PLS HELP! Buying a USED leaf

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ShayeraHol

Active member
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
26
Hi,

I am interested in purchasing a used 2015 Nissan Leaf SV for $13,750 no haggle with 10,000 miles on it. It comes with only one key.

The basic warranty has expired, but I'm getting an extended one through the dealer.

I'm confused on how many bars it has left. On the carfax report, it stated that the battery was replaced.

Here is a picture of how many bars are left.

https://cdnblob.carvana.io/2000073124/post-large/gallery/2000073124-gallery-2-4x.jpg?v=2017101609004428

Is this a good deal? Any tips before buying?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
 
That picture does indicate it still has all 12 capacity bars, but I would still take the VIN to a local Nissan tech and check the history. Make sure it wasn't the 12 volt battery. ;)
 
It has 12 capacity bars showing, and given the mileage and the fact that it's a 2015, the pack should be ok, although I'd use LeafSpy on it anyway if possible. The "battery" that was replaced was undoubtedly the 12 volt accessory battery.
 
@keydriver and @LeftieBiker Thank you sooo much for your reply!

Could you explain to me what is wrong with the 12 Volt battery?

I googled it and it said the 2015 has 24 kWh 360 V lithium-ion battery pack.
 
keydiver said:
That picture does indicate it still has all 12 capacity bars, but I would still take the VIN to a local Nissan tech and check the history. Make sure it wasn't the 12 volt battery. ;)

@keydriver Thank you sooo much for your reply!

Could you explain to me what is wrong with the 12 Volt battery?

I googled it and it said the 2015 has 24 kWh 360 V lithium-ion battery pack.
 
LeftieBiker said:
It has 12 capacity bars showing, and given the mileage and the fact that it's a 2015, the pack should be ok, although I'd use LeafSpy on it anyway if possible. The "battery" that was replaced was undoubtedly the 12 volt accessory battery.


Thanks again for your reply!!!!

What makes you so sure it has the 12 Volt replacement?

Thaks for your recommendation I just downloaded the LeafSpy app.
 
The 12 volt battery is just a normal car battery. It runs all the accessories and is completely different from the 400 volt battery that runs the motor. Carfax is not smart enough to distinguish between the two, but it would be almost out of the realm of possibility that the battery pack ($6500 part) was replaced at under 10k miles.

This car has plenty of life left in it.
 
pyromancy5 said:
The 12 volt battery is just a normal car battery. It runs all the accessories and is completely different from the 400 volt battery that runs the motor. Carfax is not smart enough to distinguish between the two, but it would be almost out of the realm of possibility that the battery pack ($6500 part) was replaced at under 10k miles.

This car has plenty of life left in it.

Thank you for replying!

How do I check to see if it is a 12 volt battery or a Lizard battery?
I don't understand why they would replace the battery when it has only 10,000 miles on it.
 
ShayeraHol said:
Thank you for replying!

How do I check to see if it is a 12 volt battery or a Lizard battery?
I don't understand why they would replace the battery when it has only 10,000 miles on it.

Every LEAF has TWO batteries. A high voltage (HV) battery used to run the car. That's the "24KWh 360V" battery you mentioned. They also have a regular old 12v car battery like every gasoline car has to run things like the lights and entertainment system. The 12v battery can fail and need replacement because of factory defects, or be ruined by being run down too many times.

The HV battery could fail because of factory defects, but it is most unlikely. More likely the 12v battery was replaced.
 
This is going to be a looong thread, I think...

Unless you have strong reason to suspect the ethics of the dealership, the car should be good. The fact that it seems to have a new 12 volt battery is a good thing, not a bad one. Some cars have their capacity bars reset at auction when they have lost one or more, but a 2015 with 10,000 miles is not likely to be one of those. If you can find out, via Carfax, where the car originally resided, then we can tell you, going by the climate there, how likely the battery is to be close to losing that 12th capacity bar.

Make sure that the extended warranty covers the climate control system, or it isn't worth the money. It will NOT, even if a salesperson tells you otherwise, cover the battery capacity.

Getting a second key and having it programmed for the car will cost you about $300. If the warranty costs more than $1000, I suggest you bank that money instead and buy a second key.
 
ShayeraHol said:
How do I check to see if it is a 12 volt battery or a Lizard battery?
I don't understand why they would replace the battery when it has only 10,000 miles on it.

Some dealers as a matter of the reconditioning process will automatically replace the battery and/or the tires. This is especially true for "Certified Pre-Owned" cars. A bad 12 volt battery can make the systems in the Leaf behave weird (if not totally stop working) so for a dealer it's cheap insurance that they won't be seeing the car again in a couple of days because something's not working right.

If you have a 2015 you automatically have the "Lizard" battery, as that's the first model year that Nissan officially installed them during assembly. Some 2014's might have gotten them but Nissan won't say which cars if any received them.
 
LeftieBiker said:
This is going to be a looong thread, I think...

Unless you have strong reason to suspect the ethics of the dealership, the car should be good. The fact that it seems to have a new 12 volt battery is a good thing, not a bad one. Some cars have their capacity bars reset at auction when they have lost one or more, but a 2015 with 10,000 miles is not likely to be one of those. If you can find out, via Carfax, where the car originally resided, then we can tell you, going by the climate there, how likely the battery is to be close to losing that 12th capacity bar.

Make sure that the extended warranty covers the climate control system, or it isn't worth the money. It will NOT, even if a salesperson tells you otherwise, cover the battery capacity.

Getting a second key and having it programmed for the car will cost you about $300. If the warranty costs more than $1000, I suggest you bank that money instead and buy a second key.

I'm Sorry I'm 19 and this is my first car. I'm just trying to make sure I know how to take care of it.

On the Carfax it stated it was sold in Stafford, TX and registered in Houston, Tx as a personal lease vehicle.

I just picked it up today at the Carvana in Houston.

I won't get the second key since the warranty was over $1,000.

Im going to check the warranty now.
 
RonDawg said:
ShayeraHol said:
How do I check to see if it is a 12 volt battery or a Lizard battery?
I don't understand why they would replace the battery when it has only 10,000 miles on it.

Some dealers as a matter of the reconditioning process will automatically replace the battery and/or the tires. This is especially true for "Certified Pre-Owned" cars. A bad 12 volt battery can make the systems in the Leaf behave weird (if not totally stop working) so for a dealer it's cheap insurance that they won't be seeing the car again in a couple of days because something's not working right.

If you have a 2015 you automatically have the "Lizard" battery, as that's the first model year that Nissan officially installed them during assembly. Some 2014's might have gotten them but Nissan won't say which cars if any received them.

Thanks for replying,

I Knew something wasnt adding up. Soo glad Nissan added them to the 2015 models.
 
LeftieBiker said:
This is going to be a looong thread, I think...

Unless you have strong reason to suspect the ethics of the dealership, the car should be good. The fact that it seems to have a new 12 volt battery is a good thing, not a bad one. Some cars have their capacity bars reset at auction when they have lost one or more, but a 2015 with 10,000 miles is not likely to be one of those. If you can find out, via Carfax, where the car originally resided, then we can tell you, going by the climate there, how likely the battery is to be close to losing that 12th capacity bar.

Make sure that the extended warranty covers the climate control system, or it isn't worth the money. It will NOT, even if a salesperson tells you otherwise, cover the battery capacity.

Getting a second key and having it programmed for the car will cost you about $300. If the warranty costs more than $1000, I suggest you bank that money instead and buy a second key.


I checked Carvana's extended warranty and I couldnt find Climate Control System. Could it be under another name?

I was pretty they added it.

Here is the extended warranty: https://www.carvana.com/Content/CarvanaVehicleProtection.pdf
 
Some components of the HVAC system are covered, but I woudn't bet on all of them. How much is this warranty? If they "added it" make sure that it was done in a legal manner.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Some components of the HVAC system are covered, but I woudn't bet on all of them. How much is this warranty? If they "added it" make sure that it was done in a legal manner.



I added it for $1,050 for this car for 60 months.

It was optional, and since the basic warranty was already expired I thought it would be a good idea.

Why do you say you wouldn't bet on all of them? Should I be worried about that considering that I live in Houston?

I read on here that living in hotter climates can cause the battery to lose bars quicker.
 
The warranty lists standard A/C components, while the Leaf, like the Prius and like other EVs, uses an electric motor in a sealed box to run the A/C, instead of it being driven by a belt from an engine. I don't think the warranty would cover failure of some of the additional components, like the A/C drive motor. I don't think that your climate is a big risk to the A/C system, though, and I'm sure that the warranty doesn't cover heat-related deterioration of the battery pack. If you can afford a $1000 insurance policy on which you are not likely to collect, that's fine. I bought an extended warranty when I extended my lease in 2016. If it's a financial hardship, though, you may want to rethink it. I got Nissan's Gold Preferred plan, which covers both the HVAC system completely and the infotainment console.
 
Congratulations and thank you for driving electric! It really makes my day seeing younger folks picking up these used EVs at such good prices. I'm almost ok with having paid full MSRP back in 2011. I may break even by 2020, but with my low mileage I doubt it.
 
Reddy said:
Congratulations and thank you for driving electric! It really makes my day seeing younger folks picking up these used EVs at such good prices. I'm almost ok with having paid full MSRP back in 2011. I may break even by 2020, but with my low mileage I doubt it.

Thanks! :)

I never even heard about the Nissan Leaf before or considered electrics cars, I thought there were way out of my price range. I was also interested in the BMW i3 cause they look so cool, but I felt it wasn't a good investment due to high repair costs.

Your right Leafs such a good deal only 2 years old, low miles, good price, and low maintenance.

Plus in Texas, you don't have to take the State inspection every year.

I couldn't image buying a new one back when they came out. You guys really took a leap of faith. I wish I could drop 30k on a car.
 
LeftieBiker said:
The warranty lists standard A/C components, while the Leaf, like the Prius and like other EVs, uses an electric motor in a sealed box to run the A/C, instead of it being driven by a belt from an engine. I don't think the warranty would cover failure of some of the additional components, like the A/C drive motor. I don't think that your climate is a big risk to the A/C system, though, and I'm sure that the warranty doesn't cover heat-related deterioration of the battery pack. If you can afford a $1000 insurance policy on which you are not likely to collect, that's fine. I bought an extended warranty when I extended my lease in 2016. If it's a financial hardship, though, you may want to rethink it. I got Nissan's Gold Preferred plan, which covers both the HVAC system completely and the infotainment console.

Thanks so much for explaining everything to me!

I got the insurance policy rolled into the payments and it only raised my monthly by $20. I only did it cause I thought it would be necessary.

Do you think I can get the Nissan Gold Preferred Plan and cancel my insurance with Carvana? I looked it up and it has a better coverage and a low deductible too.

This is it right? https://owners.nissanusa.com/content/techpub/extendedserviceplans/Gold.pdf
 
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