Problems · NHTSA complaints
2006 Nissan Armada problems
Owners filed 266 complaints about the 2006 Nissan Armada with NHTSA between Jan 2006 and Mar 2026. The most-cited component is service brakes (138).
Complaints
266
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
14
Reported by owners
Fires
13
Reported by owners
Injuries
12
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Service brakes138
- Service brakes, hydraulic51
- Electrical system24
- Air bags22
- Power train9
- Engine and engine cooling9
- Engine9
- Structure8
- Electronic stability control (esc)7
- Fuel system, gasoline6
- Suspension5
- Equipment4
- Seat belts3
- Vehicle speed control3
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
5
4
10
9
20
29
20
31
36
31
17
15
17
7
3
1
4
2
2
2
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 10 |
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | 20 |
| 2011 | 29 |
| 2012 | 20 |
| 2013 | 31 |
| 2014 | 36 |
| 2015 | 31 |
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Service brakes
138 reports8 crashes1 fire
“Earlier in the year the brake light (some times with slip and ABS) came on the dash and suddenly braking was diminished. There was a horrid grinding sound plus vibration under the pedal. I was on highway 17 (a dangerous mountain freeway in CA) going downhill and it was extremely scary as has a car full of friends kids and hardly any brakes. I braked as much as it would allow, down shifted and pulled to the side (which again if you google that highway people die all the time from idiot drivers/speeders/tight corners). I instinctively turned off the car and got out to check off something had gotten caught in my wheel but nothing. I turned the car on and the problem had gone so drove to the nearest garage but he couldn't find anything wrong. I called Nissan but they said they knew of no problems with breaking systems on the Armada and said to bring it in and pay for an expensive diagnosis. When I got home I googled it and found 100s of similar experiences with all sorts of repairs at Nissan that hadn't worked. Some say brake booster, others sensor, other reset or upgrade hardware. Not one actually fix so far but I did find a couple of lawsuits for the same reason…”
Service brakes, hydraulic
51 reports2 crashes1 fire
“The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Armada. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal sound emanating from the brake pads, requiring increased effort to slow the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”
Electrical system
24 reports1 crash7 fires
“The contact owed a 2006 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed fire and smoke coming from the front passenger side underneath the glove compartment area. The contact stopped and parked the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed the vehicle was on fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was left on the shoulder of the road. The contact stated the local police authorities later placed a sticker on the disabled burned vehicle because it was left on the shoulder of the road and had to be removed. The contact stated that the vehicle was junked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,100.”
Air bags
22 reports7 crashes
“The airbag light has been on for a while indicating that there is a defect in the airbags . The brakes light comes on randomly and the car brakes on its own without me applying the brakes and that is very dangerous especially on the highway and the transmission light comes on showing the 4x4 light as on for no reason and I would have it on just the 2 wheels”
Power train
9 reports1 crash
“AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE FAILURE. OUR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE SPRUNG A LEAK WITHOUT WARNING AND NO IGNITION LIGHTS TURNING ON. THE END RESULT IS THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NISSAN ARMADA 2006 TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES. THE LINE HAD A WEAK SPOT IN IT THAT SPLIT OPEN AND SPRAYED ALL THE ATF OUT. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING BACK THROUGH OUR TOWN AT ABOUT 35 MPH.”
Engine and engine cooling
9 reports2 fires1 related recall
“The contact owned a 2006 Nissan Armada. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and approaching a stop sign, the contact became aware of smoke and then fire coming from underneath the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact and passenger exited the vehicle safely. The contact stated that she had minor hip pain but did not seek medical attention. The contact stated that the Fire Department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire but not before the vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 10V517000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 08V284000 (Equipment) for which the VIN was included. The approximate failure mileage was 182,000.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.