If Nissan is ignoring your problem, getting a lawyer helps!

[Antonio Peterson]

I have a separate thread that details the headache I have been going through with trying to get Nissan to fix the issue I have with some bad battery modules in my 2022 leaf that's still under warranty. I wanted to start a new thread to discuss the benefits of getting a lawyer.

Nissan told me that there were no battery modules available. They were unwilling to replace the entire battery pack. They said that did not have any available anyway.

Nissan gave me two choices:

1. Sit and wait for modules to arrive. The current ETA is NEVER, so I just wait. They offered me $5,800 is I just sit and wait and sign a NDA and stop complaining.

2. Start the buyback process. They warned me that since the mileage is high (54,000), I would have to pay Nissan $10,000 - $20,000 cash for them to buy back the car.

Neither choice was acceptable, so I hired a lemon law attorney that works for free (they get paid from the settlement)

The lawyer sent me to the dealership today to get a copy of the current serrvice order. They have been sitting on my car for over a month. The service director came out and apologized for the long wait, then told me that last night, Nissan sent them a whole new battery pack for my car.... not the four modules they reqested, but an entire battry pack! Nissan told them since I got a lawyer, they said it would be easier to just give me a new battery. The service manager told me that the cost of the battery, plus labor, plus the rental will cost Nissan over $60,000. He didn't understand why they didn't just buy back the car for much cheaper.

Anyway, I wanted to share that none of this would have ever happened if I didn't get a lawyer.

 

[marshallinwash]

How did the service manager come up with the $60,000 figure?

 

[Antonio Peterson]

How did the service manager come up with the $60,000 figure?

He just threw out the number. He mentioned costs and labor, but no details. He said a buyback would have been cheaper because (he said) Nissan is spending much more than the value of the car.

 

[marshallinwash]

The number doesn't make much sense to me. Figure the battery costs Nissan between $5,000 and $7,000. Labor to install the battery between $3,500 and $5,000 depending on where you live. Add another $2,000 to $3,000 for miscellaneous costs. So on the high end around $15,000 + lawyer cost.

So if Nissan had offered you $15,000 before the lawyer got involved, would you have taken the money?

 

[cornbinder89]

I'm glad for you that it appears to in the process for a favorable outcome. It is a bitter pill that they will not "just do it" unless you get lawyers involved.
I personally am out of it, because I bought used and after all warranties have expired. I do that because I would rather know going in, it is all on me than be disappointed when I am mistreated. Of course I also get it much cheaper also. I sum it up as "I know what I can loose on day one' and go from there.

 

[Antonio Peterson]

The number doesn't make much sense to me. Figure the battery costs Nissan between $5,000 and $7,000. Labor to install the battery between $3,500 and $5,000 depending on where you live. Add another $2,000 to $3,000 for miscellaneous costs. So on the high end around $15,000 + lawyer cost.

So if Nissan had offered you $15,000 before the lawyer got involved, would you have taken the money?

The number the dealer mentioned did not make much sense to me. I’m just reporting what he said. From my research, a 62kw battery pack was about $9,500, but maybe they have gone up due to scarcity.

No, I wouldn’t have taken $15,000 from Nissan. What would I have done with $15,000? If Nissan was telling me they can’t get a battery, what makes me think I could get one? I owe more than $30k on the car. The only thing I would accept is a full buyout, replacement or a new battery.

I think you are missing the point. Nissan only gave me two options. Neither was acceptable. I got a lawyer and now they magically discovered a third option which was not previously available.

Moral of the story: The squeaky wheel gets the oil. (Or battery in this case… everyone else waits in line)

 

[marshallinwash]

No, I understand about the lawyer, especially if you live in California where the law gives you a bit more leverage. It doesn't say much about their company if you have to get a lawyer involved for them to do the right thing.

You didn't state what model you had, and it was unclear to me what you meant by paying them $10,000 to $20,000.

 

[Antonio Peterson]

I’m not sure if it matters, but I’m in Florida. The interesting thing is that Nissan refused to work with the dealership to get what I needed until I got a lawyer. The dealer was telling me how angry they were that Nissan didn’t really care about fixing my problem until they felt threatened. I was upset with the dealer before, but now I realize their hands are pretty much tied.

 

[Flyct]

How did the attorney get paid if Nissan fixed the car?