2013 Nissan Leaf Electric · VA13 DZW

The 2013 Nissan Leaf presents a mixed maintenance picture. The most recent test on 30 September 2024 at 126,150 miles passed, but only after a failure two days prior on 28 September 2024 at 126,148 miles. That failure flagged an excessively worn offside front lower suspension arm ball joint, a tyre below the 1.6mm legal minimum, and an incorrect side repeater colour. The subsequent pass confirms these specific items were rectified, yet the same test still recorded advisories for worn rear brake discs and thin rear brake pads. This suggests a pattern of reactive rather than proactive upkeep, with the owner addressing only the failures to secure a pass while leaving secondary wear items unresolved. The mileage progression tells a clear story of a vehicle that was used consistently for years before a notable slow-up. Between September 2021 at 77,260 miles and September 2023 at 108,636 miles, the car covered roughly 31,376 miles in two years, averaging over 15,000 miles annually. Yet from September 2023 to September 2024, the mileage increased by only 17,514 miles, and crucially, the recorded mileage has remained static at 126,150 miles from late September 2024 through to today in June 2026. That two-year gap with no recorded mileage increase is significant. The vehicle may have been standing for extended periods, which can cause its own problems including flat-spotted tyres, seized brake components, and moisture ingress into electrical connectors, all of particular concern on an electric vehicle. A buyer should inspect the front suspension carefully. The offside lower ball joint was excessively worn in September 2024 and only two years prior had already shown slight play, indicating a component that has been deteriorating progressively rather than failing suddenly. Check for uneven tyre wear on that corner as supporting evidence. The rear braking system demands attention too. Worn and pitted rear discs with thin pads appeared as advisories in both the failed and passed tests of September 2024, meaning they have been flagged but not replaced. Look for lipping on the disc edges and measure pad thickness directly. On an electric vehicle with regenerative braking, rear brakes can seize or corrode from underuse, so check that the rear calipers are not binding and that the handbrake mechanism operates freely. Given the vehicle has potentially stood idle for nearly two years, a thorough assessment of the high-voltage battery health is essential. Request a State of Health reading via a Nissan diagnostic tool or a specialist EV scanner. Inspect the 12-volt auxiliary battery for signs of deep discharge, which is common when EVs sit unused. Check tyre sidewalls for cracking or flat spots, and verify that the tyre pressures are even. The windscreen chip noted in 2021 may have been replaced, but confirm its presence or absence and ensure the ADAS sensors behind the rearview mirror are secure and functional. This is a high-mileage electric car with a history of deferred wear items and a recent period of apparent dormancy, so a pre-purchase inspection by an EV specialist is strongly recommended.