2015 Nissan Leaf

ELECTRONIC BRAKE ASSIST FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, OCTOBER 9TH, 2020. BRAKING DISTANCE WAS EXTENDED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED MUCH FARTHER THAN NORMAL, CAUSING DRIVER TO STOP CAR WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE. EMERGENCY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. ERRORS CODES INDICATE FAULTS WITH THE ELECTRONIC DRIVEN INTELLIGENT BRAKE CONTROL UNIT, THE SUBJECT OF SAFETY CAMPAIGN 16V119000. SUBSEQUENT NISSAN RECALL, WHICH APPLIED 3NF9B FIRMWARE TO THE EDIB, HAD BEEN APPLIED 5/13/16. FAILURES RE-OCCURRED IN COLD WEATHER IN NOVEMBER 8TH, 2020. PROBLEM IS SPORADIC AND DEALER CANNOT REPRODUCE. HOWEVER, A VIDEO OF THE FAILURE WAS RECORDED AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO THEM. REPLACEMENT PART CARRIES YET A NEW FIRMWARE, 4NP3E. THIS FIRMWARE SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE UNDER THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN IF IT MORE FULLY ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES.

FIRST SIGNS OF A PROBLEM WAS A YELLOW TRIANGULAR WARNING SIGN ON THE DASH WHEN I WAS CLOSE TO HOME, BUT NO DRIVING PROBLEMS. NEXT TIME STARTING THE VEHICLE AT HOME (ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLE) MANY LIGHTS LIT UP ON THE DASH AND THE BRAKE PEDAL ALMOST WENT TO THE FLOOR AS IT JERKED AND JUDDERED DOWN, AND A LOUD WARNING SOUND WAS EMITTED WHICH CONTINUED FOR QUITE AFTER A WHILE AFTER VEHICLE WAS SWITCHED OFF. THE CAR HAS BEEN FLAKY EVER SINCE, WITH EITHER A RED OR YELLOW WARNING SIGN LIGHTING ON THE DASH- OR NOTHING AT ALL. THE MOST SERIOUS EXPERIENCE, HOWEVER, WAS ON SEPTEMBER 15 (2020) WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT (WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE - YOU CAN'T START WITHOUT THAT) - I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THE CAR STARTED MOVING BACK EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAD MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. I HAD TO USE A LOT OF EXTRA FORCE BEFORE THE VEHICLE FINALLY SLOWED DOWN AND STOPPED. THANKFULLY, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES OF PEDESTRIANS BEHIND ME. IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE, I HAVE FOUND DOZENS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS - WHICH IS QUITE AMAZING CONSIDERING SO RELATIVELY FEW NISSAN LEAFS ARE ON US ROADS.

WHEN THE CAR IS POWERED ON, THE BRAKES DO NOT ENGAGE; THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD OR BACKWARD AS IF IN GEAR, DESPITE CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE SUDDEN MOVEMENT IS BY THROWING THE CAR INTO PARK AGAIN. IT FIRST HAPPENED IN 2017, WAS SERVICED BY A LOCAL DEALER, BUT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN IN 2019. CONTACTED NISSAN AND THEY SAY THERE IS NO RECORD OF THIS BEING A PROBLEM AND SUGGESTED I GO TO A DIFFERENT DEALER - I WILL NEED TO PAY TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AS IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

I HAVE A NISSAN LEAF 2015 S. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND MY FOOT IS STILL ON THE BAKE AND THE CAR MOVES BACKWARD ANYWAY AND THERE IS NO WAY TO STOP THE CAR IF SOMEONE IS BEHIND THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN SIX TIMES NOW THE LAST TIME WAS AT PUBLIX AND IF SOMEONE WAS WALKING BEHIND THE CAR THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY BAD. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPEN BEFORE OPENING THE GARAGE DOOR I WOULD HAVE RAN INTO THE DOOR. THE CAR WAS PARKED EACH TIME THIS HAPPEN.

BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE WHEN CHANGING FROM PARK TO REVERSE. FOOT WAS FULLY ON BRAKE WHEN CHANGING TO REVERSE. CAR LUNGED BACKWARDS ALMOST HITTING SOMEONE IN PARKING LOT. NO INDICATORS APPEARED BEFORE DRIVING VEHICLE. INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN LATER THE SAME DAY BACKING OUT OF GARAGE. ISSUE APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO SECONDARY BATTERY FAILING BUT THE BRAKE BOOSTER SHOULD BE ON PRIMARY POWER SYSTEM AND NOT ON SECONDARY.

OCCASIONALLY, BRAKES FAIL TO WORK PROPERLY WHEN APPLIED AT NORMAL (NOT ABRUPT) PRESSURE. THEN ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATE. THIS ISSUES IS ALL OVER THE FORUMS, AND MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. EACH TIME THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN, NISSAN SAYS THERE IS NO ISSUE. THEY RESET ALL THE LIGHTS AND RETURN THE CAR. WE HAVE PICTURES OF OF WARNING AND MAINTENANCE LIGHTS ON THE DASH INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WHEN THIS OCCURS.THEN IT COMES BACK A FEW DAYS, OR SOMETIMES A MONTH LATER.

UPON STARTUP, ONE OF TWO THINGS HAS OCCURED. THE FIRST IS THAT THE CAR CREEPS FORWARD EVEN THO I HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BREAK. PRESSING HARDER DID NOT SEEM TO STOP THE MOTION. THIS HAPPENED IN D (FORWARD) AND R (REVERSE) MOTION ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE SECOND THING, RELATED, WAS THAT UPON VEHICLE STARTUP, EVEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BREAK, THE CAR DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BREAK AND WOULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE.