NHTSA Complaint #11122973 — 2015 NISSAN LEAF

I WAS DRIVING IN SOMEWHAT HEAVY TRAFFIC IN AN URBAN SETTING AT 25MPH WHEN, UNEXPECTEDLY, I HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY APPLYING THE BRAKES TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION. IT TOOK CONSIDERABLE EFFORT, INCLUDING SWERVING, TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, AND I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE, AGAIN HAVING GREAT TROUBLE STOPPING. THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE BRAKES FELT LIKE I WAS SKIDDING ON SNOW OR ICE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT WAS A FAIRLY WARM AUGUST DAY. THERE WAS AN ACCOMPANYING LOUD, UNPLEASANT SOUND COMING FROM THE BRAKES WHEN I STOMPED ON THEM. I HAD ALSO NOTICED THAT A NUMBER OF WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH HAD COME ON ALL AT THE SAME TIME WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTED. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP IN THE PARKING LOT, I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF MANY TIMES, AND EACH TIME, THERE WAS A LOW BUT CLEARLY AUDIBLE THRUMMING SOUND, PLUS A VIBRATION I COULD FEEL IN THE BRAKES. THE SOUND WAS PARTICULARLY SURPRISING TO HEAR, GIVEN THAT THE VEHICLE IS OTHERWISE AN EXTREMELY QUIET (100% ELECTRIC) VEHICLE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE ABOUT TEN TIMES, I DECIDED TO LEAVE TO WAIT FOR AWHILE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO START IT AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT 20 MIN., I STARTED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT TROUBLE AND CAUTIOUSLY DROVE IT HOME ON LARGELY EMPTY SIDE-STREETS.