NHTSA Complaint #11005959 — 2011 NISSAN LEAF

INTERMITTENTLY, LITTLE OR NO BRAKING FORCE MAYBE BE AVAILABLE WHEN THE CAR IS PUT IN GEAR AFTER INITIAL KEY-ON FOLLOWING ABOUT 10 MINUTE KEY-OFF AFTER A 20-30 MINUTE DRIVE CYCLE. THE FAULT IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN WARM WEATHER. PUMPING THE BRAKES ONCE BEFORE PUTTING THE CAR IN GEAR WILL CLEAR THE PROBLEM. IF THE BRAKES ARE NOT PUMPED THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO ROLL DUE TO THE RESIDUAL TORQUE FROM THE ELECTRIC DRIVE THAT EXISTS EVEN WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS NOT DEPRESSED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A NISSAN DEALER WHO CHARGED $209 FOR ANALYSIS AND TO APPLY A, "SOFTWARE UPGRADE," TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER SYSTEM. IT S NOT YET KNOWN IF THE SOFTWARE RESOLVED THE ISSUE DUE TO INTERMITTENT NATURE. THIS ISSUE COULD POSE A HAZARD FOR ITINERANT DRIVERS OF LEAFS WITHOUT SOFTWARE UPGRADE BECAUSE THOSE DRIVERS WOULD NOT KNOW BRAKE PUMPING ALLEVIATES THE PROBLEM. THE NORMAL REACTION IS TO PRESS THE BRAKES HARDER WITHOUT LIFTING, WHICH HAS NO EFFECT ON RESTORING BRAKE FORCE.