Problems · NHTSA complaints
2017 Nissan Armada problems
Owners filed 81 complaints about the 2017 Nissan Armada with NHTSA between Jan 2017 and Jun 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (33).
Complaints
81
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system33
- Power train17
- Engine16
- Service brakes13
- Air bags12
- Back over prevention7
- Forward collision avoidance4
- Exterior lighting4
- Seats3
- Vehicle speed control3
- Lane departure2
- Electronic stability control (esc)2
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Structure1
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 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
8
4
11
6
12
9
10
10
6
5
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 | 5 |
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
Electrical system
33 reports1 fire
“I’ve had my 2017 armada since 2018 and have had issues from the beginning. My GPS antenna has never worked and I assumed it was just a settings issue but after many attempts at resetting them and even purchasing the updated maps CD from the Nissan website it never fixed the issue. When I am driving you can feel the car jerk and slip. We have replaced the battery maybe 3 times in the last year. When I try to start my car it will turn on all the dash lights, shake, then shut off and sometimes if I wait it starts back up and other times it doesn’t. My car is running lean as well. I have kept up with the maintenance of my car and about 6 months ago I paid $3,000 to do repairs on it not related to these issues. These are all TSBs, but for some reason no recalls have been done. My car has become very unreliable.”
Power train
17 reports
“The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving at low rates of speed, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop with the check engine and ABS warning lights illuminated. The contact was forced to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was initially informed that the output speed sensor was defective; however, later the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.”
Engine
16 reports
“I’ve had to replace the battery three times in three years that I’ve owned the vehicle I purchased it used. The transmission jerks like it’s slipping. It has done this ever since I purchased it no recalls on transmission. The side door airbag sensor is defective. The airbag light flashes on the dashboard took it to the new Nissan dealership was gonna cost five to $7000 for the sensor so that airbag will not deploy in the driver side door. I had a 2010 Nissan Armada airbag sensor went out and the steering wheel and it was outrageous to replace that airbag sensor no recalls I will never buy a Nissan Armada again.. I have had all maintenance and upkeep completed at the dealership on my vehicle. Why is there not a transmission recall an airbag recalls on these vehicles?”
Service brakes
13 reports
“My vehicle was having intermitten BCI (Backup Collision Intervention) malfunction lights on the dash. On one occurrence it caused my vehicle to slam on the brakes suddenly at 20mph, it is definitely a safety issue. I replaced both brake switches which solved it temporarily but now it is on constantly. It has been scanned with various Nissan scan tools and no errors are found. I have read endless forum posts of Armada owners having this problem and the dealerships are giving them the run around with no clear solution.”
Air bags
12 reports3 crashes
“The passenger airbag occupancy sensor has failed. The passenger airbag will not deploy in the event of collision. The issue has not been easily able to accurately diagnose. The dealership recommends replacement of the entire passenger seat frame with built in sensors. This repair ranges between 4-7 thousand. If it repairs the issue. This is a significant portion of the value of the vehicle.”
Back over prevention
7 reports
“BCI MALFUNCTION LIGHT COMES ON AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT ONE MILE AND WILL STAY LIKE THAT TILL THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT WORK DURING THIS TIME. ON OTHER ONLINE FORUM A LOT OF NISSAN OWNERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE BUT NISSAN DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS. I DID PURCHASE NEW BRAKE SWITCHES BOTH OF THEM AND IT GOT WORSE. A BUNCH OF OTHER LIGHTS COME ON AND THE CAR WILL NOT START AT ALL. I REMOVED THE NEW BRAKE SWITCHES AND CLEANED THE OLD ONES. PUT THEM BACK AND IS DOING THE SAME THING WERE AFTER ONE MILE THE BCI LIGHT WILL COME ON.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.