The battery replacement/buyback thread.

[MarkLangdon]

My 2017 Leaf got to 8 bars. Brought it to the dealership; they had it for 2 days and called me and said the battery has issues and they are going to call Nissan to submit the paperwork to get my modules covered and ordered. I followed up again in about a week and they said I have to bring the car back in again as Nissan told them to do a deeper dive diagnostic tests and will need the car for about a week. They called me about a week later and said; "Yes I need a replacement battery and they were going to order a 40khw battery as my 30 kwh is no longer available". I asked how long will it take for the battery to come in and I heard they may be giving buyouts they did not know and asked me if I wanted a loaner car so I said yes. They said I could have a Nissan Sentra or a Nissan Rogue. When I got there I asked for a Nissan Rogue and they gave me a brand new Nissan Rogue 2023 SL with premium package with MSRP total of $ 30k and 275 miles on it. They said I have unlimited miles and just bring it back in when its time. I asked do they have a "J" number and claim # assigned to me and they said yes and they gave it to me. I asked does Nissan pay the dealership for the loaner car and they said "Yes" so I think they really didn't care they gave me a loaner car and maybe Nissan told them to give it to me. So now I am driving around in a brand new nicer bigger car vs. my old Leaf and its like I am saying to myself "Take your time if you are going to get a replacement battery or offer me a buyout" as long as I have this loaner car. My insurance company and the rental agreement from the dealer lasts for a standard 30 days so not sure if I have to come back every 30 days to renew the rental agreement; or they will give me a buyout by then; or the replacement battery shows up.. Overall my experience has been very good with the dealer as they are taking care of me and I hope it lasts. Thanks so much for this forum as I had the information already going in. I am just curious is there anyone out there who has a loaner car for months and months while waiting for a decision from Nissan or the replacement battery to show up.

 

[ebeighe]

or they will give me a buyout by then...

I wasn't offered a loaner, nor did I ask for one. But realistically, once they tell you they plan to give you a voluntary offer, it's going to be on the order of a minimum of a couple months to complete a buyback. My buyback offer just came a couple days ago, they pretty much said there was a black hole around the holidays, and looking to the new year, it would be "3 to 5 weeks" from the time of my acceptance of the offer to complete the sale.

 

[Shamus]

Went to the dealer yesterday and had them start the battery replacement process. They said wait 2 weeks before calling Nissan consumer affairs so they have time to get the case# in the system. They said they have heard from Nissan that there are a bunch of batteries being shipped over to the US to help with some of the backlog of replacements but they've had some people waiting over a year now.

They mentioned some cases where the degraded batteries start to trigger weird behavior with turtle mode engaging even with reasonable charge. They said if it starts acting like that to bring it in ASAP and they would hook us up with a rental car. They've had a few cases like that where they have had owners using rental vehicles for months and racking up thousands in rental fees that they bill back to Nissan. So I can see Nissan being pretty motivated to offer buybacks if the batteries are still in short supply.

Hey there,

2016 Leaf SV 30kWh purchased new in September 2016

I, too, am in CO and trying to navigate battery replacement/buyback. Dealer says they filed a case back in March when I dropped to 8 bars @ 59k miles. I heard nothing back from the dealer since that time. Started suffering the "weird behavior" you reference in November and decided it's time to stop patiently waiting for a new battery.

I called Nissan Consumer Affairs early November, started another case, and was assigned an arbitration specialist who contacted me mid November. I furnished all information requested and received a buyback offer this week. The car now has 67k miles and is in great condition other than the battery issues. The offer is ~$5k :-(

I emailed and called the arbitration specialist (always goes to voicemail) and expressed to them that the offer is way lower than what I would call "fair", that I would like to pursue a new battery, would like some outlook as to when that might happen, and stated that I need a loaner vehicle while I wait since the car is now dangerous to drive (randomly goes into turtle mode and has even shifted itself into neutral a couple times in traffic). So far, zero response. Calls to Consumer Affairs simply refer me back to the same specialist.

Tried calling the dealership - they sent me back to Nissan Consumer Affairs and said they have no outlook on battery replacements.

@macgyver33, I'm curious which dealership you were talking to. I'd like to get a loaner while this is all sorted out and my dealer basically told me to go pound sand.

Any other experiences in CO? Do we just have really crappy Lemon Laws here so Nissan figures we're fair game to screw over? Suggestions on further recourse with Nissan?

 

[macgyver33]

@macgyver33, I'm curious which dealership you were talking to. I'd like to get a loaner while this is all sorted out and my dealer basically told me to go pound sand.

Any other experiences in CO? Do we just have really crappy Lemon Laws here so Nissan figures we're fair game to screw over? Suggestions on further recourse with Nissan?

I went to Boulder Nissan to help start the case and would highly recommend them if your near the Denver Metro or in the foothills. They claim to be the #1 Leaf dealer in the country so I figured they have some experience with this issue.

 

[kansas]

My 2017 Leaf got to 8 bars. Brought it to the dealership; they had it for 2 days and called me and said the battery has issues and they are going to call Nissan to submit the paperwork to get my modules covered and ordered. I followed up again in about a week and they said I have to bring the car back in again as Nissan told them to do a deeper dive diagnostic tests and will need the car for about a week. They called me about a week later and said; "Yes I need a replacement battery and they were going to order a 40khw battery as my 30 kwh is no longer available". I asked how long will it take for the battery to come in and I heard they may be giving buyouts they did not know and asked me if I wanted a loaner car so I said yes. They said I could have a Nissan Sentra or a Nissan Rogue. When I got there I asked for a Nissan Rogue and they gave me a brand new Nissan Rogue 2023 SL with premium package with MSRP total of $ 30k and 275 miles on it. They said I have unlimited miles and just bring it back in when its time. I asked do they have a "J" number and claim # assigned to me and they said yes and they gave it to me. I asked does Nissan pay the dealership for the loaner car and they said "Yes" so I think they really didn't care they gave me a loaner car and maybe Nissan told them to give it to me. So now I am driving around in a brand new nicer bigger car vs. my old Leaf and its like I am saying to myself "Take your time if you are going to get a replacement battery or offer me a buyout" as long as I have this loaner car. My insurance company and the rental agreement from the dealer lasts for a standard 30 days so not sure if I have to come back every 30 days to renew the rental agreement; or they will give me a buyout by then; or the replacement battery shows up.. Overall my experience has been very good with the dealer as they are taking care of me and I hope it lasts. Thanks so much for this forum as I had the information already going in. I am just curious is there anyone out there who has a loaner car for months and months while waiting for a decision from Nissan or the replacement battery to show up.

My 2017 went in for battery replacement last February due to faulty cells.They gave me a 2022 Leaf loaner. Take your time!

 

[kansas]

Hey there,

2016 Leaf SV 30kWh purchased new in September 2016

I, too, am in CO and trying to navigate battery replacement/buyback. Dealer says they filed a case back in March when I dropped to 8 bars @ 59k miles. I heard nothing back from the dealer since that time. Started suffering the "weird behavior" you reference in November and decided it's time to stop patiently waiting for a new battery.

I called Nissan Consumer Affairs early November, started another case, and was assigned an arbitration specialist who contacted me mid November. I furnished all information requested and received a buyback offer this week. The car now has 67k miles and is in great condition other than the battery issues. The offer is ~$5k :-(

I emailed and called the arbitration specialist (always goes to voicemail) and expressed to them that the offer is way lower than what I would call "fair", that I would like to pursue a new battery, would like some outlook as to when that might happen, and stated that I need a loaner vehicle while I wait since the car is now dangerous to drive (randomly goes into turtle mode and has even shifted itself into neutral a couple times in traffic). So far, zero response. Calls to Consumer Affairs simply refer me back to the same specialist.

Tried calling the dealership - they sent me back to Nissan Consumer Affairs and said they have no outlook on battery replacements.

@macgyver33, I'm curious which dealership you were talking to. I'd like to get a loaner while this is all sorted out and my dealer basically told me to go pound sand.

Any other experiences in CO? Do we just have really crappy Lemon Laws here so Nissan figures we're fair game to screw over? Suggestions on further recourse with Nissan?

The lowball buyback offer is interesting. Consider that you are entitled to a brand new 40 KWH battery replacement, which by itself is considerably more than they offered you. The market value for your car should be the year, the miles and the fact that you have a brand new 40 KWH battery with zero miles on it

 

[ebeighe]

The lowball buyback offer is interesting. Consider that you are entitled to a brand new 40 KWH battery replacement, which by itself is considerably more than they offered you. The market value for your car should be the year, the miles and the fact that you have a brand new 40 KWH battery with zero miles on it

@adavidw wrote a really insightful post a couple of pages back breaking down various warranty remedies, and why things are the way they are.
https://mynissanleaf.com/threads/the-battery-replacement-buyback-thread.34237/post-635367
It appears to be the case that if you are an original owner you get a large buyback. Second (or third, etc) owners who paid far less for the car get a far smaller buyback.

 

[kmaluo]

I'm the second owner of a 2017 Nissan Leaf S. Since my father-in-law was able to provide the original bill of sale, Nissan gave me $22,000, original purchase price was $25,000. If you don't have the original bill of sale you get Blue Book value.

 

[kansas]

I'm the second owner of a 2017 Nissan Leaf S. Since my father-in-law was able to provide the original bill of sale, Nissan gave me $22,000, original purchase price was $25,000. If you don't have the original bill of sale you get Blue Book value.

Keep in mind Nissan is Offering a buyback, not requiring it. You have leverage. If you refuse, they have to replace your battery. So you are trading away the equivalent of a car with a brand new 40 kwh battery

 

[Lambtron]

Here's a new twist; my dealer yesterday advised me that corporate advised them that the car has to go to seven bars to qualify for the warranty. Hmmmmm.... Got to love getting your intelligence insulted.

 

[Ibby]

Hey there,

2016 Leaf SV 30kWh purchased new in September 2016

I, too, am in CO and trying to navigate battery replacement/buyback. Dealer says they filed a case back in March when I dropped to 8 bars @ 59k miles. I heard nothing back from the dealer since that time. Started suffering the "weird behavior" you reference in November and decided it's time to stop patiently waiting for a new battery.

I called Nissan Consumer Affairs early November, started another case, and was assigned an arbitration specialist who contacted me mid November. I furnished all information requested and received a buyback offer this week. The car now has 67k miles and is in great condition other than the battery issues. The offer is ~$5k :-(

I emailed and called the arbitration specialist (always goes to voicemail) and expressed to them that the offer is way lower than what I would call "fair", that I would like to pursue a new battery, would like some outlook as to when that might happen, and stated that I need a loaner vehicle while I wait since the car is now dangerous to drive (randomly goes into turtle mode and has even shifted itself into neutral a couple times in traffic). So far, zero response. Calls to Consumer Affairs simply refer me back to the same specialist.

Tried calling the dealership - they sent me back to Nissan Consumer Affairs and said they have no outlook on battery replacements.

@macgyver33, I'm curious which dealership you were talking to. I'd like to get a loaner while this is all sorted out and my dealer basically told me to go pound sand.

Any other experiences in CO? Do we just have really crappy Lemon Laws here so Nissan figures we're fair game to screw over? Suggestions on further recourse with Nissan?

Hi Shamus,
I am in CO also. Bought my 2016 30 kWh Leaf new fron Boulder Nissan in 2016. Dec 2022 the battery failed. I think in about Feb 2023, the dealer provided me a loaner vehicle (2023 Leaf from Enterprise) which Im still driving. Im currently waiting for the buyback offer from Nissan Consumer Affairs. Will update this forum when I have the offer resolved.
Paul

 

[Shamus]

I went to Boulder Nissan to help start the case and would highly recommend them if your near the Denver Metro or in the foothills. They claim to be the #1 Leaf dealer in the country so I figured they have some experience with this issue.

Thanks for the info @macgyver33 . I’ve been dealing with Valley Nissan in Longmont since that’s where I purchased. Maybe I’ll put in a call to Boulder and see if they’re more helpful.

I’m so bummed to see Nissan trying to screw people over like this. I used to be an evangelist for Leafs and EVs in general, but this experience has me thinking that it’s too much of roll of the dice when you could lose the battery lottery and be left with a fairly worthless hunk of metal and a company that doesn’t stand behind their product.

 

[Shamus]

Hi Shamus,
I am in CO also. Bought my 2016 30 kWh Leaf new fron Boulder Nissan in 2016. Dec 2022 the battery failed. I think in about Feb 2023, the dealer provided me a loaner vehicle (2023 Leaf from Enterprise) which Im still driving. Im currently waiting for the buyback offer from Nissan Consumer Affairs. Will update this forum when I have the offer resolved.
Paul

Thanks Paul,

Sounds like we’re in very similar positions. How many miles on your Leaf? I’ll be very curious to see your offer for comparison. I’d really appreciate you sharing!

 

[macgyver33]

Hi Shamus,
I am in CO also. Bought my 2016 30 kWh Leaf new fron Boulder Nissan in 2016. Dec 2022 the battery failed. I think in about Feb 2023, the dealer provided me a loaner vehicle (2023 Leaf from Enterprise) which Im still driving. Im currently waiting for the buyback offer from Nissan Consumer Affairs. Will update this forum when I have the offer resolved.
Paul

I'm also working through Boulder Nissan for my 2017 30 kWh battery replacement. Mine is still drivable for now but we've had a couple of weird turtle mode blips. Just hoping we can make it a little longer without any major issues We just sent our documents to the arbitration specialist so hopefully we hear back soon with an offer. Will be curious what your offer is since your also in CO. I'll also update when I get an offer.

 

[SageBrush]

The lowball buyback offer is interesting. Consider that you are entitled to a brand new 40 KWH battery replacement, which by itself is considerably more than they offered you. The market value for your car should be the year, the miles and the fact that you have a brand new 40 KWH battery with zero miles on it

Your fantasies are funny

 

[Shamus]

I'm also working through Boulder Nissan for my 2017 30 kWh battery replacement. Mine is still drivable for now but we've had a couple of weird turtle mode blips. Just hoping we can make it a little longer without any major issues We just sent our documents to the arbitration specialist so hopefully we hear back soon with an offer. Will be curious what your offer is since your also in CO. I'll also update when I get an offer.

A tip for those seeing the random turtle mode issue: keep an OBD reader in the car. If it does not recover on its own, you can stop, plug in the reader, and reset the codes to try and get it back to normal.

 

[Shamus]

@adavidw wrote a really insightful post a couple of pages back breaking down various warranty remedies, and why things are the way they are.
https://mynissanleaf.com/threads/the-battery-replacement-buyback-thread.34237/post-635367
It appears to be the case that if you are an original owner you get a large buyback. Second (or third, etc) owners who paid far less for the car get a far smaller buyback.

Not true in my case. I am the original owner with all paperwork, etc. Buyback offer was ~$5k for a Leaf that was diagnosed with 8 bars at 59k miles and now have 67k miles.

 

[adavidw]

Not true in my case. I am the original owner with all paperwork, etc. Buyback offer was ~$5k for a Leaf that was diagnosed with 8 bars at 59k miles and now have 67k miles.

Something's off then. Can you share all the details of your offer? What state was it purchased in and in what state do you reside? Was the car financed or leased? If so, any remaining balance? What was the Nissan calculation for usage? Stuff like that...

 

[macgyver33]

Not true in my case. I am the original owner with all paperwork, etc. Buyback offer was ~$5k for a Leaf that was diagnosed with 8 bars at 59k miles and now have 67k miles.

Did you try negotiating on the 1st offer? I've seen some mention from others to negotiate with them to get a better offer. Some mentioned they said they couldn't replace their vehicle with the offered price and if you turn down the offer, they are required to get you a battery. If they don't have enough batteries they are going to want to make some deals to reduce the customers they need to provide batteries for.

 

[Shamus]

Something's off then. Can you share all the details of your offer? What state was it purchased in and in what state do you reside? Was the car financed or leased? If so, any remaining balance? What was the Nissan calculation for usage? Stuff like that...

I agree - something does seem to be off.

Purchased in Colorado - still in Colorado. Financed at 0% and fully paid off. Here's the calculation I got (hopefully this comes through OK):