Any issues with buying an off-lease Leaf that has been in an accident?

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kwong7

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Nov 29, 2016
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I have an opportunity to buy a fully loaded 2013 Leaf SL that has lived its life in Arizona for a great price. It has less than 35K miles and shows 9 bars of capacity left on the battery. The only negative is that the Carfax shows that it was rear-ended about 5 months into the lease, but was still functional. The vehicle cameras all appear to be functional and no visible body damage can be seen at the quarter-panels or weld seems. Do you think Nissan will void the 5yr/60K mile promise for 70% battery capacity if the car was rear-ended? Are there any issues that a rear-ended Leaf would have that I should be considered about?

I should also say that it does not have a salvage title, the airbags did not deploy, and Carfax says there's no structural damage reported.
 
Whats the asking price? Around here a 2013SL with that many miles on it and no accidents is going to be around $6,000 so one would expect an accident car to be at least $1,000 to $2,000 less.

Even with no reported structural damage you may still find the rear is out of alignment and the car crab walking down the road off to one side. On a car without ABS or Traction/Stability control you will get clued in if this is a problem since during hard braking the car can be a challenge to stop in a straight line however since the Leaf has those systems those sort of issues can be greatly masked.

I have seen Leaf battery packs that have been pulled from accident cars and re-purposed and it can be a bit unsettling to see how many cells even though there was no visible damage to the battery case have started to swell and release the pressure built up inside them spraying all over the place once the bolts binding them together are released. Where goggles is good advice when dealing with those packs.

Personally I would shy away from accident cars especially with the older style batteries with lost bars and not being offered as CPO.
 
The warranty should still be valid unless it has a salvage title or has ever been declared totaled. There's verbiage in the warranty booklet to that effect.

You can d/l the manual and warranty booklet from https://owners.nissanusa.com/nowners/navigation/manualsGuide.
 
I have a 2011 Leaf that was rear ended by a tow truck. After repair, I have no problems and still drive the car. I would be more worried that the car lived in Arizona.
 
Hopefully the car loses its 9th capacity bar before the 5 years/60K capacity warranty is up. I'm guessing that shouldn't be an issue if it was built before 4/2013.
 
I don't understand why someone is excited to buy a crappy car because they are getting a "good" price..

9 bars? Arizona? Rear ended? Where is the good part? I think this person's greed to get a free new battery is at play here.

Remember that you get what you pay for..
 
RockyNv said:
Whats the asking price? Around here a 2013SL with that many miles on it and no accidents is going to be around $6,000 so one would expect an accident car to be at least $1,000 to $2,000 less.

Even with no reported structural damage you may still find the rear is out of alignment and the car crab walking down the road off to one side. On a car without ABS or Traction/Stability control you will get clued in if this is a problem since during hard braking the car can be a challenge to stop in a straight line however since the Leaf has those systems those sort of issues can be greatly masked.

I have seen Leaf battery packs that have been pulled from accident cars and re-purposed and it can be a bit unsettling to see how many cells even though there was no visible damage to the battery case have started to swell and release the pressure built up inside them spraying all over the place once the bolts binding them together are released. Where goggles is good advice when dealing with those packs.

Personally I would shy away from accident cars especially with the older style batteries with lost bars and not being offered as CPO.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. The price is just under $8K, which is about $1,000-$2,500 below the regional price in my area. I was planning on making an arrangement with the dealer to borrow the car and have a Nissan tech look things over before I commit to purchase. It sounds like I might have more peace of mind spending the extra $1K on a comparable Leaf that hasn't been in an accident.
 
kwong7 said:
RockyNv said:
Whats the asking price? Around here a 2013SL with that many miles on it and no accidents is going to be around $6,000 so one would expect an accident car to be at least $1,000 to $2,000 less.

Even with no reported structural damage you may still find the rear is out of alignment and the car crab walking down the road off to one side. On a car without ABS or Traction/Stability control you will get clued in if this is a problem since during hard braking the car can be a challenge to stop in a straight line however since the Leaf has those systems those sort of issues can be greatly masked.

I have seen Leaf battery packs that have been pulled from accident cars and re-purposed and it can be a bit unsettling to see how many cells even though there was no visible damage to the battery case have started to swell and release the pressure built up inside them spraying all over the place once the bolts binding them together are released. Where goggles is good advice when dealing with those packs.

Personally I would shy away from accident cars especially with the older style batteries with lost bars and not being offered as CPO.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. The price is just under $8K, which is about $1,000-$2,500 below the regional price in my area. I was planning on making an arrangement with the dealer to borrow the car and have a Nissan tech look things over before I commit to purchase. It sounds like I might have more peace of mind spending the extra $1K on a comparable Leaf that hasn't been in an accident.
Click to expand...

A little over 8K in Phoenix Arizona would be for a 34,000 mile car from a dealer in good condition which would be 11 bars and no accidents. 8K for 9 bars along with an accident is too much.
 
The dealership has many different 2013 Leafs for sale, all of which were picked up at auction. Here are 5 that interested me.

1) 2013 SL w/ backup camera & Bose
33K miles showing 9 bars
leased from Arizona
was rear-ended and repaired
asking $7,995

2) 2013 SL w/ backup camera & Bose
38K miles showing 11 bars
leased from southern California
no accidents
asking $8,995

3) 2013 SL w/ backup camera & Bose
28K miles showing 10 bars
leased from southern California
no accidents
asking $8,995

4) 2013 SL w/ backup camera & Bose
29K miles showing 12 bars
leased from northern California
no accidents
asking $8,995

5) 2013 SV w/ backup camera & Bose
31K miles showing 11 bars
leased from Hawaii
no accidents
asking $6,990

Other than the leather seats, 17" wheels, and solar panel rear spoiler, is there any difference between a fully loaded SV and SL? I think I might lean towards the SV since my memory of leather seats is that they feel too cold in the winter yet too hot in the summer. Also, the 16" tire size seems to have a lot more options and cost about 25% less compared to the 17s. Which would you choose?
 
Personally, I would avoid a vehicle that has been in an accident. Your location will affect your decision, along with the manufacture and original in-service dates of the vehicle. If you are in a cool or moderate climate, I would get the car that has been in Northern California. If you are in a warmer or hot climate, get the car with 10 bars and try to win the battery lottery. The Leafs made before 4/13 have batteries that degrade much quicker than those made after.
 

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