Test Driving 2011 SL - Warranty Confusion at 8 Bars

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LetsGoToMarsNow

New member
Joined
Feb 23, 2017
Messages
4
Location
Mooresville, NC
Hi, I am currently test driving a 2011 Leaf SL with 38,800 miles on it from Carvana. They offer a 7 day test drive and I have to decide today or tomorrow if I am keeping the car. It is showing 8 bars of battery capacity and I initially thought is was too late for the 5 year warranty (thinking it would have expired in 2016). However, the carfax and the Nissan paperwork both show the car being sold on 8/31/2012, with the warranty valid until 8/31/2017. Yesterday I took it to a local Nissan dealership where they performed a battery test, the invoice states "Notify customer the battery life is within the expectable drop amount for this vehicle. If it drops more return for further diagnosis. The battery usage report will optimize battery life if followed to 5 stars in all categories. See attached for details." I have included images below. I am confused because on the Nissan website (https://www.nissanusa.com/electric-cars/leaf/charging-range/battery/) I have seen the text "the Nissan LEAF® Lithium-ion battery is also warranted against capacity loss below nine bars of capacity as shown on the vehicle’s battery capacity level gauge", is this only for more recent year cars?

This car would cost around $7,000. I charged it to 100% and got 60 miles of range with that being 53 city and 7 highway and no climate control, I stopped when the low battery warning came on and it was showing 8 miles of range remaining. My commute is only 7 miles each way and my office has free charging stations available, so I think this car would work, but it would be great with a new battery. The dealership also has 3 leafs that are 2015 "s" models with around 25,000 miles, they are all from Georgia and priced around $10,000, I am trying to figure out if that would be a better way to go. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Call 800-no gas EV with the vin and confirm before buying. Also, confirm that it's really 8 bars (when charged to full, you should see four bar overhang. That said, your low mileage drive will be fine even with the degradation, but get the new battery if you can for the better regeneration
 
It is too expensive for a 2011 nissan leaf, yo7 can do much better than this by shopping local Craigslist or autotrader.com or cargurus.com with your local zipcode. Last week I got 2015 leaf S with quick charge option with 15000 miles for $8000.
 
Sounds like a no-brainer to me; I would buy it before someone else figures out what a good deal it is.
You get a 2011 Leaf (built in Japan) with a 2015 (lizard) battery!
 
Stanton said:
Sounds like a no-brainer to me; I would buy it before someone else figures out what a good deal it is.
You get a 2011 Leaf (built in Japan) with a 2015 (lizard) battery!

Are you saying that this 2011 is a good deal because this car AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIES for a new battery? Yes, if he could get a new battery that would be worth $7K. But we are not sure until it actually happens and he tries to collect on the battery guarantee...

I would personally get a 2015 with low miles like another post here.
 
powersurge said:
Stanton said:
Sounds like a no-brainer to me; I would buy it before someone else figures out what a good deal it is.
You get a 2011 Leaf (built in Japan) with a 2015 (lizard) battery!

Are you saying that this 2011 is a good deal because this car AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIES for a new battery? Yes, if he could get a new battery that would be worth $7K. But we are not sure until it actually happens and he tries to collect on the battery guarantee...

Yes: was that not clear?
 
Failing something like the previous owner having opted out of the battery settlement, or the in service date being earlier than thought, that car qualifies for a free pack.
 
I called the (877) NO GAS EV phone number and talked with a nice gentleman who looked up the VIN and stated it would be under warranty until 8/31/2017. He recommended going to a different dealership, and he added that the battery test could have an approximately $150 cost. (In the event that the battery would need to be replaced he said this would be waived). The first dealership I went to yesterday did not have a cost for the battery test, does anyone have any experience getting their battery inspected? Has anyone had a hard time getting a dealership to replace a battery? The service technician I spoke with said he had worked there since they came out with the Leaf and that he had changed 2 batteries over the past 6 years. The good news is I now have a case number and point of contact with Nissan, the bad news is my test driving period ends at 5pm tomorrow (3/3/17) and I have to decide if I am keeping this car or returning it to Carvana. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Sounds like a no brainer to me. Assuming the car is clean otherwise, you're getting a low mileage car and a brand new battery. I'd pick it up. You can try making a lower offer just to see it they'll bite, but you should go for it. These replacements are pretty straightforward. Some folks have had resistance at first, but calling in as you did usually breaks the logjam.
 
Since your commute is short enough that the lack of heat pump heater will not be an issue, buy the car if it is in good condition and you like it. Having had both, I will say that the build quality of the 2011 SL was better than the 2015 SL. The faster onboard charger and heat pump are the only advantages to a newer model year since you will get a new 2015 battery.

Gerry
 
It even showed it was still under warranty on the battery report. I have a 2012 that hit 8 bars and told my local Nissan dealership to replace it and they contacted Corporate and it was approved and done about 5 weeks later. Battery had to be ordered.

John
 
Hi, thank you to everyone for the earlier responses. We decided to buy the car and were able to get a battery replacement at the local dealership under warranty. They just called me saying it is ready to be picked up, is there anything I should ask about? I will verify that 12 capacity bars are showing but I was wondering if there was anything else to look for? The dealership also offered to do the following maintenance for roughly 360 dollars: changing brake fluid, transmission fluid, and the cabin air filter. I am hesitant as the car was driving great before taking it in for the battery change, does anyone have a recommendation?
 
I wouldn't. Drive it for a while to make sure things are working out. Then have a reputable small shop do those things if you can't diy. New battery, good for you.
 
Congrats! It almost seems like a good strategy to find a car still covered by warranty with 8 bars so you get a nice deal and a brand new battery.
 
transmission Fluid? The Leaf doesn't have a transmission. It has a reduction get set. I don't think it's due to have its oil changed for over 100,000 miles or some other amount. Look it up in your owners manual but with as few mikes as you have it isn't due.

John
 
LetsGoToMarsNow said:
Hi, thank you to everyone for the earlier responses. We decided to buy the car and were able to get a battery replacement at the local dealership under warranty. They just called me saying it is ready to be picked up, is there anything I should ask about? I will verify that 12 capacity bars are showing but I was wondering if there was anything else to look for? The dealership also offered to do the following maintenance for roughly 360 dollars: changing brake fluid, transmission fluid, and the cabin air filter. I am hesitant as the car was driving great before taking it in for the battery change, does anyone have a recommendation?

Congratulations. I had a similar experience earlier this year - saw a '11 Leaf with 8 bars, called the 800 number to confirm the warranty was still valid (not just the miles/years but also whether a prior owner had taken a cash settlement after the battery-capacity lawsuit), and had a brand-new "lizard" traction battery installed. Gory details here.

My car drives like new and an '11 Leaf SL has all the features I could want. I'm sure you'll get many happy years from your great bargain purchase!
 
I am in a similar situation - thinking about a 2011 with a newish battery, When they replaced the battery, does it come with some sort of warranty? Thanks.
 
bda0009 said:
I am in a similar situation - thinking about a 2011 with a newish battery, When they replaced the battery, does it come with some sort of warranty? Thanks.
I believe you'll get 12 months/12K miles or 12 months/unlimited miles from when the work was done or the balance of the 5 year/60K mile capacity warranty, whichever is longer. AFAIK, (free) warranty replacement HV batteries do NOT start the 5 year/60K clock over.
 
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