Going electric? Here-s our guide to buying a used Nissan Leaf
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Date: 2022-04-17
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Comments and reviews: 10
Jan
A few other details that were overlooked. Look for 2015 or newer models since these will have the newer -heat tolerant- battery chemistry as well as climate control systems that employ heat pumps. The newer heat tolerant battery chemistry allows more DC Fast Charging (DCFC) without stressing the battery so much. The heat pump enables more efficient cabin heating which better conserves battery charge and increases range. Both of these features became standard in 2015. Be aware that in 2016 and 2017 a larger battery became available bumping the energy up from 24kWh to 30kWh. This increased range from 85 miles up to 107 miles. The 2016 and 2017 models appeared to initially experience issues with premature capacity loss. This apparent issue was determined not to be an actual problem and was found to be due to BMS software issues or software bugs. Also, the problem that came to be called Rapid-Gate was determined to be largely due to overprotective BMS software. These issues were corrected by 2018 with a software update. If you're looking at a 2016 or 2017 make sure the car has had the update. I don't believe a recall for this was ever issued so many may not have it. The vehicle will need to be returned to a dealer for this software update.
Something important to understand about the Leaf is that while they are known to be incredibly durable and reliable cars, the battery packs are susceptible to certain types of abuse, mainly overheating caused by careless owners. The Leaf battery does not employ active thermal management (not liquid cooled, however, under all normal circumstances this is not a problem and the batteries can be expected to hold up quite well. There is plenty of anecdotal and empirical evidence for this. Liquid cooling is largely to allow for high power DC Fast charging (DCFC. The idea being that if the batteries are kept cool then high power DCFC charging rates can be employed without overheating the batteries. However, the Leaf was intended more to be recharged at home via low power Level 1 charging (120V - 15A, and Level 2 charging (240V - 30A. Much higher power Level 3 charging capability (CHAdeMO 50kW DCFC, was added later but was intended for occasional use since it can significantly raise the battery's temperature. In the case of the Leaf it was found that sustained periods of high speed driving (above 80 mph, combined with overuse of DCFC could easily raise battery core temperatures into the red zone. Add high ambient temperatures (think Arizona's 118F days, to this scenario and you have a recipe for premature capacity loss. Indeed many of the vehicles that experienced premature capacity loss were from states that routinely see such extreme temperatures and were driven by owners that admitted to hard driving with frequent use of DCFC. Having said all this I think it's imperative that people considering purchasing a used Leaf obtain a copy of the Car Fax which will tell if the car was ever registered in a hot state like Arizona. As well it is important that perspective owners download and install an app called -Leaf Spy- onto their cell phone or other mobile device. Leaf Spy is a clever tool for inspecting the health of the battery by interrogating the OBDII port. It's quite technical and will give you the actual Battery SOH (State of Health. It will also tell you exactly how many Level 2 and Level 3 charges (also called QC or quick charges, the battery has sustained. Ideally you'd like to have as few QC's as possible and a SOH as high as possible. For example, my 2015 Leaf has, after 59, 000 miles, sustained only 45 QC's and has a SOH of 89%. That's slightly above average for a 24kW Leaf.
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A few other details that were overlooked. Look for 2015 or newer models since these will have the newer -heat tolerant- battery chemistry as well as climate control systems that employ heat pumps. The newer heat tolerant battery chemistry allows more DC Fast Charging (DCFC) without stressing the battery so much. The heat pump enables more efficient cabin heating which better conserves battery charge and increases range. Both of these features became standard in 2015. Be aware that in 2016 and 2017 a larger battery became available bumping the energy up from 24kWh to 30kWh. This increased range from 85 miles up to 107 miles. The 2016 and 2017 models appeared to initially experience issues with premature capacity loss. This apparent issue was determined not to be an actual problem and was found to be due to BMS software issues or software bugs. Also, the problem that came to be called Rapid-Gate was determined to be largely due to overprotective BMS software. These issues were corrected by 2018 with a software update. If you're looking at a 2016 or 2017 make sure the car has had the update. I don't believe a recall for this was ever issued so many may not have it. The vehicle will need to be returned to a dealer for this software update.
Something important to understand about the Leaf is that while they are known to be incredibly durable and reliable cars, the battery packs are susceptible to certain types of abuse, mainly overheating caused by careless owners. The Leaf battery does not employ active thermal management (not liquid cooled, however, under all normal circumstances this is not a problem and the batteries can be expected to hold up quite well. There is plenty of anecdotal and empirical evidence for this. Liquid cooling is largely to allow for high power DC Fast charging (DCFC. The idea being that if the batteries are kept cool then high power DCFC charging rates can be employed without overheating the batteries. However, the Leaf was intended more to be recharged at home via low power Level 1 charging (120V - 15A, and Level 2 charging (240V - 30A. Much higher power Level 3 charging capability (CHAdeMO 50kW DCFC, was added later but was intended for occasional use since it can significantly raise the battery's temperature. In the case of the Leaf it was found that sustained periods of high speed driving (above 80 mph, combined with overuse of DCFC could easily raise battery core temperatures into the red zone. Add high ambient temperatures (think Arizona's 118F days, to this scenario and you have a recipe for premature capacity loss. Indeed many of the vehicles that experienced premature capacity loss were from states that routinely see such extreme temperatures and were driven by owners that admitted to hard driving with frequent use of DCFC. Having said all this I think it's imperative that people considering purchasing a used Leaf obtain a copy of the Car Fax which will tell if the car was ever registered in a hot state like Arizona. As well it is important that perspective owners download and install an app called -Leaf Spy- onto their cell phone or other mobile device. Leaf Spy is a clever tool for inspecting the health of the battery by interrogating the OBDII port. It's quite technical and will give you the actual Battery SOH (State of Health. It will also tell you exactly how many Level 2 and Level 3 charges (also called QC or quick charges, the battery has sustained. Ideally you'd like to have as few QC's as possible and a SOH as high as possible. For example, my 2015 Leaf has, after 59, 000 miles, sustained only 45 QC's and has a SOH of 89%. That's slightly above average for a 24kW Leaf.
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teamgrimmie
I had once thought that Tesla might go bankrupt because of the tough competition from Nissan Leaf, etc. But then I focused on autonomous driving and what car >I< myself would want to buy. and I realized that Tesla would not go bankrupt because people WANT Tesla's self driving autonomous driving feature and Tesla is #1 as far as self driving autonomous driving is concerned! Of course the technology of self driving autonomous cars is in its infancy so it can sometimes result in serious disaster if you trust it too much. but nevertheless it definitely is something that needs to be developed considering the fact that at least 30, 000 people die from motor vehicle fatalities in the USA alone EVERY YEAR! So i can't but praise Elon Musk for attempting to develop the life saving technology of self driving autonomous cars!
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I had once thought that Tesla might go bankrupt because of the tough competition from Nissan Leaf, etc. But then I focused on autonomous driving and what car >I< myself would want to buy. and I realized that Tesla would not go bankrupt because people WANT Tesla's self driving autonomous driving feature and Tesla is #1 as far as self driving autonomous driving is concerned! Of course the technology of self driving autonomous cars is in its infancy so it can sometimes result in serious disaster if you trust it too much. but nevertheless it definitely is something that needs to be developed considering the fact that at least 30, 000 people die from motor vehicle fatalities in the USA alone EVERY YEAR! So i can't but praise Elon Musk for attempting to develop the life saving technology of self driving autonomous cars!
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Michael
Used Leafs are excellent inexpense commuter cars. In the USA you can get a 2016 Leaf currently coming off lease for 1/3 or less the price of a new one. For example a 2016 top of the line trim SV with less than 30, 000 miles in excellent condition can easily be purchased for $15, 000 or less all day long. Brand new it would have cost $38 to $40K outright and after Federal and State EV tax incentives would be less than that depending on which state you lived in. Regardless, the fact remains there is very little demand for a used Leaf so with a bit of negotiation you can get it for even a few thousand less than the example I gave making it an excellent bargain.
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Used Leafs are excellent inexpense commuter cars. In the USA you can get a 2016 Leaf currently coming off lease for 1/3 or less the price of a new one. For example a 2016 top of the line trim SV with less than 30, 000 miles in excellent condition can easily be purchased for $15, 000 or less all day long. Brand new it would have cost $38 to $40K outright and after Federal and State EV tax incentives would be less than that depending on which state you lived in. Regardless, the fact remains there is very little demand for a used Leaf so with a bit of negotiation you can get it for even a few thousand less than the example I gave making it an excellent bargain.
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Meno
The British built Leafs look better then the ones in the U. S. I wanted to buy a 2017 closest new one is 1, 500 miles away. Now Waiting for 2019 model, longer range and bigger motor, (Sept. of 2018. The used ones here have no resale value here, due the small motor and limited range. The Tesla seems to be junk. Alot of on-board computer issues and ill fitting parts. If you have an accident the car can only be repaired at their authorized body shops. Tesla will not sell parts to owners or third parties. There is also a long wait for any parts.
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The British built Leafs look better then the ones in the U. S. I wanted to buy a 2017 closest new one is 1, 500 miles away. Now Waiting for 2019 model, longer range and bigger motor, (Sept. of 2018. The used ones here have no resale value here, due the small motor and limited range. The Tesla seems to be junk. Alot of on-board computer issues and ill fitting parts. If you have an accident the car can only be repaired at their authorized body shops. Tesla will not sell parts to owners or third parties. There is also a long wait for any parts.
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cpcnw
Anyone looking at used Leaf needs to get an OBD2 dongle and an app called LeafSpy. This tells you essential info about the battery. You are essentially buying into a battery pack that could be on the verge of losing another bar or have cell problems. Dont rely on looking at the number of bars. You need to know the actual SoH % from LeafSpy before even looking at the rest of the car. Dealers who wont let you use LeafSpy and only will give you a print out of their 'Health Check' - just walk away.
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Anyone looking at used Leaf needs to get an OBD2 dongle and an app called LeafSpy. This tells you essential info about the battery. You are essentially buying into a battery pack that could be on the verge of losing another bar or have cell problems. Dont rely on looking at the number of bars. You need to know the actual SoH % from LeafSpy before even looking at the rest of the car. Dealers who wont let you use LeafSpy and only will give you a print out of their 'Health Check' - just walk away.
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David's
now lets get this right best second hand car yes there has to be 90 percent of cars under 20k are a leaf.
the worst thing is battery management so they will fail sooner. and the headlights are massive so are going to be a lot to replace
the early models have already had battery packs replaced why not tell us how many.
and the boot back end is like a big bum. it is also not efficient at all
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now lets get this right best second hand car yes there has to be 90 percent of cars under 20k are a leaf.
the worst thing is battery management so they will fail sooner. and the headlights are massive so are going to be a lot to replace
the early models have already had battery packs replaced why not tell us how many.
and the boot back end is like a big bum. it is also not efficient at all
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bujin1977
I'd really like to get an EV, and I don't think I can afford a brand new one, but the range of the old Leaf (especially the 24kWh version) is just way too short for me. It would be great for commuting, but I do longer journeys quite regularly too, and this car just wouldn't get me on my usual round trips. Might have to wait a few years for some 2018 40kWh Leafs to hit the 2nd hand market.
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I'd really like to get an EV, and I don't think I can afford a brand new one, but the range of the old Leaf (especially the 24kWh version) is just way too short for me. It would be great for commuting, but I do longer journeys quite regularly too, and this car just wouldn't get me on my usual round trips. Might have to wait a few years for some 2018 40kWh Leafs to hit the 2nd hand market.
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marco
They are selling me a 2015 leaf s for $9000 at a dealer with 66, 230 miles. or should I buy a 2019 SL with 18, 994 miles for $18, 197 with one accident though? My commute is sometimes 40 miles and other days 60 miles round trip Monday through Friday. Car will be park in driveway here in Fresno California. I will be trading my 2009 Prius for a Nissan leaf
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They are selling me a 2015 leaf s for $9000 at a dealer with 66, 230 miles. or should I buy a 2019 SL with 18, 994 miles for $18, 197 with one accident though? My commute is sometimes 40 miles and other days 60 miles round trip Monday through Friday. Car will be park in driveway here in Fresno California. I will be trading my 2009 Prius for a Nissan leaf
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DG
I own a used leaf as a second car for local driving. I have a UK built one which they didn't mention has a much better heater system than the Japanese built one. Which gives it a better range. Most I've covered in one trip is 68 miles in winter and still had 19 percent battery left over.
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I own a used leaf as a second car for local driving. I have a UK built one which they didn't mention has a much better heater system than the Japanese built one. Which gives it a better range. Most I've covered in one trip is 68 miles in winter and still had 19 percent battery left over.
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Ed
I am looking to buy my first ev. I'm thinking 2016 Nissan leaf or 2016 Kia Soul. The more I look. the more unsure I become. Any thoughts, opinions would be greatly appreciated. I'm in Canada. so winter driving is a consideration. I have to make a decision soon.
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I am looking to buy my first ev. I'm thinking 2016 Nissan leaf or 2016 Kia Soul. The more I look. the more unsure I become. Any thoughts, opinions would be greatly appreciated. I'm in Canada. so winter driving is a consideration. I have to make a decision soon.
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