NHTSA Complaint #10472379 — 2011 NISSAN LEAF

I HAVE RUN INTO WHAT I BELIEVE IS A SMALL DESIGN FLAW. SCENARIO: 1) LEAF IS PARKED IN CONDO PARKING GARAGE WITH GENTLE UPHILL SLOPE ON PARKING SPACE. 2) STARTUP SOUND IS TURNED OFF. 2) FORGET THE LEAF IS STILL PLUGGED IN TO AV L2 EVSE. 3) PUT FOOT ON BRAKE, PUSH START BUTTON. 4) SHIFT INTO REVERSE, NOT LOOKING AT DASH SCREEN TO SEE WARNING THAT LEAF WON'T START. 5) PRESS DOWN ON PARKING BRAKE LEVER TO DISENGAGE PARKING BRAKE. 6) PRESS ACCELERATOR. RESULT: THE LEAF DOESN'T START SINCE IT IS STILL PLUGGED IN TO EVSE. THE LEAF SHIFTS OUT OF PARK INTO NEUTRAL AFTER STEP #4. ONCE PARKING BRAKE IS OFF AND FOOT IS ON ACCELERATOR, THERE IS NOTHING TO KEEP THE LEAF FROM ROLLING BACK. IF IT ROLLS FAR ENOUGH IT WILL DAMAGE EITHER THE L2 CONNECTOR TO THE CAR OR THE EVSE OR BOTH. COMMENT: THIS IS NOT A HYPOTHETICAL, IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME 3-4 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. FORTUNATELY, I QUICKLY REALIZED THE LEAF WAS STILL CONNECTED TO THE EVSE AND APPLIED THE BRAKE SO THAT NO DAMAGE WAS DONE. IN MY OPINION, YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE LEAF OUT OF PARK OR RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE WHILE THE LEAF IS STILL PLUGGED IN. I WOULD SUGGEST CHANGING THE SOFTWARE TO AVOID POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEAF L2 CONNECTER, EVSE OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY IN THE VICINITY. *TR