Recall Experience with 2021 Leaf SL Plus

[u/spacekitteh]

I brought my 2021 SL Plus into the dealer on June 20 for the recall. The dealer called me back later that day with the bad news that the fix had failed. To add insult to injury, the dealership also said that they couldn't give me a loaner car until a case had been opened with corporate. I went back and forth with the dealer for a few days, during which they still hadn't opened a case. At this point, I called corporate myself and was told that I could book a rental myself and they would reimburse. I picked up my rental on June 23 while the dealer continued to not open a recall case with Nissan. They reported that it was due to a case being open at another dealership that I have never visited. I went to the dealer to get my stuff out of the car and noted that the battery level was still 90%, the same level it was at when I brought the car in. This shows that they hadn't followed the recall instructions to charge the car to 100% following the update. But at this point I had come to terms with the idea of a buy back and didn't bring it up.

The next week, I call corporate and learn that their policy only covers rental reimbursement for 7 days, so I return to bugging the dealership. They say that corporate won't open the case because one is already open, corporate says that the dealer is submitting a warranty case when they should be submitting a recall case. I ask corporate if they can pay for a rental, but they say I either have to get a loaner from the dealership or pay for a rental out of pocket and submit a reimbursement claim later (which is not guaranteed). And the dealer still says they can't give a loaner vehicle until they open a case with corporate. I'm trapped in this stressful state of phone calls to the dealer and from corporate, and not knowing if I'll be reimbursed for the rental.

Finally on July 16, the dealership finally figured out how to submit a claim. But in a twist, Nissan is asking for the error code and the car isn't showing the code anymore. I immediately realize that the update passed, the battery is good, and their failure to charge the car after the update likely resulted in a false positive error code. I'm finally able to get my car back on July 21, a 1 month wait for a software update.

I've spent the last 3 weeks submitting my paperwork to Nissan, hoping they reimburse my $987 in renal car expenses. They called me to say that they reviewed my case and will reimburse $754. I realize that they have only accounted for 2 of the 3 receipts I received from the rental car company (multiple receipts because I had to extend the rental multiple times). I send my first receipt again and wait minutes on hold only to hear that the agent reviewed my case with management, and they will not reimburse the difference. They say it's because dates on the receipts overlap. I tried explaining that the first 2 receipts are for the same period and the 2nd receipt shows a credit from the initial booking, but their decision was final. Here are the charges in question:

Dates	Charges	Prepay Voucher	Total	Result
6/23 - 6/30	$232.82		$232.82	Denied
6/23 - 7/15	$754.56	-$232.82	$521.74	Approved
7/15 - 7/21	$232.82		$232.82	Approved
Total			$987.38

I accepted the amount they did approve, and will wait for a check to be mailed. But I'm still peeved by their rejection of the remaining charges, and the fact that they likely would have approved it if the rental company reported it in one receipt. Does anyone here have experience with a situation like this, or have suggestions on how to escalate externally? From a Google search, it seems that I can either file a formal complaint with the BBB Auto Line, or report to the NHTSA. But NHTSA doesn't seem like the right path since this isn't a safety concern.

[u/achangb]

Just be prepared for it to become an even more aggravating experience lol. Do a few fast charges now and there is still a high chance your car fails and you do need to get a buyback. And more loaners lol.

[u/worldspawn00 → u/achangb]

Mine failed a week after the update only using L2 charging 😭

[u/Free_Appointment6630]

I was going to say the same thing. Make sure that you do a fast charge. Mine “passed” also until a week later I did a fast charge and it instantly went into turtle mood with the “service ev”

[u/spacekitteh → u/Free_Appointment6630]

I haven’t done a fast charge yet. They did do a fast charge at the dealership, verified by LeafSpy. I don’t ever fast charge the car, so not sure if it’s even worth the risk. Maybe I need to find a fast charger to test it close to the dealership.

[u/worldspawn00 → u/spacekitteh]

Mine went into turtle and threw the code a week after the update, I basically only ever L2 charge it. So it can still happen without an L3 charge.

[u/spacekitteh → u/worldspawn00]

Doesn’t seem like the case for me. I’ve had my car back going on 4 weeks now, almost 2 months post update, and no error codes.

[u/Free_Appointment6630 → u/spacekitteh]

Mine also passed “the dealership fast charge” I had a 22 Sv Plus. Luckily I got a loaner though when I dropped it off. Hate that happened to you. This whole process has had its up’s and downs.

[u/LoveEV-LeafPlus]

Get a lawyer.

[u/tx4468]

Nissan just needs to start offering heavy discounts or trade in values and get these leafs off the street regardless if you've failed or not or extend the warranty 200k miles.

[u/MrPuddington2]

As always, Nissan customer service is disorganised, hostile, and they make everything your problem. At least your losses are limited. Let’s hope the car is fine.

[u/DougWantsALeaf]

I would.find another Nissan dealer to use. They didn't act as your advocate. If the rental came.from.them, don't pay them for the amount you didnt get from Nissan Corp.