LEAF reliability survey, view results, sign up to help

[mkaresh]

We've updated our reliability stats for the LEAF to include owner experiences through March 31, 2013.

Repair frequencies, in terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

2012 LEAF: 7, low
2011 LEAF: 3, low

We have two additional statistics, "Nada-odds" and "Lemon-odds", to indicate the percentage of cars with no repairs in the past year and those that required 3+ trips to the repair shop:

2011 LEAF: 97, < 1

We'll have further updates in August and in November. The more owners participate, the more comprehensive and precise these will be.

For the details, including the descriptions of reported repairs, and to sign up to help improve this information:

Nissan LEAF reliability ratings and comparisons

 

[lion]

Hmm when I registered my LEAF last month, I thought the site said no data was being tracked for the LEAF? I'll have to check again. Been using TrueDelta since the day you shared it on other forums I visit, great site.

 

[mkaresh]

Hmm when I registered my LEAF last month, I thought the site said no data was being tracked for the LEAF? I'll have to check again. Been using TrueDelta since the day you shared it on other forums I visit, great site.

If you can, let me know where you read this on the site. If you misread something, others are as well, and we should fix this.

 

[mkaresh]

We'll have updated stats for the 2011 and 2012 later this month. There aren't likely to be any surprises.

We especially need more participants for the 2013 and up.

http://www.truedelta.com/join" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[jlsoaz]

We'll have updated stats for the 2011 and 2012 later this month. There aren't likely to be any surprises.

We especially need more participants for the 2013 and up.

http://www.truedelta.com/join" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I joined and so far it does seem like an interesting site.

 

[mkaresh]

Thanks!

 

[mkaresh]

We've updated our reliability stats for the LEAF to include owner experiences through June 30, 2013. (Another source is about 14 months behind.)

Repair frequencies, in terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

2012 LEAF: 10, low
2011 LEAF: 6, low

We have two additional statistics, "Nada-odds" and "Lemon-odds", to indicate the percentage of cars with no repairs in the past year and those that required 3+ trips to the repair shop:

2012 LEAF: 96, < 1
2011 LEAF: 93, < 1

We'll have further updates in November and February.

To view competitors' scores and descriptions of reported repairs, and to sign up to help:

Nissan LEAF reliability ratings and comparisons

 

[jlsoaz]

To view competitors' scores and descriptions of reported repairs, and to sign up to help:

Nissan LEAF reliability ratings and comparisons

Hi -

Good stuff. Looking at this link, does the 2011 Leaf beat out all competitors on the comparison to all models of the same year? Is its excellent performance skewed somehow by the small sample size, or is it simply an extremely reliable car?

 

[mkaresh]

It doesn't beat out all cars, but certainly the great majority of them.

Note that we are counting successfully completed repairs, and count unrepaired problems only when a car is sold. So cars with diminishing range aren't fully reflected in these stats.

 

[mkaresh]

We've updated our reliability stats for the LEAF to include owner experiences through September 30, 2013.

Repair frequencies, in terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

2013 LEAF: 59, high, small sample size
2012 LEAF: 6, low
2011 LEAF: 7, low

We have two additional statistics, "Nada-odds" and "Lemon-odds", to indicate the percentage of cars with no repairs in the past year and those that required 3+ trips to the repair shop:

2012 LEAF: 92, < 1
2011 LEAF: 92, < 1

We'll have further updates in February and in May. The more owners participate, the more comprehensive and precise these will be.

To see how competitors compare, and to sign up to help improve this information:

Nissan LEAF reliability ratings and comparisons

 

[TomT]

This would tend to confirm what we already anecdotally know: The 2013 Leaf is significantly less reliable than the 2011 and 2012...

2013 LEAF: 59, high, small sample size
2012 LEAF: 6, low
2011 LEAF: 7, low

 

[jlsoaz]

Have been glad to participate I think it's an interesting website/effort.

A couple of minor points:

The Leaf has you going back in 2x per year for maintenance (tires, battery checkup, etc.). I just filled out the latest survey and it looks like maybe in one case for me this was listed as repair, perhaps because I mentioned losing a bar/and/range. I think that hopefully there is a way to distinguish routine scheduled checkups and label them as such? Maybe it's already there.

Regarding my loss of a bar and a little range, I think you mentioned that the way it's in the system, it doesn't count as a broken item needing repair (it doesn't hurt the numbers) but the wording is there. I think that sounds like a decent compromise, but I'm wondering what other feedback you've had from other Leaf drivers on the matter of how to put this on the survey so it strikes the right chord?

 

[mkaresh]

Have been glad to participate I think it's an interesting website/effort.

A couple of minor points:

The Leaf has you going back in 2x per year for maintenance (tires, battery checkup, etc.). I just filled out the latest survey and it looks like maybe in one case for me this was listed as repair, perhaps because I mentioned losing a bar/and/range. I think that hopefully there is a way to distinguish routine scheduled checkups and label them as such? Maybe it's already there.

Regarding my loss of a bar and a little range, I think you mentioned that the way it's in the system, it doesn't count as a broken item needing repair (it doesn't hurt the numbers) but the wording is there. I think that sounds like a decent compromise, but I'm wondering what other feedback you've had from other Leaf drivers on the matter of how to put this on the survey so it strikes the right chord?

Just because you see a repair description posted to the site doesn't mean we count it in our stats.

To try to make the stats as objective as possible, we currently only count repair trips in which something was done beyond a free software update that made a problem go away.

If you think one of your reports might have been mis-categorized, just send me an email and I'll check.

 

[mkaresh]

This would tend to confirm what we already anecdotally know: The 2013 Leaf is significantly less reliable than the 2011 and 2012...

2013 LEAF: 59, high, small sample size
2012 LEAF: 6, low
2011 LEAF: 7, low

It is looking this way, which is odd for a car in its third model year. Any theories?

We're not basing this on a lot of problem reports. But I see a couple reports each for three problems: difficulty charging, a power distribution module, and a click in the front axle.

Any of these come up a lot on the forum?

 

[mwalsh]

It is looking this way, which is odd for a car in its third model year. Any theories?

TN build quality. Or configuration changes that include parts not used before.

 

[TomT]

I suspect it is the different systems in the 2013 coupled with a lower level of build quality in the new TN plant...

It is looking this way, which is odd for a car in its third model year. Any theories?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

This would tend to confirm what we already anecdotally know: The 2013 Leaf is significantly less reliable than the 2011 and 2012...

2013 LEAF: 59, high, small sample size
2012 LEAF: 6, low
2011 LEAF: 7, low

It is looking this way, which is odd for a car in its third model year. Any theories?

We're not basing this on a lot of problem reports. But I see a couple reports each for three problems: difficulty charging, a power distribution module, and a click in the front axle.

Any of these come up a lot on the forum?

more likely to be a change in suppliers and less likely to be the assembly process. is there any info on root causes? it hard to believe that
PDMs are failing due to improper installation.

 

[mkaresh]

I hadn't realized that the assembly location changed. In this case, I find a change in suppliers and/or design/feature changes to be the most likely explanation. Assembly has little or no control over the types of problems being reported.

 

[lion]

This would tend to confirm what we already anecdotally know: The 2013 Leaf is significantly less reliable than the 2011 and 2012...

2013 LEAF: 59, high, small sample size
2012 LEAF: 6, low
2011 LEAF: 7, low

It is looking this way, which is odd for a car in its third model year. Any theories?

We're not basing this on a lot of problem reports. But I see a couple reports each for three problems: difficulty charging, a power distribution module, and a click in the front axle.

Any of these come up a lot on the forum?

I have a 2013, which has been in the shop for a large list of things that went wrong, and was reported on your site. The TN plant definitely had some things to learn again I guess, as I found weird things such as clips designed to hold the HV wiring in place were disconnected from the holder (difficult to explain). PDM was another major issue, but it was mostly addressable with a software update (PDM issues is what caused the charging issues you mentioned).

The steering wheel & seat heaters are another major issue it seems, plus personally, I had weird stuff going on a bunch of 12V related components because of a door switch issue.

 

[EatsShootsandLeafs]

I have contributed to truedelta for several years with a few of my vehicles.

I actually have had a break on my Leaf. The driver window does not auto-up anymore. Very strange, it simply doesn't. I haven't brought it in, nor will I, so I haven't counted it as a "return from repair" on truedelta's questionnaire.