Problems · NHTSA complaints

2011 Nissan Armada problems

Owners filed 40 complaints about the 2011 Nissan Armada with NHTSA between Apr 2011 and Mar 2025. The most-cited component is engine (9).

Complaints
40
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine9
  2. Electrical system6
  3. Service brakes6
  4. Suspension5
  5. Wheels4
  6. Steering4
  7. Air bags4
  8. Seats3
  9. Structure2
  10. Power train2
  11. Visibility2
  12. Tires2
  13. Fuel/propulsion system1
  14. Visibility/wiper1

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
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20111
20121
20132
20148
20154
20161
20175
20184
20193
20201
20214
20221
20232
20242
20251

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.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

9 reports
“Cracked exhaust manifolds, as a safety issue, Exhaust gasses can enter the drivers compartment. Nissan has know about this issue for years, it is a defect, it is a very big issue with a very large percent of vehicles with this issue. Please issue a recall, so the manufacture pays for it and not the owner.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 14, 2022EngineODI 11484519

Electrical system

6 reports1 fire
“The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that one day, upon exiting the vehicle with the engine running, there was heavy black smoke coming from the front passenger’s seat. The contact alerted the business at her location about the failure and obtained buckets of water to assist the contact. The contact used a knife to cut out parts of the seat and poured water directly on the smoke. Once the Fire Department arrived at the scene, the smoke was extinguished, and the vehicle was inspected to ensure that there was no presence of a fire. No injuries were reported. The contact was not informed if a fire report was filed. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat warmer was activated at the time of the failure; however, the passenger’s side seat was not occupied, and the seat warmer should not have been activated. Despite the failure, the contact resumed normal operation of the vehicle. The contact called the dealer and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 19, 2025Electrical system, SeatsODI 11649223

Service brakes

6 reports2 crashes
“My 2011 Nissan Armada started shaking very badly 8 months ago. Around that same time I had all 4 tires replaced. I took the car back to the place that put my new tires on (National Tire and Battery) and was told that the rack and pinion assembly needed to be replaced. They wanted $800-900 for the repair and to leave my car for 3 days which I could not do due to having only one vehicle. I took my car to a mechanic that dealt with electrical issues as well (Motions Automotive). They did what I felt like was a quick fix because the owner told the mechanic what he needed to do but the mechanic did a ride along with me, vocally stated what he wanted to do and reassured me he would do his best but the owner took precedence. Something was done to my air compressor(s) and it lasted a little over a week then went back to violently shaking every time I hit a bump or pot hole as well as the car taking a while to come to a complete stop. That happened from the beginning and I took it to the Nissan dealership twice and was told that’s normal. I have to stop far off from a stop sign or light to stop in time or just fly through. All of the recalls that the 2010 Armada has is…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 27, 2024Steering, Suspension, Service brakesODI 11574145

Suspension

5 reports
“The rear crossmember subframe on my vehicle is completely rusted out which caused serious suspension issue and cause the control arm to be in contact with the fuel tank. It didnt go through the tank because i found the issue on time and stopped driving the vehicle but it caused damage to the tank. If I didnt stop driving the car it was just a matter of time before the control arm perforated the tank, which could have been a lot worse with a risk of fire. This looks to be a common issue with Nissan cars so I’m not sure how there is no recall for it. I keep the vehicle maintained properly and bring it to the dealer for repairs. The dealer also performed a lot of work on the rear suspension of my car a couple of years ago but never mentioned anything to me about this major rust on the crossmember subframe.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 13, 2024Suspension, Wheels, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11577091

Wheels

4 reports1 crash
“TIRES WEAR OUT ON ONE SIDE THEY SAID IT NEED ALIGNMENT. AFTER THE ALIGNMENT WAS DONE TEN THOUSAND MILES LATER SAME PROBLEM. NOW THEY SAID IT'S THE WAY WE DRIVE. I'M 48 YEARS OLD AND OWNED MANY CARS AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE THIS PROBLEM.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 22, 2017WheelsODI 11000663

Steering

4 reports
“The Electrical components went out in the steering wheel. 1st the radio and controls went out and then the horn eventually stopped working, had to pay $300 for the part itself and even the dealership didnt have it I had to order from a specialty shop. Took all day to repair. The airbag light is constantly on but there is nothing wrong with the air bag and has been reset but it stays on. The driver side window wont roll up half the time the electrical component has went out. Sometimes it rolls down by itself. Headlights have water in them and hard to keep out after replacing them. After only having it a few months had to replace the engine bc it kept smoking. Thank goodness for warranties and at 1st they wasnt going to replace it.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 7, 2021Steering, Electrical system, EngineODI 11419900
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.