NHTSA Complaint #10469919 — 2011 NISSAN LEAF

THE NISSAN LEAF IS A 100% BATTERY OPERATED VEHICLE. THERE IS A BUILT-IN BATTERY CAPACITY INDICATOR THAT IS DISPLAYED AS 12 INDICATOR BARS. EACH BAR REPRESENTS A % OF THE BATTERIES CAPACITY TO HOLD A CHARGE. NISSAN CLAIMS THAT GRADUAL CAPACITY LOSS IS NORMAL AND THAT DRIVER SHOULD EXPECT TO HAVE 80% OF THEIR CAPACITY LEFT AFTER 5 YEARS AND 70% AFTER 10. I LOST MY FIRST BAR AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL, SECOND BAR FIRST WEEK OF JUNE, AND THIRD BAR FIRST WEEK OF JULY. NISSAN HAS NOT DEFINED WHAT THESE BARS MEAN, HOWEVER, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE LOSS OF THREE BARS IN 4 MONTHS AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR A YEAR IS GRADUAL. I HAVE SENT MY CAR TO 2 DIFFERENT NISSAN DEALERSHIPS AND EVEN LET NISSAN NORTH AMERICA TAKE MY CAR FOR 16 DAYS FOR TESTING. SO FAR, NISSAN HAS TOLD ME THAT EVERYTHING IS NORMAL. I BELIEVE THAT HAVING A 100% BATTERY OPERATED VEHICLE MARKETED TO A MASS CUSTOMER BASE AND BEING DRIVEN ON OUR STREETS AND HIGHWAYS SHOULD HAVE A DEPENDABLE BATTERY. *TR