NHTSA Complaint #10474173 — 2011 NISSAN LEAF

THE NISSAN LEAF WE PURCHASED FROM ABC NISSAN (PHOENIX, AZ) IN MARCH, 2011 BEGAN EXPERIENCING A RAPID DECREASE IN RANGE BEGINNING IN MARCH, 2012. FOR 5 MONTHS, DURING MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS, VISITS TO DEALERS, AND AMONG 2 WEEKS OF TESTING AT THE PROVING GROUNDS, WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT THE 30% REDUCTION IN DRIVING RANGE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IS NORMAL, GRADUAL CAPACITY LOSS AND IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE LEAF BATTERY CAUSING IT TO RAPIDLY DEGRADE FASTER IN WARMER CLIMATES, ALTHOUGH OWNERS IN CALIFORNIA ARE STARTING TO SEE RANGE LOSS AS WELL. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TEST REPORTS BY OUR DEALERSHIP THAT OUR TREATMENT OF THE CAR ?IS VERY GOOD FOR YOUR BATTERY.? THE USABILITY AND VALUE OF THE CAR HAS BEEN IRREVOCABLY DIMINISHED DUE TO THIS NONCONFORMIST, DESPITE THE CARE GIVEN TO THE BATTERY AS CONFIRMED BY THE EV BATTERY USAGE REPORTS. OWNERS APPEAR TO HAVE NO RECOURSE AT THIS TIME. ONE OWNER TRIED TO TRADE-IN HIS LEAF TO 11 LOCAL CAR DEALERS, AND 10 REFUSED TO MAKE ANY TRADE-IN OFFER FOR A MINT-CONDITION CAR, NO CAPACITY LOSS, NO FLAWS, LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. WE ARE STUCK WITH A $35,000 CAR THAT WE CAN NO LONGER USE ON A DAILY BASIS. OWNERS HAVE BEGUN TO COLLECT SELF-REPORTED COMPLAINTS ONLINE(1), AND RANGE-LOSS IS EXPERIENCED BY AT LEAST 46 CARS IN ARIZONA (OUT OF 400 TOTAL SOLD), 18 CARS IN TEXAS, AND 12 CARS IN CALIFORNIA. *TR