Used 2013 Nissan LEAF Consumer Reviews
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My nissian. Leaf.
Kevin, 08/18/2018
updated 03/08/2021
2013 Nissan LEAF S 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
15 of 19 people found this review helpful
My. Nissian leaf. EV. SUCKS. my battery has less than 8. Out of 12 bars. Capacity. Left. And this vehicle has no range at all maybe 20 miles. So now. Itc just sits parked while I make payments on it. For the nex 2 years. Big mistake. Buying this vehicle This will never happen Again Told nissian about this situation no help ---- oh by the way. This vehicle only has. 40 ,000. Miles on it... Since I have got rid of this burden lost several thousands of dollars glad to be rid of it ..( worst mistake ) ever ! Don't buy a electric car with a bad battery .... Don't buy a nissian ... Bad company.... Update 9/2019 this vehicle was voluntary surrendered ... The finance company wants me to donate $900 more for this vehicle I couldn't drive .. Nissan will ( never ) have anymore of my business ... BAD COMPANY...!!!
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Owning Leaf - The one flaw you need to know
Blecken, 07/25/2018
2013 Nissan LEAF SV 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
The one BIG problem with owning a leaf is that there is no thermal battery management. This means that the battery capacity degrades significantly over time. After 5 years and 33k on the odo my battery is down to 75-80% of its original capacity, which already was with 84 miles not very much. The nissan dealer says this is 'normal'. In effect this means that i won't be able to keep the car 10 years, because i need 40-50 miles radius during a work day. If you lease the car this does not really apply, since the you can get rid off the car after your lease term ends (and you should). There are some rumors that a leaf with a new battery is in the works for 2019, but anything before it better keep your hands off (owning). Other than this BIG drawback, the car is ok. While it is nothing fancy to look at and has a somehow cheap interior it handles and drives actually quite well and does serves it current purpose well.
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2013 Nissan LEAF for sale near you
Showing 3 of 93 listings
- SL 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $4,995112 mi away
- SV 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,075180 mi away
- S 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $8,495189 mi away
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Updated June 2025 98K+ and 60+ mpc
Brewleaf, 03/27/2020
updated 07/01/2025
2013 Nissan LEAF SL 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
I purchased my used 2013 Leaf in February 2017 at a Carmax after testing about 3 EV's and doing a lot of research and homework. The EV Blogs are great as you hear directly from the consumers. Very informative. Plenty of Youtube tales as well which can be fun. Loads of good content about the experience, including upsides and downsides. Update June 2025: Passed 98k miles. 9 of 12 bars still appear, get a full charge each night on Level 1 charger that came with car and each day the Level 2 charger at my office. More municipal spaces have generic Level 2 charging stations. Also seeing so many non-Teslas in our area. Rivians are very popular EVs here, plus Nissans, Kias, Chevys, BMWs, and hybrids from Honda, Toyota, Jeep, Hyundai, and Volvo are common to see charging. Coworkers, friends, family and neighbors have traded in Teslas for other less controversial EVs. Also more people expressed interest in next car being EV or hybrid—imagine not choking on fumes in traffic and less noise—glad consumers are speaking with their dollars. I see young and old driving EVs, and I still have new EV drivers come up and ask questions as they like some reassurances they made a good move. When I tell folks my 12 year old Leaf has nearly 100k miles and 75% of original battery life most are reassured considering they all drive NextGen cars that go much farther. There are upsides and downsides to EV ownership and driving. Some upsides--zippy to drive, quiet, eco-friendly, no gas/no oil/no emissions, heated steering wheel & seats (front & back), A/C and Heat are quick to get to optimal temperatures, and inexpensive to own/charge. Also many places have free or inexpensive charging (ie. work, some local shops & eateries, golf course). The downsides of the used Leaf: Tires--you go through tires faster, and in Cold months you get 50-60% distance. So on coldest days this winter I would get 35-50 miles per full charge. Back in warmer weather the battery meter on the dash still wants to suggest I can get 70 miles per charge but it is closer to mid 60s. There are apps for your phone that help you find nearby available chargers, and you can subscribe (like with EZ Pass) for those most convenient charging stations for your daily charging needs. Once you get a sense of how far things are from one charge point to another it will be less stressful and car insurance comes with towing so worst case (like running out of charge) you can get it towed to a charging station (or home if you are close enough). If I were in my 20s-30s and living in an Urban area, this car would be perfect, would just need to find some regular charging spaces, unless renting a house with an outdoor outlet for the Level 1 charger. I am seeing more and more EV's (every kind) and it is great to see so many older model Leaf EVs out there. The 2013 Leaf may be like the Model T of EV's, but it keeps chugging along and as long as it can make the trip I will keep driving it. I bought this car with 31K miles on it and in the 8 years I've had it I've put over 60k miles on it (was working remote for much of 2019-2022 which explains less than 8K a year mileage). I know it may seem like a scary proposition but the newer cars are making it even easier to charge, providing greater distance, and if you are a shrewd shopper and dealmaker (hint: get preapproved for the price you want to pay for the car and then show up at the dealership with check in hand and explain that is all you were approved for-they want to get cars off the lot and people walking away and down the street to another dealer isn't good for business. Don't forget in most parking garages the primo parking spaces are reserved for EVs. There are also a number of financial incentives worth looking into (between rebates/tax credits for buying a new EV and rebates/reimbursement for 50% of cost of installation of a Level 2 charger at your home). You may or may not have strong feelings one way or the other about the environment, but it is the only planet our children and theirs will get to live on, we need to find common ground with one another and preserving our planet for future generations seems like a worthy cause that anyone and everyone can and should get behind. This isn't THE solution, it is part of a larger conversation and solution. Just as PIE isn't the full meal . . . (unless you are a dessert only person, in which case, respect). Alright, off the pulpit. Just remember doing good, feels good, and feeling good is better than feeling bad. Original content: There are other reasons to buy one---with projected growth in the EV market, there is no better time to own one---the ratio of charging stations to EV cars on the road will never be better than it is right now. The Leaf is optimal when going out to shop (easier to park), and has plenty of space (hatchback for family of 5 worth of groceries), and working from home--would be surprised how many trips to store one charge gets you, even if only charging to 80% capacity. If you are in the market for a 2nd car for the family and have a reasonable commute, or new drivers, or in a suburb/urban area, it's worth checking out---one thing don't expect salespeople at dealerships to know much about them---do your own research, test drive as many as they have---check for EV Level 1 charger (standard in cars), Get them to charge to 100% and take a substantial test drive, running heat or AC, and see how comfortable you are with the mileage. I think most people will enjoy the ride itself, it's a commuter car, and I've had several commuter cars--this is the best. When idling in traffic you basically use no energy unless running heat or A/C. No exhaust fumes, no gas smells, no engine smells (from oil or other fluids). And no state emissions tests. Best of luck with car buying decision.
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DC fast charger not needed, but 6.6KW is a must!
frugaldave1298, 05/28/2013
2013 Nissan LEAF S 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
11 of 15 people found this review helpful
Had the car for 1300 miles and 1 month. Great car. Purchased after I got tired of waiting for the new Smart ED which had repeated delays. We got the base S model with the $1300 DC Fast Charge option. SL, SV models come with the 6.6KW onboard charger that charges your car at about 30% per hour. The old 3.3KW charger (still standard on the S) gives you about half that charging rate meaning you'll be forced to wait longer when charging out in town. This is a huge deal! The fast charge option adds the high speed DC charge 30 mins 0-80% and upgrades the 3.3kw to the 6.6kw onboard. That is a big deal! In hindsight, prob should have just gotten the mid-grade Leaf with the 6.6w charger.
Don't lease a LEAF!!!
pangarkar, 02/20/2015
2013 Nissan LEAF SL 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
14 of 20 people found this review helpful
At first when I leased my 2012 Leaf it was the coolest car around. I told all of my friend and before I knew it 6 of my colleagues at work had also leased the Leaf. Man do I wish I'd have waited!!! Now I can't even use the car because of range anxiety. I am getting about 40 miles per full charge for a car that only has about 9000 miles on it. Ridiculous!!! Not even close to the 106 miles on the New car sticker. And yes Range anxiety is REAL- believe me when the meter starts to get near the red mark and you still have about 10 miles to go you get real nervous very fast!! I would NEVER lease another LEAF again.!! Nissan says that this is normal for the car!! Really! 40 miles for a charge!!