Capacity Loss on 2011-2012 LEAFs

[Wennfred]

Here is an update: Nissan told the dealership that replacement batteries for the 2011 Leaf are on restricted ordering and that I would have to wait 4-5 weeks before the battery would ship. I know previously people were getting the replacement battery in 4-5 days!!!

Are you dealing with the Kearney Mesa Nissan dealership?



Fred

 

[kolmstead]

We expected the surge of battery replacements to happen in the fall or winter; that's when degradation plus reduced capacity due to cold batteries hurts the worst. And virtually every 2011 or 2012 Leaf battery in the hot parts of the country has to be seriously degraded by now. My bet is that dealers in the southwest are seeing the "flood" of warranty claims that was predicted a couple of years ago. I can't believe that Nissan would be foolish enough to start issuing 9-bar batteries. Well, on second thought.. they have made some pretty poor decisions in the past.

-Karl

 

[dhanson865]

Here is an update: Nissan told the dealership that replacement batteries for the 2011 Leaf are on restricted ordering and that I would have to wait 4-5 weeks before the battery would ship. I know previously people were getting the replacement battery in 4-5 days!!!

Hmm... I wonder if this is where we start seeing the refurbished to 9 bar packs used for warranty repairs instead of new ones.

Why go to straight to 9? Maybe we'll start seeing refurbished packs of varying bars, one guy gets 11, another guy gets 10, someone else gets a 12 that drops to 11 bars the next day (or some other almost immediately scenario).

 

[dhanson865]

I finally dropped the 4th bar at 43,000 miles with only a 50 mile city/highway range on my 2011 Leaf here in San Diego. I am bringing it in tomorrow to start the replacement process They told me it could take a few days to get the new battery in - but with Thanksgiving I figure it probably won't be replaced until next week.

	Date Of Loss   Forum Name     Location 	    Mileage At Loss Months Owned At Loss Mfg Date Leaf VIN
#16 	Nov 24th, 2014 electricfuture San Diego, CA 43,000 miles    41 months                         4205 
#15 	Oct ?th, 2014  TaylorSFGuy    Kent, WA 	   129,300 miles    41 months                        01561

Didn't have a manufacturing date for your entry, assuming I got the rest right it's interesting that you and TaylorSFGuy had about the same loss at about the same time frame with wildly differing miles.

I guess his miles offset your heat.

 

[Wennfred]

I finally dropped the 4th bar at 43,000 miles with only a 50 mile city/highway range on my 2011 Leaf here in San Diego. I am bringing it in tomorrow to start the replacement process They told me it could take a few days to get the new battery in - but with Thanksgiving I figure it probably won't be replaced until next week.

	Date Of Loss   Forum Name     Location 	    Mileage At Loss Months Owned At Loss Mfg Date Leaf VIN
#16 	Nov 24th, 2014 electricfuture San Diego, CA 43,000 miles    41 months                         4205 
#15 	Oct ?th, 2014  TaylorSFGuy    Kent, WA 	   129,300 miles    41 months                        01561

[/quote]

I should hit the 4th CB's in July 2015.


Fred

 

[keydiver]

Hmm... I wonder if this is where we start seeing the refurbished to 9 bar packs used for warranty repairs instead of new ones.

I really can't believe that Nissan would only replace a few cells, just to get >9 bars. 99% of the packs that they are going to get as cores will have EVERY cell at 67% capacity or less, and everyone knows that you can't mix cells of different ages/capacity in series. I guess they *could* start buying up every used pack from wrecked Leafs in junkyards, but they could hardly call that "remanufactured", as stated in the warranty. I'm not sure why they wrote the capacity warranty that way, saying that the new battery might only restore you to 9 bars, as that would be ANOTHER really bad PR move for Nissan. I'm hoping that its because they were just looking out 3-4 years into the future, when they might no longer manufacture a compatible battery, and have to resort to other methods for replacements. :?:

 

[Phatcat73]

What is the warranty term for the replacements? Another 60k and 5 years?

 

[keydiver]

I don't believe there has ever been any mention of a warranty on the replacement battery. It will probably fall under the original 5 year/60,000 mile.

 

[electricfuture]

This is also my concern. The new battery packs require the modification brackets, so if they are "not needed" I'll know the answer.

 

[electricfuture]

Are you dealing with the Kearney Mesa Nissan dealership?

No this is with Mossy Nissan Poway. I would be their 4th battery replacement.

 

[DaveEV]

4-5 weeks to get the battery? Are they shipping it via boat from Japan? Call up the EV hotline - they are often helpful in these situations.

 

[mwalsh]

4-5 weeks to get the battery? Are they shipping it via boat from Japan? Call up the EV hotline - they are often helpful in these situations.

Yes, do. It will also confirm that the dealer isn't telling you porkies (pork pies=lies).

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Here is an update: Nissan told the dealership that replacement batteries for the 2011 Leaf are on restricted ordering and that I would have to wait 4-5 weeks before the battery would ship. I know previously people were getting the replacement battery in 4-5 days!!!

too bad you cant toss them a few hundred and get the lizard pack instead...

 

[mwalsh]

I really can't believe that Nissan would only replace a few cells, just to get >9 bars. 99% of the packs that they are going to get as cores will have EVERY cell at 67% capacity or less, and everyone knows that you can't mix cells of different ages/capacity in series. I guess they *could* start buying up every used pack from wrecked Leafs in junkyards, but they could hardly call that "remanufactured", as stated in the warranty. I'm not sure why they wrote the capacity warranty that way, saying that the new battery might only restore you to 9 bars, as that would be ANOTHER really bad PR move for Nissan. I'm hoping that its because they were just looking out 3-4 years into the future, when they might no longer manufacture a compatible battery, and have to resort to other methods for replacements. :?:

I don't know where the information came from, but this would indicate that ALL replacement packs would be lizards, once those packs were available. This would seem to preclude the use of any used/refurbished packs (until lizards became available that way):

http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?rssid=31119" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

....Those packs would become the replacement for any current Leaf batteries replaced under warranty for loss of capacity.

Of course, I'd feel happier if this was an actual quote from someone at Nissan (although, sadly, sometimes those statements are not very believable either).

I'll do a little more digging and see if there is anything more concrete I can find.

Edit: BTW, you know the part number difference between lizard pack and regular pack, right? Lizard pack is 295B0-3NF9E and the old pack is 295B0-3NA7A. The newer packs started to go into warranty replacement cars in September of this year, and I believe they had discontinued use of the old pack as of August.

 

[Wennfred]

Are you dealing with the Kearney Mesa Nissan dealership?

No this is with Mossy Nissan Poway. I would be their 4th battery replacement.

Good to know, I will be dealing with them, since I can't trust the TJ Chula Juana one.

 

[RegGuheert]

Hmm... I wonder if this is where we start seeing the refurbished to 9 bar packs used for warranty repairs instead of new ones.

That was my first thought, as well. But let's hope it is something simple such as them running low on battery packs and reserving them for production of the 2015s.

 

[mwalsh]

But let's hope it is something simple such as them running low on battery packs and reserving them for production of the 2015s.

Indeed!

 

[Wennfred]

3599.00 for the Lizard packs, price has dropped.

http://www.nissanpartsconnection.com/OEMParts/nissan-142/2/295B03NF9E.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[RegGuheert]

3599.00 for the Lizard packs, price has dropped.

http://www.nissanpartsconnection.com/OEMParts/nissan-142/2/295B03NF9E.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

$150/kWh

 

[DaveEV]

Hmm would that be $3600 + $1000 for install kit and labor - $4600? I've saved enough on gas compared to my last car so far to pay for the pack. Would that include the core charge? If not - subtract $1000?

Someone out of warranty has got to find out!