2016 Leaf SL down to 8 capacity bars... warranty replace? - Got a new 40Kwh battery!!

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JohnGalt69

Active member
Joined
Jan 23, 2017
Messages
37
My 2016 Leaf SL is down to 8 capacity bars, is it now eligible for a battery replacement under warranty?

If so, what is the process? Are there any gotchas?

The car is at 36k miles and I am the second owner.

I've never taken the car in for a battery usage report.

I have a 30kwh battery, not sure if I will get a 30 or a 40.

Update 1 - 31 Aug 21: Dropped car at dealer service for battery replacement warranty approval...."we will let you know tomorrow".

The process was very simple, I drove to the dealer, told the service advisor I was down to 8 bars and wanted the battery replaced under warranty. They accepted the car without issue, but they told me that if I did not qualify for the warranty replacement, I would be charged $170 for their work in assessing the car for warranty. That seemed iffy, but I did not contest it at the time.

Update 2 - 3 Sept 21: Service advisor called, warranty replacement approved! :cool:

It will take "4 to 6 weeks" to get the battery, that makes it 15 Oct at the outside.

They did not require or even mention the idea of a BMS firmware update.

They are keeping my car until the new battery arrives, they will not give the car back to me. I assume that as a part of the warranty eligibility check, they removed the battery from my car and don't want to put the battery back into the car.

They gave me a Nissan Rogue courtesy car to drive in the mean time.

Assuming the battery is coming from Japan, and given the container ship backup at the port, I'm expecting longer than six weeks:

Screen-Shot-2021-09-03-at-12-57-46-PM.png


Update 3 - 25 Sept 21: The service advisor called and I picked up the car today.

I received a new 40 kwh battery, part number 295B0-4NP6D.

Total turnaround was 26 days, just under their minimum 4 week estimate.

There was no charge for the battery replacement or the courtesy car.

A+ to Nissan for a great experience.
 
The car will have to have the Battery Management System (BMS) update to its software. After that, which will reset the BMS to show 12 capacity bars again (they aren't real) you have to wait for it to drop to 8 bars again to get a warranty replacement. It could take weeks, more likely it will take months.
 
OP, when your hero is John Galt, it may be presumed you do not require 100% spoon feeding.
Your question has been asked and answered in this forum too many times to count.
 
SageBrush said:
Odd, I would have guessed that John Galt could read.
Good guess...

I'm looking for advice, is there anything that can trip up the process, reasons warranty would be denied, etc.

See above on the BMS update for an example
 
Don't exceed the odometer mileage or time the warranty is in effect by a single inch or minute. It is also a good idea to get the annual, worthless, "battery report." Finally, don't expose the car to 120+ F temps for more than a few minutes.
 
goldbrick said:
SageBrush said:
OP, when your hero is John Galt, it may be presumed you do not require 100% spoon feeding.

So who is this John Galt guy anyway? :shock:

The protagonist in the infantile fictions written by Ayn Rand, the books became the pop culture icons of the US libertarian political movement. They are the domain of the pseudo-intellectual, privileged white racist frat boy.
 
JohnGalt69 said:
My 2016 Leaf SL is down to 8 capacity bars, is it now eligible for a battery replacement under warranty?

If so, what is the process? Are there any gotchas?
I just dropped it off at the dealer, they want $170 to troubleshoot the car to see if it qualifies for the warranty, that seems iffy.

Is this normal?

Also, for those that have had this done, how long did it take to get done?
 
LeftieBiker said:
Don't exceed the odometer mileage or time the warranty is in effect by a single inch or minute. It is also a good idea to get the annual, worthless, "battery report." Finally, don't expose the car to 120+ F temps for more than a few minutes.
I am within the warranty time and mileage, and the car has never even seen 105F, but I have not done the battery report.

Has anyone else had issues with getting a battery replaced under warranty if they have not done the annual battery report?
 
With display showing only 8 capacity bars along with both odometer and time within warranty period, there should be no diagnostic charge or reprogramming charge (if they need to perform Lithium Battery Controller software update). As others have noted previously, the LBC software update must be applied (if not already done) and then have the car display 8 or less capacity bars to qualify for a warranty replacement.

I am not aware of anyone being denied warranty replacement solely due to missing annual battery report(s), but they are cheap enough that I make sure to get them each year (first two are free). The reports provide very little information to the driver, but probably send a bunch of data to Nissan. I suggest you not mention annual battery reports unless they try to deny the warranty replacement. If that happens, there is some language in the Magnuson--Moss Warranty Act that you can quote.
 
GerryAZ said:
With display showing only 8 capacity bars along with both odometer and time within warranty period, there should be no diagnostic charge or reprogramming charge (if they need to perform Lithium Battery Controller software update)....
As you predicted, the approved my replacement, but it will take 4-6 weeks to get the battery.

Thanks!
 
Curious about this. I assume you have a 30kwh pack in your 2016 Leaf. Is Nissan going to replace it with a 30kwh pack, or 40kwh pack? Seems to me I had read somewhere, that replacements are routinely done using 40kwh packs. If so, I am insanely jealous because I've lost only 2 bars on a 30kwh pack; I asked a Nissan dealer what a 40kwh replacement not on warranty would cost, and the answer is $13,500 installed.
 
Eddie16 said:
Curious about this. I assume you have a 30kwh pack in your 2016 Leaf. Is Nissan going to replace it with a 30kwh pack, or 40kwh pack?
Yes, I had a 30kwh and got a 40 kwh battery. :cool:
 
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