NHTSA Complaint #11047839 — 2016 NISSAN LEAF

BATTERY DEGRADATION OCCURRING MUCH QUICKER THAN REASONABLY EXPECTED. DETAILS FOLLOW. CAR PURCHASED IN JUNE 2016. AFTER DRIVING A TOTAL OF 6,150 MILES UNDER CONDITIONS OF MODERATE TEMPERATURE, CONSERVATIVE DRIVING (NOT EXCEEDING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, USING ECO MODE AS RECOMMENDED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S MANUAL TO ENHANCE BATTERY LIFE) AND RARELY CHARGING THE BATTERY TO MORE THAN 80% NOR MAKING USE OF FREQUENT QUICK-CHARGING (ALSO AS RECOMMENDED IN MANUFACTURER'S MANUAL), I NOTICED THAT 1 OUT OF 12 "BARS" OF BATTERY CAPACITY WERE LOST. USE OF SOFTWARE TO DETERMINE STATE OF HEALTH (SOH) OF THE BATTERY INDICATED THAT AFTER ONLY 2,300 MILES (AND 4 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP), SOH WAS 89%. MOST RECENTLY (NOV. 2016), SOH IS LESS THAN 84%. CAR IS ALWAYS KEPT IN GARAGE WHEN NOT IN USE, NEVER PARKED OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER IN OCT. 2016 AND NOV. 2017 ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. SERVICE DEPARTMENT DECLINED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEMS IN OCT. 2016 WITH SOH WAS ONLY 89%. CONCLUSION: SINCE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN AND CHARGED UNDER OPTIMAL CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE OF OVERHEATING WHILE IN OWNER'S POSSESSION, IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT THERE IS EITHER A DEFECT IN THE BATTERY PER SE OR POOR HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE TIME OF SALE. THERE IS NO WAY FOR A CONSUMER GET AN ACCURATE MEASURE OF BATTERY CAPACITY AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. I CAN MAKE A SPREADSHEET OF BATTERY SOH OVER TIME AS MEASURED BY 3RD PARTY SOFTWARE AVAILABLE TO NHTSA AT YOUR REQUEST.