2016 Nissan Leaf

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 NISSAN LEAF. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE, THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PREMIER NISSAN OF METAIRIE (LOCATED AT 6636 VETERANS MEMORIAL BLVD, METAIRIE, LA 70003, (504) 455-5800) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT A FAILURE CODE COULD NOT BE FOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 33554796. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

I HAD A BRAKE FAILURE AT POWER ON ISSUE ON MY 2016 NISSAN LEAF SL. NOTHING ON THE DASH ALERTED ME. THE BRAKES DID WORK, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE NO VACUUM ASSIST, SO HAD TO PRESS REALLY HARD. TOWED TO A DEALER. REPLACED THE 12V BATTERY. VERY SCARY, I ROLLED OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION AND LUCKILY I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT OR RAN OVER A PEDESTRIAN.

MY 2016 LEAF SL WAS DAMAGED IN A FAIRLY LOW SPEED COLLISION DURING HEAVY OFFICE RUSH TRAFFIC (AROUND 7:30AM IN THE MORNING). WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY STOPPED, I ALSO BRAKED HARD. AT THAT TIME I HEARD ABS LIKE SOUND BUT THE CAR DID NOT ACTUALLY STOP, IT KEPT ON GOING AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS TOO STRESSED OUT AT THE MOMENT THEREFORE I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO THINK. LATER ON, I SPENT SOME TIME SEARCHING INTERNET WITH SEARCH QUERIES LIKE 'NISSAN LEAF BRAKE PROBLEM' OR 'NISSAN LEAF DID NOT BRAKE' ETC. I FOUND MULTIPLE MENTIONS OF EXPERIENCES VERY SIMILAR TO MINE. IF YOU PERFORM GOOGLE SEARCH, YOU WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN. IS THERE A WAY TO LOOK AT THE LEAF ONBOARD DATA TO SEE WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED?

CAR LOST ALL BREAK CAPABILITIES AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL WAS LOOSE AND CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE BREAKS, LOUD CRACK SOUND ON FIRST PUMP BEFORE BREAK WAS LOST. SINCE I WAS GOING AT LOW SPEED (30MPH) I COULD EMPLOY MANUAL BREAK TO STOP VEHICLE. BREAK REMAIN IN FAILURE STATE TILL ON HOUR LATER WHEN IT SEEM TO HAVE RETURNED.

ON 6 OCCASIONS THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK ON FIRST CONTACT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A FULL STOP AT EITHER A STOP LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN ON CITY STREETS. RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REAPPLYING THE BRAKES FINALLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENED TO BOTH MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF AND HAPPENED ON BOTH STRAIGHT FLAT ROADS AND DOWNHILL ROADS. THIS HAPPENED IN BOTH REGENERATIVE AND NON-REGENERATIVE BRAKING BUT THE WORST FAILURE HAPPENED IN NON-REGENERATIVE BRAKING.

WHILE APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION IN A BUSY AREA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY, THE BRAKES FAILED ON MY NISSAN LEAF. THE BRAKE SHUDDERED UNDER MY FOOT, MUCH LIKE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DO WHEN THEY'RE ENGAGED. AFTER I FELT THE SHUDDERING, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT DOWN BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT DECELERATE AS IT NORMALLY WOULD IN RESPONSE TO BRAKING. I TRIED THE BRAKE PEDAL A FEW TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE, BUT THE VEHICLE'S MOMENTUM SLOWED ENOUGH FOR ME TO AVOID A COLLISION AND CONTINUE ON THE ROAD. AS I CAME TO A SECOND INTERSECTION, I AGAIN TRIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE LEAF AT THE INTERSECTION. I LOCATED AN UPHILL DRIVEWAY TO A CORPORATE PARKING LOCATION, AND DROVE THE VEHICLE VERY SLOWLY TO A PARKING SPOT. I INTENDED TO PARK THE CAR AND CALL A TOWING SERVICE, BUT WHEN I ONCE AGAIN TRIED THE BRAKE PEDAL THE NISSAN LEAF RESPONDED TO THE BRAKES AND STOPPED IN THE PARKING SPOT. BECAUSE I WAS CLOSE TO WORK AND THE BRAKES HAD RE-ENGAGED, I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE PARKING LOT AT MY OFFICE AND LATER THAT DAY CALLED NISSAN'S CONSUMER AFFAIRS LINE FOR THE LEAF (877-664-2738). I REPORTED THE ISSUE TO NISSAN, AND THEY HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A NEARBY NISSAN DEALERSHIP. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, NISSAN IS WORKING WITH MOSSY NISSAN IN POWAY, CA TO TRY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. NISSAN OPENED CASE #27170321 ON THE ISSUE. THIS IS A FAIRLY NEW VEHICLE (BOUGHT IN SEPTEMBER 2016), AND I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY PHYSICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE PADS OR MECHANISM. MY BEST GUESS IS THAT AN ELECTRIC/CONTROLLER FAILURE OCCURRED WITH REGENERATIVE BRAKING.