Buying a used leaf, need some advice

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discostu

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2018
Messages
5
Hi all, hoping to get some input from you experts, as I'm new to the EV world.
Looking to buy a used Leaf and I have two that I'm interested in. Both are in fairly good shape, but here's the question:
One if a 2011 with about 40k miles on it and the other is a 2014 with about 100k miles. I know the 2013 and beyond had some enhancements, but would it be better to take the older one due to the lower mileage? I think both owners said the battery shows about 10/12 bars.
Thanks for the help!
Stu
 
Generally, you are better off with the 2014 in most respects since it still has some battery warranty left and it is possilble you might drop two more bars in the next year, but it's unlikely.
You are better off paying a little more and looking for one with better battery stats.
 
The general rule is to stay away from 2011 and 2012, and S models. Wow, 100,000 miles on a 2014 is very hard to do. That is an average of somewhere around 65 miles per day. You should be paying a low price for that many miles. Ask that person what their typical usage and charging pattern was.
 
warrenc said:
Generally, you are better off with the 2014 in most respects since it still has some battery warranty left and it is possilble you might drop two more bars in the next year, but it's unlikely.
You are better off paying a little more and looking for one with better battery stats.

Yes, I am leaning towards the 14, but 100k puts it past the warranty. Thanks for the fast response!
 
jake14mw said:
The general rule is to stay away from 2011 and 2012, and S models. Wow, 100,000 miles on a 2014 is very hard to do. That is an average of somewhere around 65 miles per day. You should be paying a low price for that many miles. Ask that person what their typical usage and charging pattern was.
Yes, that 100k does concern me, but the price is pretty darn low. About $4000. But I wonder if I'm going to see a $5000 battery replacement in the near future. In that case, probably better to skip it and look for one with lower miles.

Again, I'm not too familiar with the EV's yet. Is the battery expected to last much more than 100k? I'll definitely ask about those driving patterns.
Thanks!
 
GerryAZ said:
Stu,

Where are you located, what are your daily driving needs, how do you plan to charge? I hate to offer recommendations without knowing your driving conditions.
Hi Gerry,
I'm in Atlanta. Driving would be about 20 miles each way, 4 days a week. I'm hoping I can charge it upon returning home on a regular 110 overnight. But if that doesn't work, I don't mind paying to put in a 220.
Thanks!
 
discostu said:
jake14mw said:
The general rule is to stay away from 2011 and 2012, and S models. Wow, 100,000 miles on a 2014 is very hard to do. That is an average of somewhere around 65 miles per day. You should be paying a low price for that many miles. Ask that person what their typical usage and charging pattern was.
Yes, that 100k does concern me, but the price is pretty darn low. About $4000. But I wonder if I'm going to see a $5000 battery replacement in the near future. In that case, probably better to skip it and look for one with lower miles.

Again, I'm not too familiar with the EV's yet. Is the battery expected to last much more than 100k? I'll definitely ask about those driving patterns.
Thanks!

Do yourself a favor and get an OBD reader and Leafspy to check out any used Leaf you are looking at. That way you will know the condition of the battery.
 
Stu,

Both cars you are considering are out of warranty so make sure you test all of the accessories (especially A/C and heat), the onboard charger, etc. HVAC system repairs can be very expensive. Electric parking brake on 2011 and 2012 is expensive to repair but has generally proven reliable. Foot pedal parking brake on my 2015 has required repair or adjustment (warranty so far) several times while the 2011 was completely trouble free. The high mileage on the 2014 could lead to the need for suspension, wheel bearing, or CV joint repairs before too long (similar to any other front wheel drive car). If the 2014 is an SV or SL, it has the heat pump which has much less impact on range in winter temperatures typical in your area. If the batteries truly have 10 capacity bars remaining (2 lost), then either one should handle your daily driving needs of 40 miles. Although you might be able to get by with 120-volt charging at home overnight (plan on at least 10 or 12 hours), it would be best to get a 240-volt charging unit to take advantage of faster charging and more effective pre heating/pre cooling in the morning while still plugged in. Remote access to the car (any 2011 or 2012 and 2013, 2014, or 2015 SV or SL) will not work unless the telematics unit (cellular modem) has been upgraded (cost is $199 for 2014 and older if it has not been done).
 
Thanks for all the tips folks, that 100k car does worry me.
The 2011 is 8 bars. I just test drove it and it's nice, but I was mistaken on the bars. I mixed it up with another one I was looking at. It's getting about 50 miles on a full charge, so that also concerns me. Hate to drop another $5k on either one of these cars in the next year or two.
I think I might have to up my price point and look for something a bit newer, but less concern about the batteries.
Again, thanks everyone for the input!
 
So, possible hi-jack here.

What SOH on LeafSpy would the Combined Wisdom recommend for a lizard battery? I'm looking at 2015 models, coincidentally coming off lease now, at my next Leaf.

Are there other parameters? I'm not so concerned about SOC. Gids % (but wouldn't that reflect SOH?).

Thanks,

Ixnay
 
LeftieBiker said:
I'd look for a SOH above 90%, and preferably at least 94%, but that will vary by where the cars have "lived." In hotter areas, 90%+ would be good.

Thanks, LeftieBiker. I'm in the Pac NW, so I'm not expecting much degradation and I'm limiting the purchase to cars from the Pacific NW or, as it is, Portland to Seattle.
 
discostu said:
Thanks for all the tips folks, that 100k car does worry me.
The 2011 is 8 bars. I just test drove it and it's nice, but I was mistaken on the bars. I mixed it up with another one I was looking at. It's getting about 50 miles on a full charge, so that also concerns me. Hate to drop another $5k on either one of these cars in the next year or two.
I think I might have to up my price point and look for something a bit newer, but less concern about the batteries.
Again, thanks everyone for the input!
If both vehicles are the same price, go for the 2014 (unless it was a taxi), especially if it is NOT the "S" version. Highway miles are less damaging than city miles and 100,000 mi in less than 4 years must have a significant number of highway miles. If the 2011 is significantly less costly, it could easily be worth it, even when adding $6000 for a new battery. The 2011/2012 and "S" models after 2012 all have the energy sucking heater that really reduces range in winter.
 
@ixnay Don't know your budget or your preferred trim level, but this SL looks good:

http://paramountmotorsnw.com/detail.asp?selected=13109&showOnly=Nissan

http://cpo.nissanusa.com/nna/?1N4AZ0CP8FC320554

https://www.nissanusa.com/recalls-vin/#/#/Results/1N4AZ0CP8FC320554

I purchased my car from Paramount Motors, they were very good to deal with, although they don't bargain on the price. Based on the original sales sticker dealership in Everett, it's a PNW LEAF so the battery should be in excellent shape (assuming it hasn't been abused by the previous owner).
 
@ixnay This dealership in Edmonds and in Everett (two locations) has lots of LEAFs too:

http://www.campbellnissanofedmonds.com/used-cars/sortClick/1/10/Price/VehicleType_~Price1_~Make_Nissan~Model_Leaf
 
LeftieBiker said:
I'd look for a SOH above 90%, and preferably at least 94%, but that will vary by where the cars have "lived." In hotter areas, 90%+ would be good.

Thanks again. Located a 2015 SL in Portland with a 94.7% SOH, later 95.7%, and parked it in my garage last night.
 
discostu said:
GerryAZ said:
Stu,

Where are you located, what are your daily driving needs, how do you plan to charge? I hate to offer recommendations without knowing your driving conditions.
Hi Gerry,
I'm in Atlanta. Driving would be about 20 miles each way, 4 days a week. I'm hoping I can charge it upon returning home on a regular 110 overnight. But if that doesn't work, I don't mind paying to put in a 220.
Thanks!

If the 2014 truly has 10 bars, I would snag it. It should meet your 40 mile round trip commuting needs for a while.

Charging on a 120 should be fine as long as you can do it for 10-12 hours.

$4,000 is a good price. A 2014 with low miles and 11 bars goes for over $9K.
 
For a used EV, look at the batteries. Look at the amount of real world miles you can put on the car with the battery capacity currently available. Will 30% of the range get you where you need to go and back home? If so, then buy the car. If not, then look elsewhere. Batteries don't suddenly die and need replacing. They just slowly lose capacity over time.

You should try to recharge up to 80% of full capacity and drain to 20% of full capacity to avoid super high and low battery voltage to help preserve battery function. Charge it to 100% once a month. This leaves 60% capacity for your daily commute. Halve that 60% capacity to account for future loss of battery capacity and you have 30% capacity. Is 30% of the real world range of the car good enough for you daily commute? If so, buy it. Otherwise, skip it as battery replacement is too expensive.
 
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