Nissan Battery Replacement Program, Cost

[JPWhite]

I would eventually like to replace my battery when it drops to low bars.. however this seems like something I should be able to do myself ..
I have rebuilt motors transmissions and done all the maintenance needed for all my previous vehicles so why not the simple battery exchange on my 2013 Nissan Leaf?

I agree with your sentiment however we are entering into a new era of motor vehicles where we no longer own them lock stock and barrell. Manufacturers are beginning a trend towards obstructing non approved repairs and parts from going into service.

Tesla are famous for intentionally bricking cars. Enthusiasts attempting to put a Tesla chassis and drivetrain into another vehicle using salvaged vehicles find that Tesla can remotely brick the cars OTA if they detect this activity.

There is an EV enthusiast, Jack Ricard, who obtained a practically new Smart EV car without a battery. He enquired about buying a new pack from Mercedes, after some humming and harring they gave him a price but backed out of the deal suddenly when he tried to order the battery when they realised he didn't have a core to return. As far as I am aware he never did get them to sell him the battery. What this means essentially is that we buy a battery that comes included with a car.

Only a few states have "right to repair" laws that protect consumers from this disturbing practice.

[DaveinOlyWA]

I would eventually like to replace my battery when it drops to low bars.. however this seems like something I should be able to do myself ..
I have rebuilt motors transmissions and done all the maintenance needed for all my previous vehicles so why not the simple battery exchange on my 2013 Nissan Leaf?

several have done so, so what is stopping you? Your best bet (and likely best value) is the salvage yards

[Bilbobaker]

I was thinking salvage yards for a used battery might be the best option too.... thanks for all the replies...

Wonder if Doorman will make a replacement for the Leaf too...

[baustin]

I was thinking salvage yards for a used battery might be the best option too.... thanks for all the replies...

Wonder if Doorman will make a replacement for the Leaf too...

Physically replacing the main battery pack is relatively easy. Making it work with the car is very difficult. The BMS in the battery pack needs to be paired with the car. This requires a Consult tool and special key card from Nissan. To get around this, you either need an identical battery pack so you can swap the BMS card between them, or you need to crack open the battery packs and physically swap the cells and wiring harness between them. There is a user (Cor) that has done this, with a thread posted in the Pacific forum.

[RMasters]

There are always questions to which there is no answer.

In my case, even though bars are down and maximum range is only 60 miles, I keep on driving as it does not affect me having some miles less than before.

Other than that, the investment/maintenance funds issue is not an issue to me. If the money issue is an issue for you, you can not afford such a high tech vehicle and should have not gotten it in the first place.

Such a car will eventually require maintenance and/or repair, and this will cost money.

Maybe you should getting something you can afford.

[Cinnabar]

For my update on my 2011 LEAF that is down 5 bars, has 70.5K miles and has been owned since May 2011, I will have a new battery installed with Nissan picking up 80% of the cost.

I took the car into the dealer for regular maintenance (brake fluid and cabin filter) and complained about the degraded battery and range. I got home and called the Nissan EV Customer Support Line requesting assistance for a new battery. Within a couple weeks, Nissan had talked to my Service Rep and offered the 80/20 cost sharing. I did go out of my way to be nice and civil with both my Service Adviser and the Customer Service Rep. It was a pretty easy, no hassle deal.

[cwerdna]

^^^
Wow! That's great news and not a bad price. Good to hear that Nissan is more forthcoming with helping on battery replacement costs on Leafs in these cases.

Perhaps this is also a means of propping up used Leafs prices? Otherwise, more and more Leafs that are out of capacity warranty and below the desired range autonomy will flow to the used market, creating a supply/demand imbalance and depressing prices further.

[DaveinOlyWA]

^^^
Wow! That's great news and not a bad price. Good to hear that Nissan is more forthcoming with helping on battery replacement costs on Leafs in these cases.

Perhaps this is also a means of propping up used Leafs prices? Otherwise, more and more Leafs that are out of capacity warranty and below the desired range autonomy will flow to the used market, creating a supply/demand imbalance and depressing prices further.

This is has been the trend lately from them. It seems like they are being very favorable to the early adopters more and more and I think that is going to continue.

Remember when it was like pulling teeth to get a pack from them? Its almost as if they knew they weren't replacing packs with something significantly better and wanted us to wait it out a bit longer.

I have to admit that when looking at other EV choices, its hard to ignore the loyalty discounts. This makes Nissan hard to beat.

Now I know a ton of people will respond with horror stories on their experiences but the reality is that was then and its a completely different World today.

[JPWhite]

^^^
Wow! That's great news and not a bad price. Good to hear that Nissan is more forthcoming with helping on battery replacement costs on Leafs in these cases.

Perhaps this is also a means of propping up used Leafs prices? Otherwise, more and more Leafs that are out of capacity warranty and below the desired range autonomy will flow to the used market, creating a supply/demand imbalance and depressing prices further.

This is has been the trend lately from them. It seems like they are being very favorable to the early adopters more and more and I think that is going to continue.

Remember when it was like pulling teeth to get a pack from them? Its almost as if they knew they weren't replacing packs with something significantly better and wanted us to wait it out a bit longer.

I have to admit that when looking at other EV choices, its hard to ignore the loyalty discounts. This makes Nissan hard to beat.

Now I know a ton of people will respond with horror stories on their experiences but the reality is that was then and its a completely different World today.

Agreed they are being more helpful nowadays. I recently had the onboard charger fail in my LEAF. Kinda of a bummer since the extended warranty had just run out. I called consumer affairs, almost as a lark, and they agreed to refund me $1,000 of the $2500 repair bill. This was at 107,000 miles and 6 years of age.

[SageBrush]

Now I know a ton of people will respond with horror stories on their experiences but the reality is that was then and its a completely different World today.

I'll believe it when Nissan puts a policy out there in print. Anecdotes are hard to plan by.