Nissan Leaf Battery: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

Confirmed: Nissan themselves officially acknowledged this exact 12V drain issue — plus a genuine technical root cause on pre-2018 cars: a telematics unit endlessly searching for defunct network towers.

Illustration for editorial purposes

OEM Part Number: 24410

Genuinely important to know: this covers the small 12V auxiliary battery only — completely separate from the large lithium drive battery that powers the car. A SpeakEV member directly confirmed their genuine Nissan/Renault-branded battery (part 24410 JD11A) measured close to standard Type 012 dimensions (175 x 210 x 190mm), which fitted their 2016 Tekna correctly.

Gen 1.5 Leaf (24kWh), genuine reference	Nissan OEM: 24410 JD11A
Confirmed physical fitment	Type 012, approximately 175mm width x 210mm depth x 190mm height
US-spec equivalent (for reference)	BCI Group 51R — some UK owners have successfully fitted a larger Group 124R for improved reserve capacity, with a hold-down bar modification

Confirmed: Nissan Themselves Acknowledged This Exact Issue

This is genuinely worth knowing directly: a widely documented 12V battery drain affects the Leaf, and Nissan issued an official statement acknowledging that many cars have shown this exact problem — this isn't simply forum speculation, but a genuinely confirmed, manufacturer-acknowledged issue. One owner built their own voltage logger and found a significant, repeating current draw every 14 minutes, peaking at 3.6A, clearly showing a genuine parasitic drain rather than the battery itself being at fault. If your Leaf's 12V battery keeps going flat despite being replaced or testing fine, it's genuinely worth knowing you're very likely not dealing with a simple bad battery.

A genuinely specific, real root cause worth knowing about on pre-2018 cars: the Telematics Control Unit (TCU), responsible for the car's remote connectivity features, can become a significant drain source once the older mobile network standard it relies on is switched off — the unit keeps searching at high power for towers that no longer exist, continuously draining the 12V battery in the process. Unplugging the TCU on affected pre-2018 cars has been documented by multiple owners as substantially improving 12V battery life, though this obviously disables remote connectivity features if you use them.

It's also worth knowing that Nissan customer service has, in some documented cases, been dismissive of this well-established issue — one owner was told they "must have left the lights on," despite the Leaf having no conventional mechanism for that to drain a 12V battery this way. If you're facing similar dismissiveness for a well-documented, manufacturer-acknowledged fault, it's worth pushing back and referencing Nissan's own public statement on the issue directly.

The Part Everyone Blames First, Not Always Correctly

A car that won't start gets blamed on the battery more often than any other component, and it's right often enough to make that assumption a reasonable first check. But it's not always the actual cause, which is worth knowing before spending money on a replacement that doesn't fix anything.

Before you buy: battery size, capacity and type (standard vs AGM/EFB for stop-start systems) vary by trim and engine. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

What It Does

The 12V battery provides the power needed to start the engine and runs electrical systems when the engine isn't turning. On cars with stop-start technology, the battery works much harder than on older designs, since the engine switches off and restarts far more frequently — which is exactly why these cars need a specific AGM or EFB battery type rather than a standard unit.

Warning Signs, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Battery Guide for warning signs to watch for, confirming fitment against your VIN, and matching the right technology (standard, EFB, AGM) when buying aftermarket.

More Nissan Battery

The same part, covered across other Nissan models.