What's the thing you hate most about your Leaf?

[dgpcolorado]

How has this changed since the "R" mode or whatever was released in recent models? Are you disappointed with the regen just because it doesn't compare to other electric cars? Or because it doesn't appear to keep the battery up even though you're supposedly "regening" a lot?

As others have alluded, the regen on 2011/2012 models is pretty mild and had odd quirks, such as lower regen at high speeds than low speeds, which is truly bizarre. Then a software change (P3227) to improve the battery capacity measurements made the regen far worse.

For flatlanders regen may be no big deal. For those of us who descend steep hills, the lack of regen means riding the friction brakes down the hill, because there is no engine compression to use to slow down, as on an ICE car. This problem has been fixed on the 2013 SV/SL models, so don't assume that because regen on a 2013 is decent that the lack of it on older models is a figment of our imaginations. (I'm beginning to get really annoyed at 2013 model owners who assume that because their regen is fine, the regen on 2011/2012 models must be the same.)

And, for the record, in ordinary driving if you use regen a lot you aren't driving efficiently; coasting, where practical, is much more efficient.

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On topic: I was surprised to find out how quickly the LEAF battery degraded, even in my cool climate, so that is the thing I dislike the most. I was expecting the range to decrease but not so quickly. If we had public L2 charge stations around here it would be little more than a nuisance, but that's my problem since the car wasn't designed for use where I live and I knew that when I bought it.

The other big problem was the lack of a heater-off button but I fixed that with Phil's climate control unit mod. I fixed the visor problem with a piece of cardboard that works really well and cost nothing. The thin carpet is irrelevant because I have rubber floor mats to deal with snow and mud, a necessity for any car here.

I don't get the horn complaints. I've never used the horn except when accidentally bumping the panic button on the key fob. When I learned to drive in S. California (LA) using the horn was considered rude and a person honking a car horn must be an Easterner. Things sure must have changed in California over the years!

 

[fotajoye]

In my mind, Nissan batteries are fragile from the standpoint of the need for special consideration. I want a battery pack that works in the real world at real world temperatures. I don't want one that I must charge to 80% in order to insure it lasts for 5 to 8 years, I don't want to worry about wearing out the battery and having to replace it for an unknown cost. I want to quick charge the device any time to 100% not 80% and I want to quick charge it multiple times without restrictions. I want a light, high-density, low-cost traction battery that will provide at least a one charge range of 200 miles when I drive it at 65 mph. The current battery has an energy density of about 140 Wh/Kg. All other variable being the same, I would like to see this density closer to 400 Wh/Kg and I think this would do it.

As I said before, Nissan has had three years, going on four, to improve this battery; haven't heard anything official about their next generation battery; in the mean time, you can bet, battery improvement is Tesla's "Job One." for all their cars, including their future "model E."

 

[vrwl]

I can't believe no one has said it: pressing "ok" every time I start the car!
The disappearing regen has been baffling and a bummer as of late. I'm willing to cut the range/battery some slack assuming Nissan makes good on the "hot pack" replacement warranty; as early adopters we should acknowledge the unknowns of new technology.

Yeah, but since Stoaty's Battery Model shows I'm not in contention for a battery replacement, I'm stuck with the sucky range and degraded battery.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Yeah, but since Stoaty's Battery Model shows I'm not in contention for a battery replacement, I'm stuck with the sucky range and degraded battery.

Same for me.

 

[nosuchthing]

Amen to above...

 

[Tomasz]

I only have mine for a month, so I can't comment on the battery issue, but what I dislike about the Leaf is lack of finishing touch in the design. After all we are buying/leasing a car in $35k range. How much can it cost to add power seats (it's freaking electric car after all!!!), turn indicators in side mirrors, blind spot monitoring or radar controlled cruise control? All of those functions would cost Nissan change in hardware and some software upgrades but would put the Leaf in a different league. Not to mention the fact that you can have your traction battery charged to 90% and end up with dead car because the 12V battery went flat (happened to me last week) - why not provide self jump start function activated by a button somewhere under the hood (or when the car is opened by the key instead of fob).

It's the lack of those finishing touches that leaves the aftertaste of 'unfinished' package.

 

[johnrhansen]

I hate the turn off the light warning. They turn themselves off anyway after some seconds. Why is it needed? Also the rapid beep beep beep beep warning that starts when you cycle the power switch and doesn't stop until you close the door.... Silly nissan. I bought an electric car because I like quiet and then you ruin my peace by installing that annoying warning horn... come
On... oh and that backup warning horn? I'm not driving a forklift.

 

[Nubo]

Our LEAF just turned 2 years old. I can't say there is anything I actually "hate" about the car. It's served the purpose for which I bought it, and I'm happier with the car than I even thought I would be. I applaud Nissan for taking the risk of producing a real, 50-state affordable electric car.

That being said, there's a number of ways that Nissan have disappointed me:

1 - the reservation system
2 - clunky cave-man interface design decisions
3 - monumentally stupid steering-wheel heater (ok, 1st world problem but still...)
4 - totally screwing up on the hot-weather battery testing
5 - stonewalling once the hot battery problem was clearly evident
6 - not providing a way for owners to purchase a battery replacement outright
7 - too slow getting a DCQC network in place

Hopefully the Gen II battery will prove sufficiently durable to address the most-cited "hate". Beyond that, they've got maybe 2 years to up their game. I hope they build on their lead instead of stagnating.

 

[JimSouCal]

I can't believe no one has said it: pressing "ok" every time I start the car!

Guess ignoring it half the time or more has helped. It's a good sign that learned helplessness may have also taken hold. Kidding aside, agreed, a dull thorn for sure.

 

[JimSouCal]

I don't get the horn complaints. I've never used the horn except when accidentally bumping the panic button on the key fob. When I learned to drive in S. California (LA) using the horn was considered rude and a person honking a car horn must be an Easterner. Things sure must have changed in California over the years!

I've used the horn about 3 times in 3 years--no exaggeration--but when I did use it I did wish it sounded like a big rig truck. Use of the horn is a karmic thing...

 

[snyderkv]

When I learned to drive in S. California (LA) using the horn was considered rude and a person honking a car horn must be an Easterner. Things sure must have changed in California over the years!

The horn is to prevent accidents only. I remember It saying this in the DMV handbook. If I need pedestrians to move out of the way, I'd simply roll down my window and say something.

 

[cwerdna]

I only have mine for a month, so I can't comment on the battery issue, but what I dislike about the Leaf is lack of finishing touch in the design. After all we are buying/leasing a car in $35k range. How much can it cost to add power seats (it's freaking electric car after all!!!), turn indicators in side mirrors, blind spot monitoring or radar controlled cruise control?...

Leaf starts at ~$28.8K and if you lease, the $7500 Federal tax credit savings gets passed onto you. If you buy, many are eligible for $7500 Federal tax credit. And, some are eligible for additional state incentives (e.g. $2500 CA CVRP, no sales tax in WA, etc.)

Name $21.3K cars w/all of the above.... or better yet, name another BEV in the same price range as the Leaf w/all of the above.

 

[cwerdna]

It seems like the thing most people dislike is the battery degradation. So, knowing that the range is 80-100 miles, did most of you guys expect to be able to do a 70-90 mile commute regularly?

Also, has anyone on here actually gained access to that 5-year battery warranty and had their battery replaced?

80 to 100 miles? That's not a realistic number to be telling people in the US. See http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=11201" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

EPA rating on '13 Leaf is 75 miles and 73 for the '11 and '12. See http://insideevs.com/2013-nissan-leaf-rated-at-75-miles-but-84-miles-using-the-old-system/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and driving range at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=33558&id=32154" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. I hear that highway speeds (and speed limits) are generally lower in Japan than in the US....

Also see range tests at http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=11682" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=273048#p273048" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

As for replacement under the capacity warranty, yes, a bunch in hot climates have. http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=14102" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I think is the thread tracking it. Not sure if there are others.

 

[RonDawg]

I only have mine for a month, so I can't comment on the battery issue, but what I dislike about the Leaf is lack of finishing touch in the design. After all we are buying/leasing a car in $35k range. How much can it cost to add power seats (it's freaking electric car after all!!!), turn indicators in side mirrors, blind spot monitoring or radar controlled cruise control?...

Leaf starts at ~$28.8K and if you lease, the $7500 Federal tax credit savings gets passed onto you. If you buy, many are eligible for $7500 Federal tax credit. And, some are eligible for additional state incentives (e.g. $2500 CA CVRP, no sales tax in WA, etc.)

Name $21.3K cars w/all of the above.... or better yet, name another BEV in the same price range as the Leaf w/all of the above.

The Leaf was also not meant to be a luxury car...it was meant to be a mass market car. Nissan added some convenience features like power windows and automatic climate control, but to keep the cost (and weight) down they also had to skip some features like power seats.

The Infiniti LE was supposed to be their luxury entry in the EV market, but that's on hold for the time being.

The 2011/2012 Leafs, built in Japan, have the turn signal repeaters in the fenders, since that factory also produced Leafs for other markets, some of whom require them. The North American 2013 Leaf lacks those because the TN factory where it came from does not produce Leafs for export except for Canada and neither they nor the US requires them. Ones sold for other markets still have the fender-mounted turn signal repeaters.

Now you want to see a downmarket EV? Check out a Smart Electric Drive. Or an iMiEV. I also heard the more-expensive Chevy Volt also doesn't have power seats.

 

[mwalsh]

If I need pedestrians to move out of the way, I'd simply roll down my window and say something.

In the Volt, we simply use the "chirp" horn installed specifically for pedestrian warnings.

 

[apvbguy]

I only have mine for a month, so I can't comment on the battery issue, but what I dislike about the Leaf is lack of finishing touch in the design. After all we are buying/leasing a car in $35k range. How much can it cost to add power seats (it's freaking electric car after all!!!), turn indicators in side mirrors, blind spot monitoring or radar controlled cruise control? All of those functions would cost Nissan change in hardware and some software upgrades but would put the Leaf in a different league. Not to mention the fact that you can have your traction battery charged to 90% and end up with dead car because the 12V battery went flat (happened to me last week) - why not provide self jump start function activated by a button somewhere under the hood (or when the car is opened by the key instead of fob).

It's the lack of those finishing touches that leaves the aftertaste of 'unfinished' package.

maybe you don't realize that you bought an electrically propulsed econo box, if you wanted luxuries like that you certainly picked the wrong vehicle.
35K? really?

 

[Tomasz]

I only have mine for a month, so I can't comment on the battery issue, but what I dislike about the Leaf is lack of finishing touch in the design. After all we are buying/leasing a car in $35k range. How much can it cost to add power seats (it's freaking electric car after all!!!), turn indicators in side mirrors, blind spot monitoring or radar controlled cruise control?...

Leaf starts at ~$28.8K and if you lease, the $7500 Federal tax credit savings gets passed onto you. If you buy, many are eligible for $7500 Federal tax credit. And, some are eligible for additional state incentives (e.g. $2500 CA CVRP, no sales tax in WA, etc.)

Name $21.3K cars w/all of the above.... or better yet, name another BEV in the same price range as the Leaf w/all of the above.

Mazda cx-5, has all of those except radar controlled cruise control. I know that because I have one. In that's why it sticks out even more. Plus I really don't think I should give Nissan any levy here just because tax payers decided to support my decision with $7500 of others people money.

 

[Stanton]

I can't believe no one has said it: pressing "ok" every time I start the car!
The disappearing regen has been baffling and a bummer as of late. I'm willing to cut the range/battery some slack assuming Nissan makes good on the "hot pack" replacement warranty; as early adopters we should acknowledge the unknowns of new technology.

Yeah, but since Stoaty's Battery Model shows I'm not in contention for a battery replacement, I'm stuck with the sucky range and degraded battery.

Was going to ask why since you live in the same area, but I see your (current) bars and miles indicate you just don't drive it enough. Based on his spreadsheet, it seems like anyone who drives their Leaf ~1000 miles/month in North Texas should be a 4-bar loser before they hit 5 years.

 

[hill]

Battery degradation is the worst, definitely. I pretty much love everything else about it.

+1
That said, I still have all my GOM bars, and I skipped the most recent hardware flash. Still, after checking, I should loose the 1st bar any time now, and I just crossed 36K miles, mostly all done granny style driving. I'd have loved to have been able to say I drove normal for 3 years, charging more frequently on QC's, in warm mid day weather and still been 12K miles out from the death of my 1st bar.

Speaking of pathetically thin paint. In addition, the fabric upholstery wears WAY too quick. I'll drive this pack until it won't meet my daily commute of 39ish miles. But the next EV will not be a traction pack of only 20ish usable kWh's. Yes, most can get by with only that, now that So Cal QC's are more available ... but it's nicer to have a tad more than just getting by ... and then you loose the 1st 10%-15% all too quick. That's all I'm saying.

the wimpy horn.

Horns are a regional issue. Acceptable back east. West coast folks don't seem to use them. Maybe it's because of all the nut jobs around L.A. that pack heat ... an open invitation to put a cap in your @$$

.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...On... oh and that backup warning horn? I'm not driving a forklift.

While your complaint is popular, I vehemently disagree. When I'm backing out of a parking space between two monstrosity class SUVs or trucks — the norm here — I want other shoppers to be able to hear me coming because I certainly can't see them. There isn't any other sign for pedestrians that a LEAF is on and about to move. The essentially inaudible forward sound is less of a concern because I can see and wait for people when I'm going forward.