The battery replacement/buyback thread.

[mitrals]

They paid original sales price plus interest on the car loan minus usage fee based on mileage. They reduced the usage fee 50% which amounted to -3000. So that left me with $17500, which is a few hundred more than the origiinal sales price.

Based on your previous comment you said you paid 25k in 21. Nissan paid you 17500? How did they deduct so much?

 

[Stanton]

I'm surprised that Nissan prefers to pay the better part of $20k rather than supply a replacement battery and pay for installation.

If batteries were readily available

As in, being produced for new cars such as the 2018+ LEAF, model S ?

...that go into those new cars. It's obvious that Nissan is barely producing enough battery packs to feed their new car production, let alone any extras. They don't even have any new "replacement" modules in stock at dealers around the country; I know because I tried finding one last year (eventually went with a used one off of eBay).

 

[SageBrush]

If batteries were readily available

As in, being produced for new cars such as the 2018+ LEAF, model S ?

...that go into those new cars. It's obvious that Nissan is barely producing enough battery packs to feed their new car production, let alone any extras. They don't even have any new "replacement" modules in stock at dealers around the country; I know because I tried finding one last year (eventually went with a used one off of eBay).

Maybe, but are we convinced that is the rational money choice for Nissan ? I'm skeptical that Nissan comes anywhere close to $15- $20k profit selling a LEAF, which is what they paid for the buyback which has very little residual value

 

[LeftieBiker]

Nissan would only have to allocate ONE battery (or one battery's worth of modules) to be able to stock replacement cells. Something else is going on here...

 

[SageBrush]

^^ That is a very good point Lefty, although I was talking about replacement packs.

Perhaps Nissan thinks that people with buyback cash will then buy another Nissan EV. I know that I would not

 

[Flyct]

^^ That is a very good point Lefty, although I was talking about replacement packs.

Perhaps Nissan thinks that people with buyback cash will then buy another Nissan EV. I know that I would not

I font think they have spare replacement packs in stock for older Leafs. Being they fail within warranty they are in a bind and legally their only option is buy back. Following Lemon Law guidelines keeps them out of trouble with State Attorney offices.

The whole automotive industry is still screwed up after Covid causing short supply of parts.

I’ve had a 2022 Ford F-450 on order since 12/2021, 20 months now. It originally was a 2022 order that wasn’t built and rolled to a 2023. 2024 orders start in 2 weeks and still no build scheduled. It mat once again roll to the next model year. Every few months I get an apology enail from Ford telling me they still are having issues getting parts to build the truck.

The industry is screwed up.

 

[Stanton]

Nissan would only have to allocate ONE battery (or one battery's worth of modules) to be able to stock replacement cells. Something else is going on here...

Not even close: there are only 24 modules in the newer (Gen2 Leaf) packs. That wouldn't even cover the folks on this FORUM (remember I was one of them and couldn't find a "good" one--many on dealer shelves were "dead") let alone all the packs with weak/bad cells out there. Nissan had some sort of serious QC problem with these packs (40kWh in particular).

 

[Stanton]

Perhaps Nissan thinks that people with buyback cash will then buy another Nissan EV. I know that I would not.

That's been their stance all along: Nissan is in the business of selling cars, not packs...which is why it took the original lawsuit to crack the degradation nut. The sad part is their EV platform was perfectly engineered to accommodate pack replacement (which I took advantage of).

I don't think they have spare replacement packs in stock for older Leafs. Being they fail within warranty they are in a bind and legally their only option is buy back. Following Lemon Law guidelines keeps them out of trouble with State Attorney offices.

The whole automotive industry is still screwed up after Covid causing short supply of parts.

^^^ THIS x2!

 

[goldbrick]

I've heard that this outfit - https://freewiretech.com/ - is using Nissan Leaf battery modules and is ramping up production. There are more customers for batteries than just cars these days.

 

[RaleighEV]

Well I thought I had a winning lottery ticket when I qualified for a battery warranty claim. I called Nissan Consumer Affairs and got a case number. The next day I brought the car to a local Nissan dealer who said they had done a few battery replacements and estimated a 2 month wait. I kept the car. It's more than 2 months later. I never hear from the dealer unless I contact them. Even then, it's just talk.

I tried the Nissan web chat today. Got transferred twice. They gave me a new case #. They could not confirm anything. They said I'd get a call from the regional rep tomorrow.

I'm in NC. I don't think our lemon laws go beyond 2 years for a new car. I got a good deal on the car when I bought it new. Our elec co chipped in 10k. If we were offered a buyout, I wonder if that would factor in?

I think my first preference would be a new 40kwh pack. Second would be a buyout of close to $20k. Not sure that is a possibility since we have 48k miles on the car. I guess a 30kwh "remanufactured" battery would be ok. But compared to what I was expecting, it would be a disappointment.

 

[Flyct]

Well I thought I had a winning lottery ticket when I qualified for a battery warranty claim. I called Nissan Consumer Affairs and got a case number. The next day I brought the car to a local Nissan dealer who said they had done a few battery replacements and estimated a 2 month wait. I kept the car. It's more than 2 months later. I never hear from the dealer unless I contact them. Even then, it's just talk.

I tried the Nissan web chat today. Got transferred twice. They gave me a new case #. They could not confirm anything. They said I'd get a call from the regional rep tomorrow.

I'm in NC. I don't think our lemon laws go beyond 2 years for a new car. I got a good deal on the car when I bought it new. Our elec co chipped in 10k. If we were offered a buyout, I wonder if that would factor in?

I think my first preference would be a new 40kwh pack. Second would be a buyout of close to $20k. Not sure that is a possibility since we have 48k miles on the car. I guess a 30kwh "remanufactured" battery would be ok. But compared to what I was expecting, it would be a disappointment.

Yes, the Lemon Law does not apply after the time period is passed, BUT Nissan can't walk away from their warranty commitments.

It seems that others are reporting that Nissan is just using Lemon Law calculation guidelines to compute a buyback price.

Hang in there. In filing a Lemon Law case I was dealing with the Nissan Arbitration group. I was offered a SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE which forbids me to share the terms of the settlement.

While I was getting ready to fight this, our Leaf was totalled by a uninsured driver who ran a red light. Our insurance company, State Farm, came through and paid us enough to purchase a new replacement. They also were able to recover our deductible for us from the at fault party.

 

[mn4az]

Well I thought I had a winning lottery ticket when I qualified for a battery warranty claim. I called Nissan Consumer Affairs and got a case number. The next day I brought the car to a local Nissan dealer who said they had done a few battery replacements and estimated a 2 month wait. I kept the car. It's more than 2 months later. I never hear from the dealer unless I contact them. Even then, it's just talk.

I tried the Nissan web chat today. Got transferred twice. They gave me a new case #. They could not confirm anything. They said I'd get a call from the regional rep tomorrow.

I'm in NC. I don't think our lemon laws go beyond 2 years for a new car. I got a good deal on the car when I bought it new. Our elec co chipped in 10k. If we were offered a buyout, I wonder if that would factor in?

I think my first preference would be a new 40kwh pack. Second would be a buyout of close to $20k. Not sure that is a possibility since we have 48k miles on the car. I guess a 30kwh "remanufactured" battery would be ok. But compared to what I was expecting, it would be a disappointment.

BBB Autoline rules for your state seem to be the baseline (with some potential negotiation on 'reasonable allowance'.... YMMV....

https://bbbprograms.org/programs/all-programs/bbb-autoline/

 

[MikeinPA]

One possible scenario for the buy backs is that the 40 kwh modules are no longer production and Nissan has committed available cells to the last of the 40 kwh Leafs. I recall reading years ago that these modules where being made in large intermittent production runs--but I could be mistaken.

Regarding BBB Autoline--they were totally useless in my battery warranty claim here in PA. First they changed my paper work to read 190,000 miles from the 19,000 that I submitted--then after I pointed out their error they would not even respond. YMMV.

Edit: One clue is that the current model Leaf is not getting any federal tax credit, so the 40 kwh and 62 kwh batteries are not being manufactured in the US in the current fiscal year. If they were, they would get the $3,750. So modules are either imported or coming from older pre-2023 stock.

 

[RaleighEV]

Thanks guys. I just created a claim with BBB Autoline. Call me greedy but I want a new 40kwh battery or a fair buy back offer.

I haven't been contacted by the Nissan regional rep as corp promised. The dealer hasn't been helpful so far. I'm guessing the dealer wants to replace the battery so they get paid rather than have Nissan buy back the car. But who knows. I'm still hopeful this will work out good for me. But I feel that I need to be more involved than just waiting on the dealer who almost never gets back to me during the past 2 months.

 

[MikeinPA]

Thanks guys. I just created a claim with BBB Autoline. Call me greedy but I want a new 40kwh battery or a fair buy back offer.

I haven't been contacted by the Nissan regional rep as corp promised. The dealer hasn't been helpful so far. I'm guessing the dealer wants to replace the battery so they get paid rather than have Nissan buy back the car. But who knows. I'm still hopeful this will work out good for me. But I feel that I need to be more involved than just waiting on the dealer who almost never gets back to me during the past 2 months.

I made a warranty claim for a bad cell in a 2013 and absolutely none of the process worked for me. Went to two dealers, letters to Nissan, BBB Autoline claim--followed the process in the owner's manual to the letter. I have come to realize that a) the dealers have a lot of say in the process b) BBB Autoline in PA is a joke, and c) in the bell curve made up of Leaf owner's satisfaction with warranty claims, I am holding down the end of the long tail out where zero is. The next step for me would have been small claims court--or fix it, which I did. Good luck!

 

[Stanton]

or fix it, which I did. Good luck!

This (unfortunately) is probably the best advice for "weak/bad cell" owners--and the sooner the better. I did the same, but with a (replacement) 40 kWh pack. When Nissan stops producing the Gen2 Leaf (and the packs that go with it), our source of "upgrades" will go bye-bye; I have no idea how long they would continue to make packs for warranty/repair use.

 

[MikeinPA]

or fix it, which I did. Good luck!

This (unfortunately) is probably the best advice for "weak/bad cell" owners--and the sooner the better. I did the same, but with a (replacement) 40 kWh pack. When Nissan stops producing the Gen2 Leaf (and the packs that go with it), our source of "upgrades" will go bye-bye; I have no idea how long they would continue to make packs for warranty/repair use.

But not while the pack is still under warranty! We all agree that Nissan should fulfill their warranty obligations to customers and promptly. They certainly can afford it, https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/NSANY/nissan-motor/net-income and their delays in getting these people's cars fixed is inexplicable.

 

[Stanton]

But not while the pack is still under warranty! We all agree that Nissan should fulfill their warranty obligations to customers and promptly. They certainly can afford it, https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/NSANY/nissan-motor/net-income and their delays in getting these people's cars fixed is inexplicable.

Good luck with that! The problem is the threshold of proof to get them to do that is extremely high (right or wrong), but you already discovered that.

 

[RaleighEV]

I wondered how to get Nissan to give me a buy back offer. I spoke to the dealer yesterday. They said they can't help with that. They also said that I the only person they have waiting for a battery replacement. Have been waiting 2.5 months, so not very long. I have the car.
Works fine for us.

Thanks mn4az. On Sat I filled out the form on BBB Autoline. Today Nissan arbitration called me. They followed up with an email asking for a lot of paperwork. Since the loan was through Nissan Finance, I hope I don't need everything they asked for.

Seems like I will have a choice to take their offer or wait for hopefully, a new 40kwh battery, or at least a refurbished 30kwh battery.

 

[mn4az]

I wondered how to get Nissan to give me a buy back offer. I spoke to the dealer yesterday. They said they can't help with that. They also said that I the only person they have waiting for a battery replacement. Have been waiting 2.5 months, so not very long. I have the car.
Works fine for us.

Thanks mn4az. On Sat I filled out the form on BBB Autoline. Today Nissan arbitration called me. They followed up with an email asking for a lot of paperwork. Since the loan was through Nissan Finance, I hope I don't need everything they asked for.

Seems like I will have a choice to take their offer or wait for hopefully, a new 40kwh battery, or at least a refurbished 30kwh battery.

YW. Hope it works out for you!