Passenger Footwell Panel Fell

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4CloverLeaf

Active member
Joined
Mar 24, 2017
Messages
27
Location
Colorado
I just got a new 2017 Leaf SV on 3/23/17 and only started driving it yesterday, however, I ran into two problems on the first day of use. Right after I bought the car, I left the country so I did not end up driving the new Leaf until yesterday. However, after leaving work yesterday I was driving in stop and go traffic and I hear a pop. I did not see anything so I quickly dismissed it and kept going. After a couple more minutes I hear a crack and see a new crack in my windshield down at the bottom near the center of the windshield. I am not sure what happened but I wonder if it was a defect in the windshield or it was not installed perfectly. It starts from the bottom edge and I don't think I would have been nailed by a rock in stop and go traffic but I declined the extra windshield warranty so I guess this just sucks for me and the dealer would not do anything for me. Anyone else have this happen or know what it is going to cost me?

On the way home I drove by a friend's place to show off my new electric car. He promptly opened the passenger side front door and says "huh, what's up with that?" Curiously I walk over to look at what he is pointing at and see the plastic panel on the underside of the footwell has fallen about 2/3rds down. It looks like the panel holds up a cabin air filter and the side closest to the middle of the car is hanging down. I had not noticed that when I bought the car. When I try and put it back up it just won't click in to anything to stay up. It looks like there should be a clip one place but the clip is missing. I looked all around the floor and don't see any clip or broken plastic or anything at all really. Has anyone else had this happen and how did you fix it? I guess I am going to need to take it by the dealer.

It is fairly disappointing to have multiple problems my first day driving the car and this has me a bit worried about the build quality. I don't know, maybe I just had horrible luck that day but I had previously gone 14 years since my last windshield crack. I am also pretty sure that a metal clip that is needed to hold up the footwell panel is simply missing and was never installed. I work on my own cars normally and would be fine clipping back in an nterior panel most of the time but there is simply nothing to clip it into to hold up the panel. Any advice? Can someone at least pat me on the back and tell me that it will all be okay? Thanks.
 
It's normal. Nissan is not building quality vehicles in EU as well. A lot of manufacturing defects. I mean A LOT.

You have a new windshield. It was not chipped (no measurable damage outside). And even possible that the
crack is on the inside glass layer. I would say it is a regular warranty claim (as it is literally a manufacturing defect).

My car had like a dozen problems after I received it. Few screws were not tightened, 2 doors misaligned, all front
headlights were not aligned, rattle, 3 trim defects (all parts replaced).

All that means that car was not inspected before exiting the factory. Very likely same for you.

If I had to give quality rating for UK Sunderland factory it would be 2 stars out of 10. And quality of parts 4 stars out of 10.
The only thing that works extremely well is the drivetrain and suspension. 8 stars out of 10. One star is lost due to
handbrake reliability.

So go visit the place you bought your vehicle and say that windshield just cracked and this part fell off. Fix those things
under warranty.
Nissan's customer service is extremely controversial. Sometimes they fix things for free even though out of warranty.
Sometimes they deny everything. And sometimes things progress extremely slowy. Parts may take few weeks
to arrive. Unable to give straight-forward rating for that. But as customer care "quality" varies extremely, that is a bad thing.
 
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