Page 529 of 610

Do not attempt to start the system by
pushing the vehicle.
CAUTION
An EV cannot be push-started or tow-
started. Attempting to do so may
cause traction motor damage. When towing your vehicle, all State (Provin-
cial in Canada) and local regulations for
towing must be followed.
Incorrect towing equipment could dam-
age your vehicle. Towing instructions are
available from a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer. Local service operators are familiar
with the applicable laws and procedures
for towing. To assure proper towing and to
prevent accidental damage to your vehicle,
NISSAN recommends that you have a ser-
vice operator tow your vehicle. It is advis-
able to have the service operator carefully
read the following precautions.
WARNING
• Never ride in a vehicle that is being towed.
• Never get under your vehicle af ter it has been lif ted by a tow truck.
CAUTION
• When towing, make sure that the ax- les, steering system and power train
are in working condition. If any unit
is damaged, dollies must be used.
• Always attach safety chains before towing.
For additional information about towing
your vehicle behind a Recreational Vehicle
(RV), refer to “Flat towing” in the “Technical
and consumer information” section of this
manual.
PUSH STARTING TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
6-14In case of emergency
Page 530 of 610
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off the
ground or that the vehicle be placed on a
flatbed truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
• Never tow with the front wheels on the ground or four wheels on the
ground (forward or backward), as
this may cause serious and expen-
sive damage to the motor.
• When towing this vehicle with the rear wheels on the ground (if you do
not use towing dollies): Always re-
lease the parking brake.
NOTE:
If your vehicle cannot be moved because
the vehicle cannot be shif ted to the N
(Neutral) position, please refer to the
LEAF Roadside Assistance Guide which is
located at www.NISSANUSA.com. If your
vehicle cannot be moved because the
parking brake cannot be released, refer
to “Parking brake” in the “Starting and
driving” section of this manual.
In case of emergency6-15
Page 531 of 610

VEHICLE RECOVERY (FREEING A
STUCK VEHICLE)
WARNING
To avoid vehicle damage, serious per-
sonal injury or death when recovering
a stuck vehicle:
• Contact a professional towing ser- vice to recover the vehicle if you
have any questions regarding the
recovery procedure.
• Tow chains or cables must be at- tached only to main structural
members of the vehicle.
• Do not use the vehicle tie-downs to tow or free a stuck vehicle.
• Only use devices specifically de- signed for vehicle recovery and fol-
low the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Always pull the recovery device straight out from the front of the ve-
hicle. Never pull at an angle.
• Route recovery devices so they do not touch any part of the vehicle ex-
cept the attachment point. If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use a tow strap or other device de-
signed specifically for vehicle recovery. Al-
ways follow the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions for the recovery device.Rocking a stuck vehicle
If the vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., try to free it by following the procedure
below.
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel lef t and right to clear an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and backward.
• Shif t back and forth between the R (Re- verse) and D (Drive) positions.
• Apply the accelerator as little as pos- sible to maintain the rocking motion.
• Release the accelerator pedal before shif ting between R (Reverse) and D
(Drive).
• Do not spin the tires above 35 mph (55 km/h). 5. If the vehicle cannot be freed af ter a few
tries, contact a professional towing ser-
vice to remove the vehicle.
6-16In case of emergency
Page 532 of 610
7 Appearance and care
Cleaning exterior......................7-2
Washing ..........................7-2
Waxing ...........................7-2
Removing spots .....................7-3
Underbody ........................7-3
Glass ............................7-3
Wheels ...........................7-3
Chromeparts......................7-4
Tire dressing .......................7-4
Cleaning interior ......................7-4 Air fresheners
......................7-5
Floor mats (if so equipped) ..............7-5
Seatbelts.........................7-7
Corrosion protection ....................7-7
Most common factors contributing to vehicle
corrosion .........................7-7
Environmental factors influence the rate of
corrosion .........................7-7
Protect your vehicle from corrosion ........7-7
Page 533 of 610

In order to maintain the appearance of
your vehicle, it is important to take proper
care of it.
To protect the paint surfaces, wash your
vehicle as soon as you can:
• Af ter a rainfall to prevent possible dam-age from acid rain.
• Af ter driving on coastal roads.
• When contaminants such as soot, bird droppings, tree sap, metal particles or
bugs get on the paint surface.
• When dust or mud builds up on the surface.
Whenever possible, store or park your ve-
hicle inside a garage or in a covered area.
When it is necessary to park outside, park in
a shady area or protect the vehicle with a
body cover.
Be careful not to scratch the paint sur-
face when putting on or removing the
body cover.
WASHING
Wash dirt off the vehicle with a wet sponge
and plenty of water. Clean the vehicle thor-
oughly using a mild soap, a special vehicle soap or general purpose dishwashing liq-
uid mixed with clean, lukewarm (never hot)
water.
CAUTION
• Do not use car washes that use acid in the detergent. Some car washes,
especially brushless ones, use some
acid for cleaning. The acid may react
with some plastic vehicle compo-
nents, causing them to crack. This
could affect their appearance, and
also could cause them not to func-
tion properly. Always check with
your car wash to confirm that acid is
not used.
• Do not wash the vehicle with strong household soap, strong chemical
detergents, gasoline or solvents.
• Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight or while the vehicle body is
hot, as the surface may become
water-spotted.
• Avoid using tight-napped or rough cloths, such as washing mitts. Care
must be taken when removing
caked-on dirt or other foreign sub-
stances so the paint surface is not
scratched or damaged. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of
clean water.
Inside flanges, seams and folds on the
doors, hatches and hood are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of road salt. There-
fore, these areas must be regularly
cleaned. Make sure that the drain holes in
the lower edge of the door are open. Spray
water under the body and in the wheel
wells to loosen the dirt and wash away
road salt.
Avoid leaving water spots on the paint sur-
face by using a damp chamois to dry the
vehicle.
WAXING
Regular waxing protects the paint surface
and helps retain new vehicle appearance.
Polishing is recommended to remove
built-up wax residue and to avoid a weath-
ered appearance before reapplying wax.
A NISSAN certified LEAF dealer can assist
you in choosing the proper product.
• Wax your vehicle only af ter a thorough
washing. Follow the instructions supplied
with the wax.
CLEANING EXTERIOR
7-2Appearance and care
Page 534 of 610

• Do not use a wax containing any abra-sives, cutting compounds or cleaners that
may damage the vehicle finish.
Machine compound or aggressive polish-
ing on a base coat/clear coat paint finish
may dull the finish or leave swirl marks.
REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,
insects, and tree sap as quickly as possible
from the paint surface to avoid lasting
damage or staining. Special cleaning prod-
ucts are available at a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer or any automotive accessory
stores.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter,
the underbody must be cleaned regularly.
This will prevent dirt and salt from building
up and causing the acceleration of corro-
sion on the underbody and suspension.
Before the winter period and again in the
spring, the underseal must be checked
and, if necessary, re-treated.
GLASS
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and
dust film from the glass surfaces. It is nor-
mal for glass to become coated with a film
af ter the vehicle is parked in the hot sun.
Glass cleaner and a sof t cloth will easily
remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the win-
dows, do not use sharp-edged tools,
abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based
disinfectant cleaners. They could dam-
age the electrical conductors, radio
antenna elements or rear window de-
froster elements.
WHEELS
Wash the wheels when washing the vehicle
to maintain their appearance.
• Clean the inner side of the wheels when the wheel is changed or the underside of
the vehicle is washed.
• Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or corrosion. Such damage may cause loss
of pressure or poor seal at the tire bead. • NISSAN recommends that the road
wheels be waxed to protect against road
salt in areas where it is used during winter.
CAUTION
Do not use abrasive cleaners when
washing the wheels.
Aluminum alloy wheels (if so
equipped)
Wash regularly with a sponge dampened in a
mild soap solution, especially during winter
months in areas where road salt is used. Salt
could discolor the wheels if not removed.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid
staining or discoloring the wheels:
• Do not use a cleaner that uses strong acid or alkali contents to
clean the wheels.
• Do not apply wheel cleaners to the wheels when they are hot. The wheel
temperature should be the same as
ambient temperature.
• Rinse the wheel to completely re- move the cleaner within 15 minutes
af ter the cleaner is applied.
Appearance and care7-3
Page 535 of 610

CHROME PARTS
Clean chrome parts regularly with a non-
abrasive chrome polish to maintain the fin-
ish.
TIRE DRESSING
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
tire dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a
coating to the tires to help reduce discolor-
ation of the rubber. If a tire dressing is ap-
plied to the tires, it may react with the coat-
ing and form a compound. This compound
may come off the tire while driving and
stain the vehicle paint.
If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the
following precautions:
• Use a water-based tire dressing. The coat-ing on the tire dissolves more easily with
an oil-based tire dressing.
• Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help prevent it from entering the tire tread/
grooves (where it would be difficult to
remove). • Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry
towel. Make sure the tire dressing is
completely removed from the tire
tread/grooves.
•
Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom-
mended by the tire dressing manufacturer.
Occasionally remove loose dust from the
interior trim, plastic parts and seats using
a vacuum cleaner or sof t bristled brush.
Wipe the vinyl and leather surfaces (if so
equipped) with a clean, sof t cloth damp-
ened in mild soap solution, then wipe clean
with a dry sof t cloth.
Regular care and cleaning is required in
order to maintain the appearance of the
leather (if so equipped).
Before using any fabric protector, read the
manufacturer’s recommendations. Some
fabric protectors contain chemicals that
may stain or bleach the seat material.
Use a cloth dampened only with water to
clean the meter and gauge lens.
WARNING
Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot
steam cleaners) on the seat. This can
damage the seat or occupant classifi-
cation sensor (weight sensor). This can
also affect the operation of the air bag
system and result in serious personal
injury.
CLEANING INTERIOR
7-4Appearance and care
Page 536 of 610

CAUTION
• Never use benzine, thinner, or any similar material.
• Small dirt particles can be abrasive and damaging to the leather sur-
faces (if so equipped) and should be
removed promptly. Do not use
saddle soap, car waxes, polishes,
oils, cleaning fluids, solvents, deter-
gents or ammonia-based cleaners
as they may damage the leather’s
natural finish.
• Never use fabric protectors unless recommended by the manufacturer.
• Do not use glass or plastic cleaner on meter or gauge lens covers. It
may damage the lens cover.
AIR FRESHENERS
Most air fresheners use a solvent that
could affect the vehicle interior. If you use
an air freshener, take the following precau-
tions:
• Hanging-type air fresheners can cause
permanent discoloration when they con-
tact vehicle interior surfaces. Place the air
freshener in a location that allows it to
hang free and not contact an interior
surface.
• Liquid-type air fresheners typically clip on the vents. These products can cause im-
mediate damage and discoloration when
spilled on interior surfaces.
Carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s
instructions before using air fresheners.
FLOOR MATS (IF SO EQUIPPED)
WARNING
To avoid potential pedal interference
that may result in a collision, injury or
death:
• NEVER place a floor mat on top of another floor mat in the driver front
position or install them upside down
or backwards.
• Use only Genuine NISSAN floor mats, or equivalent floor mats, that are
specifically designed for use in your
vehicle model and model year.
Appearance and care7-5