I decided to try out the procedure for updating maps for my 2019 Nissan Leaf (bought in August, 2019). The general procedure outlined for updating maps for Nissan involves downloading the Nissan Map Update Tool (from TomTom), downloading the current maps from the Navigation System to a USB stick, and then plugging the USB stick into your Windows PC or Mac and firing up the Update Tool to check for and download updates from the web. You then plug the USB stick back into the cars console and update the Navigation System from the stick.

The problem is the general instructions don't match the actual menu presented by the Navigation System. After I select "Info" on the Navigation Console I'm supposed to see "System Information" - nothing close shows up and I've done the old "click on every option in sight) game. Has anybody successfully used the Update Tool - or is the simple answer to get the updates on a new SD card and swap? I noticed in some other forums that there were different variants depending on DVD vs SD card. Is the USB technique actually valid for an SD card based Leaf?

I think I see where your problem lies. TomTom doesn't make the maps for Nissan. HERE (originally called NAVTEQ) is the map provider for all Nissan and Infiniti vehicles sold in the US.

This is the correct website for updating the maps in your LEAF: Nissan Leaf GPS Navigation System Map Updates

I did find the Nissan map update site late last month on an early attempt. The NAVTEQ link eventually also led me around to Nissan's site. That let me specify the Leaf and model year, which took me to a page on the Nissan Nav Shop and prompted me to download the Map Update Tool, which took me to a page with a non-working download link for Windows. Inspecting the html source, it LOOKs like the thing is pointing back to TomTom, so I hand entered the address from the source HTML and downloaded InstallMapUpdateTool.exe from TomTom's download site. On execution, it installs a program declaring itself to be the Nissan Map Update Tool - which won't work without a USB stick that has been downloaded from the in-dash Navigation & Entertainment Console in the Leaf. That part was pretty straightforward - might be wrong, but easy. Unfortunately, all the instructions I've found on the details of how to get that crucial first step of downloading the existing maps from the Leaf's Nav system TO the USB stick have hit a brick wall. I can't find any path so far to the options that are supposed to let me prep the USB stick in the car.

I popped the SD card out of the console and it has the information 25920 5SA2A USA/CAN. I poked around the Nissan accessories site and found that I could order an SD card with 25920 5SA2B - which MIGHT be the later version, but it's $350 US and if I can get a free download it's worth banging my head against the wall a bit more. I have a very hard head.

That's weird. BTW, I just found this video: 2019 Nissan LEAF - System Updates (if so equipped)

Interesting. I wonder if that's something that comes with the SL. I have the SV (not the SL - had a brain fart there). The screen is very similar but the lower strip menu is different.

This video shows Phone, Info, Audio, Menu, Map, Connections, Settings. My car is showing Audio, Phone, Info, Menu, Map, Navi, Settings. There's also no sign of the SD card slot, which is above and partly overlaps the camera, forward/reverse, and back button cluster in our Leaf. I looked through the menu customization options - haven't found a way to fiddle with the lower strip menu yet though. Ok, this is making progress of a sort. Now I know I'm playing with a slightly different deck of cards. I think I'll call the local dealership tomorrow and ask the service guys what the regular drill is here.

Edit - missing comma in my list of menu options.

This is a SL feature I am going to guess, my '19 SV doesn't have this either

I have a Nissan Leaf SV 2019 and I had the same problem. I spent hours with Nissan USA, Nissan Canada and my car dealer, but I couldn't find a simple explanation to the problem. Then, I decided to compare the different Nissan Leaf 2019. I compared different photos and I read that the Leaf S, SV, SL 2019 have a 7'' touch screen (infotainment). They also have SD cards. The Leaf S Plus, SV Plus and SL Plus have a wider screen of 8'' without SD card. Actually, the infotainment of the Leaf S, SV, SL 2019 look exactly the same as the one of the Nissan Leaf 2018. The Nissan Navigation Store website redirect the Nissan Leaf 2019 owners to a page where the only method for updating the Map Data is with a USB stick after downloading the Map Tool Update application from their website. However, that is a bug. The Nissan Leaf S, SV, SL 2019 have a different Navigation System, with different menus and different specifications. I decided to go to the Nissan Navigation Store and I selected "Leaf 2018". After adding the SD card to the cart, I checked if my Navigation System was compatible with that SD card (there is a mandatory field on that page for that). I entered the serial number of my Navigation System (on the menu of your car, select "Info" > "Navigation version") and the SD card for the Leaf 2018 is totally compatible with my Leaf SV 2019! I called Nissan Navigation Store. They opened a ticket for that and the bug on their website will be fixed soon. I was told that if my the serial number of my Navigation System is compatible with the Leaf 2018 SD card, I can buy it and install it.

Nissan Navigation Store
https://nissan.navigation.com/home/en_US/NissanNA/USD