Nissan - Cargo Cover review

Well my 2013 Leaf "Serenity" arrived today. I started putting the mods and accessories that I pre-orderd for the car on it. One of the accessories that I ordered was the Nissan Cargo Cover for the back hatch area.

Frankly this is something that should have come on the car. The idea I had to buy this for the car is kind of crazy to me. So I slapped the cargo cover in the car, and yes it is just like it should have been there all along. I can no longer see into the back of the car, the fit and finish is very good. It looks great. Should have always been there.

This is one of those things where I really wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money for this cover. It is a little spendy for what it is. But it works as intended. I like it and recommend it if you are concerned about shielding or protecting the stuff in your car. Not a must have, but certainly a nice to have item.

This is a Nissan OEM part. The trick to installing it is to push the rear seats forward so you can get the access to the attachment points on the shelf that Nissan has molded there for it. And there is a molded little peg in the hatch window where the cover has two little strings that attach to the hatch so it lifts up when you open the hatch. So everything is there for the cover. Sadly we just have to buy the cover.

You can find it on Amazon, Ebay, and of course your local dealer. Not sure if there is any difference between the model years of the car so you may need to pay special attention to the year of your car when looking for this cover.

My car didn't come with one either. I definitely should have. I ended up buying one from a pick-and-pull off a totaled Leaf.

I have found that if you work the angles right, you can get the cover on/off without touching the rear seats. You have to play with it for a bit, but once you learn the trick, it's very easy to do. When I'm carrying tall items, I sometime take it off and place it vertically behind the rear seat.

An unexpected benefit has been reducing turbulence in the trunk. When driving with the windows open, the air swirls around inside of the car. It gets so bad that it will literally pick up light items in the trunk and send them flying around the car. I once nearly lost an empty plastic shopping bag out the window that way. The cargo cover put an end to that.

Another unexpected benefit - when I have more stuff in the trunk than can fit below the seat back, the cover can be rotated more vertically. It cuts off rear visibility, but provides protection from stuff flying forward in case of a sudden stop or collision.

The higher spec trim SL usually comes with the cover. I ordered mine online from one of the many discount Nissan parts dealers (along with the cargo organizer). The cover makes a handy place to keep a sun hat so you are never without should you decide to go for a hike.

gshepherd said:

The higher spec trim SL usually comes with the cover. I ordered mine online from one of the many discount Nissan parts dealers (along with the cargo organizer). The cover makes a handy place to keep a sun hat so you are never without should you decide to go for a hike.

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How do you like the cargo organizer? I have been considering that as a great place to organize my EVSE, and adapters etc. But wasn't sure if it would work well with the cargo cover at the same time. What are your thoughts about the cargo organizer?

My 2013 SL didn't come with the cover. But is is a very nice addition for sure. It is in the nice to have category.

MalcolmReynolds said:

How do you like the cargo organizer? I have been considering that as a great place to organize my EVSE, and adapters etc. But wasn't sure if it would work well with the cargo cover at the same time. What are your thoughts about the cargo organizer?

My 2013 SL didn't come with the cover. But is is a very nice addition for sure. It is in the nice to have category.

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Overall I really like it. The cargo organizer lids were designed such that when placed in their slots vertically, the cargo cover still has clearance to close. No problem there.

I like having a flat cargo area from the hatch opening to the folded seat backs. There is still a gap though, as the cargo organizer was not redesigned to fill the area behind the rear seats previously taken up by the charger hump in the 2011 LEAFs. I might make a "bridge" panel out of some masonite, dark felt, and a strip of velcro, but it's not really a bother.

The small bin is great to hold the trickle charge cable and other automotive items like microfibers, window cleaner, etc. The large bin is the go-to side for messy items like a potted plant, or groceries. Also handy for stowing a laptop out of sight.

With the bin lids in the vertical position, there are black knobs you can hang grocery bags on. Once you see how the organizer works, you realize why straps were used instead of hinges.

While the installation instructions say to bolt the unit in with the provided hardware, I didn't bother. I prefer having the option to lift it out if I need to reconfigure the cargo space, although that's pretty rare.

I would have preferred a false floor system like the Bolt's or MB-ED, but this is pretty useful. Overall, the cargo organizer keeps my LEAF less cluttered.

gshepherd said:

MalcolmReynolds said:

How do you like the cargo organizer? I have been considering that as a great place to organize my EVSE, and adapters etc. But wasn't sure if it would work well with the cargo cover at the same time. What are your thoughts about the cargo organizer?

My 2013 SL didn't come with the cover. But is is a very nice addition for sure. It is in the nice to have category.

Click to expand...

Overall I really like it. The cargo organizer lids were designed such that when placed in their slots vertically, the cargo cover still has clearance to close. No problem there.

I like having a flat cargo area from the hatch opening to the folded seat backs. There is still a gap though, as the cargo organizer was not redesigned to fill the area behind the rear seats previously taken up by the charger hump in the 2011 LEAFs. I might make a "bridge" panel out of some masonite, dark felt, and a strip of velcro, but it's not really a bother.

The small bin is great to hold the trickle charge cable and other automotive items like microfibers, window cleaner, etc. The large bin is the go-to side for messy items like a potted plant, or groceries. Also handy for stowing a laptop out of sight.

With the bin lids in the vertical position, there are black knobs you can hang grocery bags on. Once you see how the organizer works, you realize why straps were used instead of hinges.

While the installation instructions say to bolt the unit in with the provided hardware, I didn't bother. I prefer having the option to lift it out if I need to reconfigure the cargo space, although that's pretty rare.

I would have preferred a false floor system like the Bolt's or MB-ED, but this is pretty useful. Overall, the cargo organizer keeps my LEAF less cluttered.

Click to expand...

That actually sounds pretty good. I think I will add the cargo organizer to my car also. Thanks for the feedback!

gshepherd said:

With the bin lids in the vertical position, there are black knobs you can hang grocery bags on. Once you see how the organizer works, you realize why straps were used instead of hinges.

Click to expand...

I've had the organizer for 5 years...always wondered what those black knobs were for... Bought it second hand, so perhaps it came with a manual... Thanks...