2011 Nissan Leaf Body & Structure Problems

I PURCHASED MY 2011 NISSAN LEAF IN SEPTEMBER OF 2012 FROM STADIUM NISSAN IN ORANGE, CALIFORNIA. I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT BUILT FOR MY 69 MILE COMMUTE(4.9 MILES PER KWH), BUT WAS ABLE TO ADAPT AND MAKE IT WORK UNTIL A JOB CHANGE IN OCTOBER OF 2013. MY 10 YEAR OLD SON AND I WERE REAR ENDED SHORTLY AFTER OUR MOVE TO TURLOCK, CALIFORNIA. MY NISSAN LEAF HELD UP VERY WELL TO BEING REAR ENDED AT 45MPH BY A FULL SIZED CHEVY SILVERADO; AS I DROVE IT AWAY AND THE CHEVY WAS TOTALED. MY SON AND I BOTH RECEIVED CONCUSSIONS FROM THE ACCIDENT, AND UNFORTUNATELY HE IS STILL FACED WITH MEMORY LOSS. MY LEAF WAS TAKEN TO ALFRED MATTHEWS COLLISION CENTER FOR REPAIRS, AND SENT TO CENTRAL VALLEY NISSAN TO HAVE THE BATTERIES REMOVED AND REINSTALLED BEFORE AND AFTER THE BODY REPAIRS. THE REPAIRS TOOK MORE THAN 2 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, AND MY LEAF HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME. MY LEAF WILL NO LONGER GET THE 69PLUS FREEWAY MILES THAT I DROVE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND WILL NOW ONLY GET 40-50 CITY MILES PER CHARGE (3.8 MILES PER KWH). I HAVE TAKEN MY LEAF BACK TO CENTRAL VALLEY NISSAN AT LEAST 6 TIMES IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS, AND EVEN HAD ONE OF THE TWO NISSAN LEAF MECHANICS EVALUATE THE ISSUES. AAA WAS WILLING AND READY TO TOTAL MY LEAF BASED ON THIS DRASTIC PERFORMANCE ISSUE, BUT THEY WERE TOLD BY CENTRAL VALLEY NISSAN AND THE LEAF MECHANIC THAT MY LEAF IS PERFORMING WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS FOR A 2011 LEAF WITH 35,000 MILES. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE BASED ON YOUR EPA ESTIMATES OF 106 CITY / 92 HIGHWAY (I AM CURIOUS IF OTHER LEAF OWNERS KNOW THAT WHEN THEIR VEHICLE IS 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS 35,000 MILES; THEY WILL ONLY GET 40 MILES PER CHARGE). *TR

AFTER STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION, LOOKING BOTH WAYS AND NOT SEEING ANYBODY, I STARTED GOING THROUGH AND CROSSING THE STREET, THEN I SUDDENLY COME FACE-TO-FACE WITH A PEDESTRIAN ONLY INCHES FROM THE SIDE OF THE CAR! I ALMOST HIT SOMEONE, AND THE EXPERIENCE LEFT ME QUITE RATTLED. THE PROBLEM IS THE PILLAR AT THE FRONT LEFT CORNER IS AT THE WORST POSSIBLE POSITION AS IT COMPLETELY BLOCKS THE VIEW OF THE FAR STREET CORNER, SO I DID NOT SEE THE PEDESTRIAN WHO STARTED CROSSING THE STREET. ALSO, THE PILLAR AT THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE COMPLETELY BLOCKS THE VIEW OF THE NEAR STREET CORNER. I HAVE SINCE TRAINED MYSELF TO CONSCIOUSLY PERFORM A CRAZY-LOOKING MANEUVER TO MOVE MY BODY TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT AND BACK, AT EVERY INTERSECTION, TO PEEK AROUND THE OBSTACLE. I DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE. THIS CAR HAS EXCEPTIONALLY TERRIBLE VISIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE PILLAR, AND IT IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS. THIS NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IT RESULTS IN A PEDESTRIAN FATALITY. IT ALMOST DID. *TR

ALTHOUGH APPARENTLY WORKING AS DESIGNED, THE PEDESTRIAN WARNING SOUND ON THE NISSAN LEAF IS INAUDIBLE TO ANY WITH MODERATE HEARING PROBLEMS, INCLUDING A GREAT MANY OF THE ELDERLY. THE PITCH IS TOO HIGH. LIVING IN A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE. *TR