Problems With The 2015 Nissan LEAF: Little Things About The LEAF That Should Change

There are many problems with cars. EVs are not exempt from some of these, as well as some of their own. I wonder about batteries, and I assume most people wonder about batteries, but that’s not the focus of this piece. Problems I have noticed with the 2015 Nissan LEAF I am reviewing on a long-term basis (some of which are perhaps aggravated by hot Florida weather) are:

1. New car smell. Yes, the LEAF I drive still has this condition after 7 months. It is toxic, causes headaches, and is not pleasant. I cannot make a comparison to an electric BMW i3 (with recycled materials), as I have only test driven the BMW i3.
2. Plastic pieces that break very easily are another unsustainable problem in the LEAF.
3. It is not an autopilot-enabled EV yet.
4. “Child-safety” doors. I’m not a fan of child-safety doors that lock kids in the backseat. I think it is safer for kids (and adults) to be able to open the doors if needed.
5. It is very difficult to vacuum it completely or well. It’s hard to fully get under the seats and into various corners under there. A slightly more open design under the seats would be helpful with this.
6. The charging port plug sometimes gets stuck. This has happened once when the salesperson or another employee at Nissan kept telling me that I did not unlock it. I had. He was wrong. They then had trouble getting it to disconnect as well.
7. The navigation system is okay, but not great. It only gets one in the general vicinity of charging stations — not directly in front of them.

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Images by Cynthia Shahan