Table 1 shows one common equipment related problems of the 2023 Nissan Leaf.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Equipment problems |
The image displayed on the dashboard when backing up is, occasionally, blank. This only happens sporadically. When it does happen, it is annoying and dangerous.
Backup camera image intermittently goes out and just shows a mostly black image. It appears to match a previous recall that does not yet cover our model year (2023): 24v071000. The image can sometimes be restored by slamming the hatchback shut, but it is not a permanent fix.
Rear camera sometimes does not work when backing up. When the problem occurs, the screen inside the car that is supposed to show an image of the area in back of the vehicle is completely black. The problem does not occur often. It is not easily reproducible. The vehicle can be made available for inspection upon request. If the rear camera does not work, the car could back into objects or people. The problem is hard to reproduce. The vehicle was last inspected by a Nissan dealer in December 2024 for an unrelated problem. The rear camera problem had not occurred at that time. The vehicle will be inspected by a NY state licensed mechanic (not a dealer) later in March 2025. There were no warning messages.
Heat from hvac system stops working at temperatures below 20 degrees f. It starts blowing cold air and cannot keep up with the cold, to the point that it becomes dangerously cold in the car, especially for my young children.
Accident:date: [xxx] time: [xxx] location: balboa park – san diego – morley field sports center – parking lot parking lot - google maps driver – geico insurance coverage || no passengers what: Nissan Leaf 2023 model sv+ - 8410 miles -- unintended acceleration incident backing up to leave parking lot – with seat belt on – looked at rear view camera – clear. Backed up slowly – then intersected with the rear bumper of a Honda – slowly I braked – then went into drive mode to get out of the intersection. Then I lost control of the car. Car went lurching forward fast – zoomed up over parking curb – 5 in – side-swiped the side of a tree with right front bumper – gashed with parts flying all over the grass. Crashing noises from jumping the curb and hitting the tree. I braked hard and got vehicle to stop = approx. 3 feet from another tree – which I would have hit straight on. No airbags were deployed. It all happened at high acceleration in an instant. After I recovered from the shock, I assessed the situation. The dashboard showed a malfunction – right front tire – no air pressure. Contacted my insurance company – geico – and opened a claim. Geico arranged for my vehicle to be towed by ASAP towing to my home. Took photos of the wreckage – collected all the pieces I could in a bucket – some were too large to fit into my car = air dam or some sort of under side cover – made of gray bendable plastic. Called ASAP - the towing company – asked about a flat bed as my front right tire was flat and the front bumper of the car had fallen off. My Leaf needs to be repaired. It needs to be reprogrammed by Nissan so that I feel safe driving it. Of note, I had to my Nissan dealer – mossy Nissan poway – for the recall r23a6 on sept. 26, 2023. Did they address the recall issue? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
Rear camera stopped working.
Soon after I leased this Leaf, I noticed shifting interference. It grew steadily worse over the 3 or so months I kept the Leaf. Toward the end of that time period, it took a great deal of maneuvering of the shift knob to get into the correct direction. It would flip back from position before it engaged the forward or reverse motion. I got involved in a fender bender incident which was at least partially a result of the shifting confusion. At one point I put 3-in-1 oil into the top of the shifting pad. It helped for a very short time. Finally, I could not get the car to move either forward or back. I had the car towed to the dealer. The dealer said that foreign something had gotten into the shifting mechanism. I noted that the shifting mechanism in this car is located directly adjacent to a drink cup holder. So, apparently splash from my drink caused problem. If true, at the least, the shifting mechanism ought to be water proofed from outside fluid and particulate travels. An unsafe regular occurrence, I think.
This car was delivered with no plastic panel covering the area above the driver's feet. The steering column, insulation, wiring, diagnostic port, and structural elements are visible. The selling dealer's initial reaction was that there should be a panel there, but they had not noted it as missing in their inspection. Another, closer, dealer saw photos and agree to install the panel, but did not have the correct part, and told me that another similar car on their lot did not have this panel, so perhaps it was supposed to be missing. My assumption is that it is not safe for these things to be exposed, especially the steering column. I will attach a photo of the area.