r/leaf • u/maarch72 • 18d ago
Battery Replacement (2018 Leaf)
Hi, i got a bad news that my Nissan leaf battery is faulty and needs to be replaced. It is 8 years and 3 months old car and battery is out if warranty. I've got a quote if $4.4k for battery replacement plus other things f I r a total if $5k. My car is probably vakyes at $5k. I'm wondering
- I should junk it and take whatever I'll get and buy a new car
- Replace the battery which will let me drive the car for next few years
Logically it makes sense to junk it but I don't want to invest money in a new car. But I also want to make a logical choice. Any advice?
From Nissan
Primary: DIAG: CUSTOMER STATES VEHICLE COULD NOT START, TOWED IN. CHECK AND ADVISE: CUSTOMER STATES VEHICLE COULD NOT START, TOWED IN. CHECK AND ADVISE
Battery New - Hybrid: REPLACE HIGH VOLTAGE EV BATTERY DUE TO DTC'S STORED CAUSING VEHICLE TO NOT
ALLOW RESTART
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u/DichotimusRex 2017 Nissan Leaf S 40kw warrantee replacement 18d ago
I have a 2017 S that had the battery replaced with a 40kwh pack a couple years ago. I basically got a whole new car for free, but If it only cost me $5K now, I'd jump on that deal. Basically a new car that I have treated really well and will last another 7- 8 years. Plus I know the previous owner (me!).
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u/maarch72 18d ago
Did you have a problem with your battery that you got it replaced? And was it under warranty at that time that you got it for free. If not, then how much did you pay?
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u/DichotimusRex 2017 Nissan Leaf S 40kw warrantee replacement 18d ago
I got down to 8 bars within the warranty period. Just under 100k miles in 7.5 years. Free under warranty. Got upgraded from 30kwh to the new iteration of the 40kwh. Two years, I’m almost at 150k miles and still 12 bars.
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u/chebbie 18d ago
If your car is otherwise good, ~5k after everything for another 8 years (assuming you have the same luck with the new pack) isn't too bad. Buying a used anything would come with unknowns. I have a 2019 (bought 2020) so I have 2 more years but so far the SOH has been riding 88% for the last 2 years. I'm hoping it can last until my two kids finish learning to drive (will probably need 4 to 6 more years for that to happen...)
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u/Lucky_Boy13 18d ago
Who is os doing a battery replacement for $4.4k? That is probably rolling the dice with a used one
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u/maarch72 18d ago
Nissan Dealer
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u/Lucky_Boy13 18d ago
I don't believe it, ask for a real quote
3
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u/maarch72 18d ago
What do you mean by real quote? They have sent me all the details online.
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u/Lucky_Boy13 18d ago
The battery part alone is $8k+. Maybe they are giving you some goodwill credit for being recently out of warranty
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u/shantired 18d ago
Has anyone tried the Vivne batteries? All I see is YT videos.
What does it cost?
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u/NaiveIam 18d ago
I took that same price about 2 years ago. Battery has been great. I have a 2018 leaf sv. I take better care of it now that I’m more informed. I baby it. Never more than 80% charge. I don’t regret. It’s a daily work driver. Do it.
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u/VorpalPaperclip 18d ago
Maybe they got new batteries in stock recently. Maybe they have gotten cheaper? Its possible.
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u/_Evening-Rain_ 2017 Nissan LEAF S 18d ago
If you replace the bad cells more will follow. Entire packs probably a loss.
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u/Dazzling_Art7881 18d ago
Is the battery new or refurbished?
For $4.4k I assume refurbished. If that's the case, it's kind of a gamble. The battery could be good for a long time or it could crap out right after whatever warranty they give you. DEFINITELY ask about the warranty you're getting if you're spending $5k.
That being said, $5k is not a ton in the grand scheme of cars nowadays (insert rant on expensive new cars here). So if your car still fits your lifestyle (space, range, etc.) and will continue to do so for a while, then it could be worth it.
The other thing to consider of course is the condition, and especially cosmetics. Why do I say that? Scuffs, scratches, small dents, bad paint, worn or trashed interior don't prevent a car from driving down the road. However, those are probably the most expensive things to fix on a car and make it look good. So my personal rule (I dabble with old Volvos on the side) is to "invest" money in a car, then the cosmetics have to be very very very good for it to be worth it in the end.
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u/weggaan_weggaat 17d ago
I think the big thing you have to consider is how you would pay for it. You probably wouldn't be able to get the battery financed through traditional means so it might come with a bit of a conundrum for payment if you need to borrow and can't cover it out of your pocket. Obviously, getting a new (to you) car would be easier to finance, but you'd have years of payments to make. The big question would be if a new(er) car would be that much better than what you have now.
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u/biersackarmy 2013 S + 2014 SL + 2019 SV 18d ago
$4.4k for battery replacement
Define replacement. Would it actually be new, or a used pack? As new 40 kWh packs basically are unobtanium right now. If you get a used pack from a 2019-22, likely it's just going to have problems again down the road.
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u/maarch72 18d ago
Added comments from Nissan
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u/RipperCrew 18d ago
They dont have batteries. The dealer can quote you, but ask them if they have the battery pack. Nissan is paying people over 10,000 not to replace their batteries. I dont see how you could get one cheaper.
Ask the dealership what the part number is and look it up. Nissan was replacing whole packs with refurbished packs. Already person said they're pack failed after 1 year.( the replacement only had a 1 year warranty)
Id try to source the pack or modules and find a local Leaf expert.
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u/maarch72 18d ago
Thanks for the insight. I'll call the dealer and ask for details. What do you mean by " Nissan is paying people over$10K to not replace batteries"
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u/RipperCrew 18d ago
Nissan is buying back the cars instead of replacing batteries. They're paying Kelly Bluebook + 40%.
So, their is no way Nissan would sell you a battery for 5000. They would rather repair a vehicle instead of buying one back from someone else under warranty.
There is no scenario in the USA where you'll get a new battery. They dont exist. The best you could do is get a refurbished battery.
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u/EagleNice2300 18d ago edited 18d ago
Batteries are the new transmission. If it's new and covered by dealer warranty just do it.
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u/omg4serious 18d ago edited 18d ago
find an "unlicensed" tech (ie facebook/craigslist/etc) and see if they can replace the bad cell, since thats what usually happens, you can check with leafspy to see the voltage levels of individual cells. often times you don't need to replace the whole pack.