2014 Nissan LEAF: complaints, problems and recalls

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 22 MPH HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS IT VEERED TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT THEN CRASHED INTO A POLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED RIGHT KNEE AND HAND, REQUIRING MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 400. UPDATED 06/19/14 AFTER HE CRASHED INTO THE POLE, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A HALT MAKING ALMOST A 75 DEGREE ANGLE IN THE ROAD.…

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10593665 at NHTSA ↗

TWO PASSENGERS, ONE IN DRIVER'S SEAT, ONE IN FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHO WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 140 LBS. APPLIED BRAKE, PUSHED THE POWER SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION, SHIFTED CAR TO REVERSE. BACKED UP A SHORT DISTANCE, THEN SHIFTED THE CAR TO DRIVE (B MODE). DROVE ABOUT 20 FEET. NOTED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT INDICATED THAT IT WAS OFF. STOPPED THE CAR. FRONT PASSAGE RELEASED SEATBELT, LIFTED OFF SEAT, RE-FASTENED SEATBELT. FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT INDICATED THAT IT WAS OFF. CYCLED POWER SWITCH TO OFF, THEN ON. FRONT PAS…

Owner-reported narrative. 545 miles reported. Look up ODI 10606550 at NHTSA ↗

FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON EVEN WITH A 150LB PASSENGER SITTING IN THE SEAT. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. DEALER IDENTIFIED IT AS A CODE DTC B00A0-00 STORED IN AIRBAG SYSTEM, WITH OCCUPANT SENSOR HAVING ABNORMAL VOLTAGE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 5,506 miles reported. Look up ODI 10625998 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN MY 90LB DAUGHTER AND 130LB WIFE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF OUR MY14 NISSAN LEAF, THERE IS NO CONSISTENCY WITH WHETHER THE AIRBAG WILL BE ON OR OFF. OFTEN, THE AIRBAG IS ON WITH MY DAUGHTER AND OFF WITH MY WIFE. THE DEALER HAS "RESET" THE AIRBAG FOUR TIMES AND SAYS "IT'S WORKING AS EXPECTED". I'VE SPOKEN WITH NISSAN ELECTRIC CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY SAID THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND THEY REFUSED TO LET ME TALK TO THEIR SUPERVISOR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10683689 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE ON AN INCLINE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN HILL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HESITATED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,400. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 6,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10690262 at NHTSA ↗

WHENEVER OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW +/- 38F, THE REGENERATIVE BRAKE SYSTEM BEHAVES VERY AGGRESSIVELY IN THE SENSE THAT THE SLIGHTEST USE OF THE BRAKES RESULTS IN A VERY JERKY BEVAHIOUR OF THE CAR, BRAKING VERY ABRUPTLY AND HARD. USUALLY, A SECOND TAP ON THE BRAKE RESOLVES THE ISSUE TEMPORARILY, BUT THE SYMPTOM COMES BACK SOON AFTER. THIS IS NOT ONLY AN INCONVENIENCE, BUT ALSO POSES POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS IF A CAR BEHIND THE LEAF IS NOT EXPECTING A HARD BRAKING. CONTACTED THE NISSAN DEALER WITH THE SYMPTOMS, REPLY WAS THAT THIS IS NOT KNOWN TO…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10690845 at NHTSA ↗

THIS IS A GENERAL COMPLAINT ABOUT RECENT-MODEL HEAD RESTS. IT IS NOT LIMITED TO OUR CAR. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK SOMEONE AT THE TRANSPORTATION BOARD IS OVERLY ZEALOUS IN THIS. MOST NEW CARS TODAY HAVE THE HEADRESTS VERY FAR FORWARD. IT SEEMS AS IF THE TRANSPORTATION BOARD WANTS THE HEADREST TO TOUCH THE HEAD. I DO NOT LIKE THIS. MY HEAD IS JOSTLED WHEN THE HEADREST TOUCHES MY IT. I THINK EVEN ONE HALF INCH AWAY IS TOO CLOSE, AS THEN IT TOUCHES MY HAIR. THE RESULT OF HAVING IT SO FAR FORWARD IS THAT IT PUSHES MY HEAD FORWARD, TOWA…

Owner-reported narrative. 24 miles reported. Look up ODI 10704093 at NHTSA ↗

THERE IS AN AIR BAG LIGHT THAT ILLUMINATES WHEN THERE IS WEIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT BUT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT BE DEPLOYED, MAYBE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE THINKS THERE IS A DOG, SMALL CHILD, OR INANIMATE OBJECT SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE TROUBLE IS THAT THE "AIR BAG DISABLED LIGHT" OCCASIONALLY TURNS ON WHEN MY TEENAGE SONS SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER SAYS IT IS BECAUSE MY SONS DO NOT ALWAYS SIT SQUARELY TO THE BACK OF THE SEAT; THAT IS, THEY OCCASIONALLY SLOUCH IN THE SEAT. I HAVE VIDEOS OF THIS BEHAVIOR WHICH I CAN SEND TO YOU, SO YOU C…

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10723424 at NHTSA ↗

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: 2014-04-16 (April 16, 2014)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 28, 2014, through March 12, 2014. The front structural member assembly may be missing welds, which could reduce the structural integrity of the vehicle if the vehicle is involved in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 305, "Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection."

Consequence: Missing welds may effect the vehicle's integrity in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the vehicle's occupants.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect to see if any of the welds are missing. Any vehicle missing welds will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on June 2, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2014-05-16 (May 16, 2014)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Nissan LEAF vehicles manufactured April 15, 2014, through April 24, 2014. Due to a problem with the motor control circuit board, the inverter may fail, causing the vehicle shut down.

Consequence: An unexpected vehicle shut down increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service 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.