIME... IT WAS NOT JUST THE TYPICAL LACK OF R…

Owner-reported narrative. 250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10531552 at NHTSA ↗

WASHER FLUID NOZZLES SPRAY AIMED TOO LOW. CANNOT CLEAN WINDSHIELD EFFECTIVELY. ONLY THE LOWER PORTION OF WINDSHIELD IS SPRAY LEAVING THE MIDDLE TO TOP PORTION NOT CLEAN. VERY DANGEROUS DURING WINTER AS THE SALT FROM ROAD WILL BLOCK VISION. WIPER WITH POOR SPRAYED FLUID AMOUNT/LOCATION WILL ONLY SMEAR THE WINDSHIELD AND CAUSE POOR VISIBILITY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10534176 at NHTSA ↗

MY NISSAN LEAF WAS PLUGGED INTO 220V CHARGING STATION AT MY HOME. IT WAS CHARGING FOR OVER AN HOUR. MY SPOUSE WENT TO LEAVE AND WHEN ENTERING THE GARAGE SHE SMELLED A STRONG BURNING SMELL. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE CHARGING STATION PLUG WHERE IT PLUGS INTO THE CAR. SHE TURNED OFF THE POWER AT THE BREAKER BOX AND THEN PROCEEDED TO UNPLUG THE CHARGER FROM THE CAR. TWO OF THE TERMINALS ON THE PLUG WERE DAMAGED AND 2 TERMINALS ON THE RECEPTACLE ON THE CAR WERE DAMAGED. THE CONNECTION HAD GOTTEN HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE PLASTIC AND CREATE SMOKE …

Owner-reported narrative. 8,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10537862 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. MY SPOUSE STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO LOOK FOR A PROBLEM. SHE FOUND THAT AIR WAS ESCAPING THE FRONT LEFT TIRE OUT OF THE SIDEWALL. SHE THEN DROVE THE CAR TO A SAFE STOPPING POINT AND CALLED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SIDEWALL HAD BLOWN OUT ON THE FRONT LEFT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND WAS REPLACED. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE RIM WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE SIDEWALL OF THE BRIDGESTONE ECOPIA TIRE HAD FAILED AFTER 5,800 MILES. WE…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,880 miles reported. Look up ODI 10538582 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2013-03-01 (March 1, 2013)

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.

Consequence: If the vehicle is involved in a crash necessitating airbag deployment and the passenger airbag is suppressed, there may be an increased risk of personal injury.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2014-03-25 (March 25, 2014)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2016-02-29 (February 29, 2016)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 LEAF vehicles manufactured November 19, 2012, to July 31, 2015. During very cold temperatures, the relay inside the electronic brake booster may freeze, requiring the driver to exert more effort to slow the vehicle down.

Consequence: If the brake relay fails, longer distances or additional brake effort would be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Intelligent Brake Control Unit software, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2016-04-26 (April 26, 2016)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

Reported: 2023-04-26 (April 26, 2023)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2017 LEAF vehicles. The Owner's Manual instructions for defroster operation are incorrect and may result in reduced defroster performance under specific conditions. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."

Consequence: Reduced defroster performance can limit visibility out of the windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will mail an addendum with updated instructions on how to operate the defroster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23A1.