NHTSA Complaint #11172483 — 2015 NISSAN LEAF

BRAKES FAILED UPON STARTING THE CAR. MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD (BRAKE, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND BRAKE SYSTEM) RESULTING IN TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE - CANNOT STOP THE CAR WITH NORMAL BRAKING EVEN WHILE JUST PUTTING THE CAR INTO DRIVE/REVERSE FROM PARK. STARTED HAPPENING ~3 WEEKS AGO. THE ONLY THING THAT STOPS THE CAR IS THE EMERGENCY / PARKING BRAKE. IF PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY, JUST BEFORE HITTING THE FLOOR THERE IS A LOUD POPPING / GRINDING NOISE AND THE PARKING BRAKE (?) ENGAGES. THE FIRST TIME, TURNING THE CAR OFF/ON FIXED IT. WE TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALER, THEY SAID "COULD NOT FIND THE ISSUE IN THEIR SYSTEM" AND SAID IT WAS A "FLUKE" AND WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER AND TURNING THE CAR OFF/ON DIDN'T HELP, AND THE CAR WAS STUCK IN OUR DRIVEWAY. TRIED REPLACING THE 12V BATTERY, WHICH FIXED THE ISSUE TEMPORARILY. HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW DAYS AFTER THAT AND HAD TO GET IT TOWED BACK TO NISSAN. *NOW* THEY FOUND THE ISSUE IN THEIR SYSTEM AND THINK IT'S THE "DRIVEN INTELLIGENT BRAKE UNIT" AND COSTS $2600+ TO FIX. THEY ALSO SAY THE "MAIN ENGINE HARNESS" MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR SOME REASON AS WELL, COSTING ANOTHER $2400+. HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN USA, THEY TOLD ME THEY DON'T HAVE A RECORD OF THIS BEING A PROBLEM WITH LEAFS (EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS ON HERE) AND REFUSES TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. THIS BRAKE SYSTEM IS *EXTREMELY UNSAFE* FOR THE DRIVER & PASSENGERS, AND EVERYONE AROUND IT. MY KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN NEAR THE CAR WHEN IT STARTED MOVING ON ITS OWN EVEN THOUGH I WAS PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. NO ONE NEEDS TO DIE OR GET GRAVELY INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS FAULTY SYSTEM.