Drivers facing ‘unknown’ high repair costs when second-hand EVs go wrong

Gloucester man faces a repair bill of over £9,000 for his ‘cost-effective and environmentally friendly‘ Nissan Leaf

Drivers facing ‘unknown’ high repair costs when second-hand EVs go wrong

Ben, a 39-year-old from Gloucester, is in a difficult situation after his electric car, a second-hand Nissan Leaf, broke down.

He bought the car three years ago, believing it would be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly choice. Now, he faces a repair bill of over £9,000, with the manufacturer stating the vehicle is out of warranty.

Ben purchased the Nissan Leaf on a personal contract plan with a monthly payment of £380. He has since reduced this to £186 a month through overpayments. There is still £9,241 owing on the car, and the agreement is set to end in April 2026 with an optional balloon payment of around £7,500.

After driving the car for 50,000 miles and having it regularly serviced by a main Nissan dealer, it began making a “whirring noise” and the dashboard warning lights started flashing in July. An independent garage informed him that the drive unit had failed and needed to be replaced, with the repair costing up to £9,000.

This situation has left Ben in a bind, as he cannot afford the repair but still owes repayments on the vehicle. This is just one case among many we’ve seen that raises concerns about the potential high costs of EV repairs and the financial risks involved when a car’s warranty has expired along with the need for a healthy independent EV service and repair sector.

Source: Metro

3 Comments

  1. Never but an electric car especially S/H as the costs are not worth it

    Reply
  2. Buy a used drive unit, go to an independent to get it fitted. Its £400 – £1000 for the part on e bay and be even more environmentally friendly

    Reply
  3. surprise surprise, we didn’t see that coming did we?

    Reply

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