Table 1 shows one common structure related problems of the 2018 Nissan Leaf.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Body problems |
Vehicle failed inspection due to a rusted out front subframe which seems premature for a 7 year old vehicle with 27,599 miles on it. According to local mechanic, they've seen this issue with many Nissan Leaf models. This is a critical piece of the vehicle hence it failing inspection due to rust. The vehicle has not (yet) been inspected by the local dealership to confirm the issue and there were no warning symptoms prior to it failing inspection.
Front driver side door started sagging again, same issue as previously reported under # 11308649. Taken to the dealer today, they adjusted the "door striker". As reporter previously, there maybe a structural issue with the door striker being too fragile or too thin.
On Friday, 02/07/2020, the front driver side door no longer closed correctly on this car. The car was taken to a Nissan dealer where an "adjustment" was made. Later that day, the door would no longer close again. On Monday, 02/10/2020 the car was taken to a Nissan dealer, and another adjustment was made. The dealer advised that "no weight" should be put on the door even though this hasn't been an issue before. I believe that there maybe a manufacturing defect inherent in the hinging mechanism of this model which leads to gradual weakening of the hinge leading to a door not being able to close properly. This may be related to an existing NHTSA id # 10143486 (ntb18-042).
I had initiated a claim sometime last year about the b pillar plastic door trim possibly being damaged from the sun's reflection. Nissan USA referred me to the local dealership since they cannot help me. They said that it's not a defect and we would have to pay for any damages that needed to be repaired (about $1000). I don't agree with this as it's not an uncommon issue for door trims to melt just like if the heat from a heat gun was applied to it. There are quite a few photos online and not just Nissan. I have no control over where the sun reflects or the buildings that reflect the sun's rays. I don't believe that I should be held liable for this, the vehicle was used as intended, and there are no instructions on the manual regarding this. The car is melting from the sun.