What 95 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Leaf Plus (62 Kwh Battery)

On 05/28/23 while i was trying to park my 2011 Nissan Leaf in a parking lot, the car accelerated unexpectedly and hit a pole and fence and scratched an already parked car. Applying break did not slow down my car. I own this car since 2011 and never had an experience like this.

NHTSA ODI 11525249

I PURCHASED MY 2011 NISSAN LEAF IN SEPTEMBER OF 2012 FROM STADIUM NISSAN IN ORANGE, CALIFORNIA. I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT BUILT FOR MY 69 MILE COMMUTE(4.9 MILES PER KWH), BUT WAS ABLE TO ADAPT AND MAKE IT WORK UNTIL A JOB CHANGE IN OCTOBER OF 2013. MY 10 YEAR OLD SON AND I WERE REAR ENDED SHORTLY AFTER OUR MOVE TO TURLOCK, CALIFORNIA. MY NISSAN LEAF HELD UP VERY WELL TO BEING REAR ENDED AT 45MPH BY A FULL SIZED CHEVY SILVERADO; AS I DROVE IT AWAY AND THE CHEVY WAS TOTALED. MY SON AND I BOTH RECEIVED CONCUSSIONS FROM THE ACCIDENT, AND UNFORTUNATELY HE IS STILL FACED WITH MEMORY LOSS. MY LEAF WAS TAKEN TO ALFRED MATTHEWS COLLISION CENTER FOR REPAIRS, AND SENT TO CENTRAL VALLEY NISSAN TO HAVE THE BATTERIES REMOVED AND REINSTALLED BEFORE AND AFTER THE BODY REPAIRS. THE REPAIRS TOOK MORE THAN 2 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, AND MY LEAF HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME. MY LEAF WILL NO LONGER GET THE 69PLUS FREEWAY MILES THAT I DROVE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND WILL NOW ONLY GET 40-50 CITY MILES PER CHARGE (3.8 MILES PER KWH). I HAVE TAKEN MY LEAF BACK TO CENTRAL VALLEY NISSAN AT LEAST 6 TIMES IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS, AND EVEN HAD ONE OF THE TWO NISSAN LEAF MECHANICS EVALUATE THE ISSUES. AAA WAS WILLING AND READY TO TOTAL MY LEAF BASED ON THIS DRASTIC PERFORMANCE ISSUE, BUT THEY WERE TOLD BY CENTRAL VALLEY NISSAN AND THE LEAF MECHANIC THAT MY LEAF IS PERFORMING WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS FOR A 2011 LEAF WITH 35,000 MILES. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE BASED ON YOUR EPA ESTIMATES OF 106 CITY / 92 HIGHWAY (I AM CURIOUS IF OTHER LEAF OWNERS KNOW THAT WHEN THEIR VEHICLE IS 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS 35,000 MILES; THEY WILL ONLY GET 40 MILES PER CHARGE). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10644960

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,060.

NHTSA ODI 10637058

I HAVE RUN INTO WHAT I BELIEVE IS A SMALL DESIGN FLAW. WHILE USER ERROR IS CLEARLY INVOLVED, A SIMPLE SOFTWARE FIX COULD PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. SCENARIO: 1) LEAF IS PARKED IN GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT ON A SLIGHT DOWNHILL SLOPE. 2) STARTUP SOUND IS TURNED OFF. 3) PUSH START BUTTON WHILE NOT PRESSING ON BRAKE PEDAL ADEQUATELY - LEAF GOES INTO ACCESSORY MODE. 4) TRY TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE, NOT LOOKING AT DASH SCREEN TO SEE THAT LEAF IS IN ACCESSORY MODE. 5) PRESS DOWN ON PARKING BRAKE LEVER TO DISENGAGE PARKING BRAKE. 6) PRESS ACCELERATOR. RESULT: THE LEAF IS STILL IN ACCESSORY MODE, BUT HAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AFTER STEP #4. ONCE PARKING BRAKE IS OFF AND FOOT IS ON ACCELERATOR, THERE IS NOTHING TO KEEP THE LEAF FROM ROLLING FORWARD. THIS IS NOT HYPOTHETICAL, IT HAPPENED TO ME TWICE IN THE LAST YEAR. ONE TIME I HIT A SHOPPING CART, BUT FORTUNATELY PUT THE BRAKE ON IN TIME AND THE FRONT LICENSE PLATE HOLDER PROTECTED MY LEAF FROM DAMAGE. COMMENT: IN MY OPINION, TRYING TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE WHILE THE LEAF IS IN ACCESSORY MODE SHOULD NOT PUT THE LEAF IN NEUTRAL--IT SHOULD STILL BE IN PARK. THIS SIMPLE CHANGE WOULD PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING. THE LEAF CAN STILL SHIFT TO NEUTRAL IN ACCESSORY MODE BY MOVING THE SHIFTER TO THE LEFT AND HOLDING IT THERE FOR 2 SECONDS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472378

I WAS ON THE FREEWAY TRAVELING APPROPRIATELY 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT AND IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY SWERVED IN TO MY LANE AND BRAKED HARD IN FRONT OF ME. WITH NO PLACE TO GO ON EITHER SIDE OF ME, I WAS FORCED TO BRAKE FAST AND HARD. THE ABS KICKED IN AS EXPECTED BUT ONCE I HAD DECELERATED TO A POINT WHERE I KNEW A COLLISION WAS NOT IMMINENT AND TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR CONTINUED BREAKING VERY HARD. IT TOOK THE BETTER PART OF A SECOND WITH MY FOOT NOW COMPLETELY OFF THE BRAKE BEFORE THE BRAKES ACTUALLY RELEASED. IN THIS TIME, THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP AND HIT ME HARD, CAUSING INJURY TO TWO PEOPLE IN THE CAR WHO WERE NOT BELTED IN. THIS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDABLE IF THE LEAF HAD NOT FAILED TO DECREASE THE BRAKING EFFORT WHEN I RELEASED PRESSURE AND THEN ULTIMATELY TOOK MY FOOT COMPLETELY OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT FELT AS IF SOMETHING LIKE THE BRAKE ASSIST FUNCTION WAS MALFUNCTIONING... *TR

NHTSA ODI 10415264