Nissan Leaf Won't Turn Off: How To Fix?

Why the Nissan Leaf won’t turn off? This can happen for various reasons, particularly for a system dysfunction. But there are other reasons as well. Leaf owners have complained of having trouble turning off the car numerous times. But somehow, the matter remained unsolved.

Therefore, we took a look into it and tried to find what caused the problem. Besides that, we have found some possible solutions that might be helpful in your case. Check them out below.

Nissan Leaf Won’t Turn Off

The Nissan Leaf car has shown turning off problems that are related to the electrical system and brakes. You’ll find some common reasons and solutions to this issue below.

Reasons	Solutions
EV system malfunction	A thorough system checkup
Battery problem	Replace the battery.
Foot on the brake pedal	Remove the foot.

Incident 1: Foot On The Brake Pedal

Often, the Nissan Leaf owners complain that they can not turn off their cars. This often happens due to a silly mistake. The driver puts his foot on the brake pedal while turning off the engine. For this reason, the EV system gets confused. Therefore, the vehicle does not shut off as it should.

Solution: In the Nissan Leaf car manual, it is mentioned on pages 5-9, “Starting & Driving” and ‘How to shut off the EV (Electric Vehicle) system in an emergency.’ The steps are as below-

You are driving and now want to shut off the engine. To do that, push the power button three times consecutively within 1.5 seconds.
Or,
Push & hold the power button for more than two seconds.
Any one of these should work. If that did not work, then do as below-
Between the seats, you would see a fuse. Pull that fuse in the emergency hump, and it should shut down.

Note: You would have to take your foot off of the brake pedal for this process to work. This mistake often confuses drivers with other shut-off issues. Just take off the foot from the brake pedal and press the start button afterward.

Incident 2: Battery Problem

The same turning-off problem happened with another Nissan owner who was trying to turn off the car but failed to do so. And on display, it showed an ‘I-Key error.’ He tried to turn off the car again when brought to the dealer, but the problem remained. The display was showing the ‘T/M Malfunction’ message in the meantime. The mechanics had thoroughly checked the electrical system and found nothing after six hours of examination.

Solution: It may happen due to a battery issue. Therefore, check the battery to see if it is still operating smoothly. You may need to reset the system by disconnecting the battery. If that does not help, call for assistance from an EV mechanic or your Nissan Leaf dealer. Note that a new battery can also have problems. If there is any in yours, you may have to replace it ASAP!

Incident 3: EV System Malfunction

Three warning signs are showing up; brake system/yellow warning light, electric shift control system, & Vehicle Dynamic Control system. And on the dash, there is a message ‘I-key System Fault,’ ‘Visit The Dealer.’

Solution: This can happen due to an electric system failure in your Nissan Leaf. We suggest visiting your Nissan dealer or calling for assistance if you are in the middle of the road.

These were just three examples of how your Nissan Leaf will not turn off problems that may appear. As turning off your Nissan electric car became problematic, you may have faced one of these issues mentioned above. Now, try to solve the issue by applying the methods we stated above.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you turn off a Nissan LEAF?

To turn off your Nissan Leaf, you must first find the power button. Down to the left-hand side, you’ll see an orange button. It’s the power button that you use to start and shut off the car. Now, keep one foot on the brake pedal and press that orange button at the same time. You should be able to turn off your Nissan Leaf this way.

How do I stop my Nissan LEAF from charging?

Your Nissan Leaf stops charging automatically when the charge is complete. You can also simply remove the charger at any time to stop charging. And you can set up the manufacturer’s recommended 80% charge limiter to automatically stop the LEAF from charging after an 80% battery recharge. It’s known as “Long Life Mode” and is mostly found in 2013 & newer models. To set up this module, simply get to the MENU by pressing the little blue button with the printing, “zero emission.” Tap on Settings. Tap on “Long Life Mode (80% charge)”. When you turn that on, the writing changes its color and confirms you with a dashboard message, saying: “To 80% charge”.

Does the Nissan LEAF have battery problems?

Unlike any EV (Electric Vehicle), Nissan Leaf batteries also degrade with time. But the battery life expectancy also depends on various factors, like- climate, driving habit, temperature up-down, battery type, etc. You may expect to lose up to 35% to 40% at the end of 8-years of driving. This statistic is more accurate for the earlier Leaf models. On average, you can expect an 8 to 10-year battery life if you take proper care of your Nissan Leaf. And battery packs can power your car straight back in case of an emergency.

How much does it cost to replace the Nissan LEAF battery?

A new battery for your Nissan Leaf may cost you an unexpected amount. Plus, the replacement cost adds to that. The overall replacement cost with battery price of a 40 kWh Nissan Leaf battery may cost you from $6,500 to $7,500, whereas a 24 kWh battery may cost from $4,500 to $5,500. So, you can say that the battery costs about 37.5% of the price of a brand-new car.

What happens when the Nissan LEAF battery dies?

If your Nissan battery dies in the middle of the road, you can still run it for a while. This is because the car uses an interesting technology called the ‘Turtle Mode,’ which comes in handy in case of emergency. In this mode, you get some extra few miles before the battery completely runs out and shuts the system off. After that, you may need to call for help and tow the vehicle to the closest charging point.

Conclusion

We have put together the most relevant solutions to the “Nissan Leaf won’t turn off” issue. Try one method after another to see which one solves your problem. First, try to turn off the car as usual by pushing the switch three times or try the alternative. Make sure you do not keep your foot on the brake.

Then check the 12V battery and see if it is operating fine. If not, reset the battery and replace it if required. And lastly, if you still cannot figure out what the problem is, call Nissan for assistance. The experts may solve it for you. It could be a factory defect that you can do nothing about.

If your Nissan Leaf won’t unplug from the charging port, that is another disturbing issue, and we may discuss it another day.

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Zain Mark

Meet our diagnostic technician expert managing all the topics related to diagnosing vehicle problems, especially the problems with ECU or PCM. He is sharing his years of working experience troubleshooting modern car programs and dashboard issues with all. In his free time, Zain is found playing his guitar, tuning a new tune.

Nissan Leaf Won’t Turn Off: How To Fix?