What 34 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Nissan Leaf Plus (60 Kwh Battery)

CHILD LOCKS ISSUE: MY FAMILY AND I WERE GOING TO A RESTAURANT, AND, UPON ARRIVAL, MY MOTHER WAS UNABLE TO EXIT. I REALIZED THAT THE CHILD LOCK DEVICE LEVER IN OUR 2014 NISSAN LEAF WAS OUT OF THE CHILD-UNLOCKED, OR NORMAL-EGRESS, POSITION. I ALSO REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. I INVESTIGATED THE DOOR CHILD-LOCK MANUAL LEVER ON THE LEAF AND INVENTED A DEVICE TO KEEP THE LEVER POSITION IN THE CHILD-UNLOCKED CONDITION UNTIL WE DESIRED TO REPOSITION IT (WHEN TRAVELING WITH SMALL CHILDREN). I ALSO INVENTED THE ALTERNATE DEVICE, THAT IS, TO MAINTAIN THE CHILD-LOCKED POSITION. THIS DEVICE WAS DESIGNED TO RESTRAIN THE LEVER AND INDICATE THE CHILD-LOCK CONDITION AT A GLANCE; THIS IS WHY THE LEVER KNOB IS VISIBLE WHEN THE OBJECT IS INSTALLED AND COLORS WERE USED TO AFFIRM THE STATUS. FOR OUR NISSAN LEAF, I USED A GREEN RUBBER INSERT FOR THE CHILD-UNLOCKED POSITION, AND A RED RUBBER INSERT FOR THE CHILD-LOCKED POSITION. THIS INVENTION, ALONG WITH SEVERAL VARIATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT ACTUATORS AND INDICATION PARADIGMS FOR INDICATING STATUS, WAS RECENTLY SUBMITTED TO THE US PATENT OFFICE, AND IS THUS ?US PATENT PENDING.? I CONTACTED BOTH NISSAN AND TOYOTA AND THEY REPLIED WITH NO INTEREST. PLEASE CONTACT ME AND I WILL SHARE DETAILS, INCLUDING DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF MY FIXES. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10748028

THERE IS AN AIR BAG LIGHT THAT ILLUMINATES WHEN THERE IS WEIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT BUT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT BE DEPLOYED, MAYBE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE THINKS THERE IS A DOG, SMALL CHILD, OR INANIMATE OBJECT SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE TROUBLE IS THAT THE "AIR BAG DISABLED LIGHT" OCCASIONALLY TURNS ON WHEN MY TEENAGE SONS SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER SAYS IT IS BECAUSE MY SONS DO NOT ALWAYS SIT SQUARELY TO THE BACK OF THE SEAT; THAT IS, THEY OCCASIONALLY SLOUCH IN THE SEAT. I HAVE VIDEOS OF THIS BEHAVIOR WHICH I CAN SEND TO YOU, SO YOU CAN DETERMINE IT IS IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO. NISSAN'S RESPONSE IS AKIN TO STEVE JOBS SAYING OF THE IPHONE 4, "YOU'RE HOLDING IT WRONG." I THINK NISSAN SHOULD BUILD THEIR SENSORS FOR THE WAY PEOPLE SOMETIMES SIT IN THEIR SEATS, NOT AS THE WAY THEY WOULD LIKE THEM TO SIT UNDER IDEA CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY PROBABLY HAVE ONE SENSOR AT THE BACK OF THE SEAT, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY NEED ANOTHER IN THE MIDDLE AND MAYBE ONE AT THE FRONT TO BETTER JUDGE THE WEIGHT OF THE OBJECT IN THE SEAT.

NHTSA ODI 10723424

THIS IS A GENERAL COMPLAINT ABOUT RECENT-MODEL HEAD RESTS. IT IS NOT LIMITED TO OUR CAR. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK SOMEONE AT THE TRANSPORTATION BOARD IS OVERLY ZEALOUS IN THIS. MOST NEW CARS TODAY HAVE THE HEADRESTS VERY FAR FORWARD. IT SEEMS AS IF THE TRANSPORTATION BOARD WANTS THE HEADREST TO TOUCH THE HEAD. I DO NOT LIKE THIS. MY HEAD IS JOSTLED WHEN THE HEADREST TOUCHES MY IT. I THINK EVEN ONE HALF INCH AWAY IS TOO CLOSE, AS THEN IT TOUCHES MY HAIR. THE RESULT OF HAVING IT SO FAR FORWARD IS THAT IT PUSHES MY HEAD FORWARD, TOWARDS MY CHIN, AND MY NECK AND BACK HURTS. AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE, I AM SURE, IS THAT MY WIFE AND I PUSH THE SEATS FORWARD AND THE BACK OF THE SEATS BACKWARDS. THIS HELPS TO KEEP THE HEADREST BACK A LITTLE BIT. BUT, I THEN HAVE TO TILT MY HEAD FORWARD TO KEEP IT VERTICAL, SO IT STILL IS A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE. I THINK YOU DO NOT REALIZE THAT IF YOU MAKE THINGS TOO UNCOMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE, THEY WILL FIND WAYS AROUND IT AND NEGATE YOUR SAFETY SYSTEM. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS. AND, I HOPE YOU WILL CORRECT THE ERROR AND PUSH HEADREST BACK IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10704093

WHENEVER OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW +/- 38F, THE REGENERATIVE BRAKE SYSTEM BEHAVES VERY AGGRESSIVELY IN THE SENSE THAT THE SLIGHTEST USE OF THE BRAKES RESULTS IN A VERY JERKY BEVAHIOUR OF THE CAR, BRAKING VERY ABRUPTLY AND HARD. USUALLY, A SECOND TAP ON THE BRAKE RESOLVES THE ISSUE TEMPORARILY, BUT THE SYMPTOM COMES BACK SOON AFTER. THIS IS NOT ONLY AN INCONVENIENCE, BUT ALSO POSES POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS IF A CAR BEHIND THE LEAF IS NOT EXPECTING A HARD BRAKING. CONTACTED THE NISSAN DEALER WITH THE SYMPTOMS, REPLY WAS THAT THIS IS NOT KNOWN TO NISSAN.

NHTSA ODI 10690845

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE ON AN INCLINE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN HILL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HESITATED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,400. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10690262

WHEN MY 90LB DAUGHTER AND 130LB WIFE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF OUR MY14 NISSAN LEAF, THERE IS NO CONSISTENCY WITH WHETHER THE AIRBAG WILL BE ON OR OFF. OFTEN, THE AIRBAG IS ON WITH MY DAUGHTER AND OFF WITH MY WIFE. THE DEALER HAS "RESET" THE AIRBAG FOUR TIMES AND SAYS "IT'S WORKING AS EXPECTED". I'VE SPOKEN WITH NISSAN ELECTRIC CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY SAID THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND THEY REFUSED TO LET ME TALK TO THEIR SUPERVISOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10683689

FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON EVEN WITH A 150LB PASSENGER SITTING IN THE SEAT. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. DEALER IDENTIFIED IT AS A CODE DTC B00A0-00 STORED IN AIRBAG SYSTEM, WITH OCCUPANT SENSOR HAVING ABNORMAL VOLTAGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10625998

TWO PASSENGERS, ONE IN DRIVER'S SEAT, ONE IN FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHO WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 140 LBS. APPLIED BRAKE, PUSHED THE POWER SWITCH TO THE ON POSITION, SHIFTED CAR TO REVERSE. BACKED UP A SHORT DISTANCE, THEN SHIFTED THE CAR TO DRIVE (B MODE). DROVE ABOUT 20 FEET. NOTED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT INDICATED THAT IT WAS OFF. STOPPED THE CAR. FRONT PASSAGE RELEASED SEATBELT, LIFTED OFF SEAT, RE-FASTENED SEATBELT. FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT INDICATED THAT IT WAS OFF. CYCLED POWER SWITCH TO OFF, THEN ON. FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT INDICATED THAT IT WAS OFF. CAR COULD NOT BE PUT INTO DRIVE MODE. CYCLED POWER SWITCH TO OFF, WAITED ABOUT 30 SECONDS, CYCLED POWER SWITCH TO ON. FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT INDICATED THAT IT WAS ON. CAR WAS PUT INTO DRIVE MODE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10606550

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 NISSAN LEAF. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 22 MPH HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS IT VEERED TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT THEN CRASHED INTO A POLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED RIGHT KNEE AND HAND, REQUIRING MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 400. UPDATED 06/19/14 AFTER HE CRASHED INTO THE POLE, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A HALT MAKING ALMOST A 75 DEGREE ANGLE IN THE ROAD. AS THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STARTED DRIFTING TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE, HE TRIED VERY HARD TO STEER IT BACK TO MAKE IT STRAIGHT, BUT WITH NO SUCCESS. UPDATED 06/26/14

NHTSA ODI 10593665