Owners have filed 21 complaints
about the 2021 Nissan Armada with NHTSA between 2022 and 2026.
The largest single group is the driver assist & collision avoidance.
Across this model's run it ranks 13 of 21 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 9
Against the median year of the Nissan Armada. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 100
28.6% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2021 Nissan Armada
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
523.8%
1 crashes, 0 fires
Fuel & Propulsion
419.0%
Electrical System
314.3%
Median failure at 34,000 miles
Engine & Cooling
314.3%
Other & Unspecified
29.5%
Transmission & Drivetrain
29.5%
Brakes
14.8%
1 crashes, 0 fires
Airbags
14.8%
1 crashes, 0 fires
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jan 2022peak 3Jul 2026
Recalls on the 2021 Nissan Armada
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202634411,868 units in Canada
Label
Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may list the wrong gross axle weight rating (GAWR) information. This could lead you to overload the vehicle and cause poor handling or a tire failure. Note: This recall only affects models equipped with 22-inch wheels. Safety Risk: Poor handling or a tire failure could cause a loss of vehicle control and result in a crash. Corrective Action: The company will notify owners by mail and provide you with a new compliance label. If you'd like help to install it, you can contact a dealer to have it installed free of charge.
Recall 2021314726 units in Canada
Fuel System
Issue: On certain vehicles, the fuel pump could fail. If this happens, the engine could stall while driving. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the fuel pump module.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Frederick, MDCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
I was driving a RENTED 2021 Nissan Armada. The brakes of this vehicle locked up when I was trying to avoid rear ending a car that had suddenly jumped in front of me. Instead of being able to control the braking, once I put the brake on, I tried to let up a little to see if I could stop the vehicle from skidding. However once I put my foot down on the brake it continued to stay depressed. I noticed that the vehicle was sliding and the steering wheel was also locked. I couldn't swerve to the left or right. I hit the van in front of me, the air bags deployed--driver's side air bag broke open and let out noxious gas. I have never driven a vehicle with such AEB troubles. If this is how the 2021 Nissan Armada acts, then other will find themselves not being able to avoid an accident as well. - Cheryl D., Frederick, MD, US
NHTSA complaint #11447227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Frederick, MDCrash1 injured
SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving a RENTED 2021 Nissan Armada. The brakes of this vehicle locked up when I was trying to avoid rear ending a car that had suddenly jumped in front of me. Instead of being able to control the braking, once I put the brake on, I tried to let up a little to see if I could stop the vehicle from skidding. However once I put my foot down on the brake it continued to stay depressed. I noticed that the vehicle was sliding and the steering wheel was also locked. I couldn't swerve to the left or right. I hit the van in front of me, the air bags deployed--driver's side air bag broke open and let out noxious gas. I have never driven a vehicle with such AEB troubles. If this is how the 2021 Nissan Armada acts, then other will find themselves not being able to avoid an accident as well. - Cheryl D., Frederick, MD, US
NHTSA complaint #11447227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving a RENTED 2021 Nissan Armada. The brakes of this vehicle locked up when I was trying to avoid rear ending a car that had suddenly jumped in front of me. Instead of being able to control the braking, once I put the brake on, I tried to let up a little to see if I could stop the vehicle from skidding. However once I put my foot down on the brake it continued to stay depressed. I noticed that the vehicle was sliding and the steering wheel was also locked. I couldn't swerve to the left or right. I hit the van in front of me, the air bags deployed--driver's side air bag broke open and let out noxious gas. I have never driven a vehicle with such AEB troubles. If this is how the 2021 Nissan Armada acts, then other will find themselves not being able to avoid an accident as well. - Cheryl D., Frederick, MD, US
NHTSA complaint #11447227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Lenexa, KS
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Stalling out in traffic, and have to keep restarting. Very dangerous
NHTSA complaint #11752971 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 34,000 milesVero Beach, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was jump-started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a low-voltage battery. The battery was replaced. After the battery was replaced, there was battery acid leaking from the battery. The battery was replaced a second and a third time; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000.
NHTSA complaint #11734259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Benton, LA
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
My emergency breaking will come on and almost stop my vehicle driving down the road with no one near me. It’s very scary and it happens frequently. I will put my most recent incident below
NHTSA complaint #11728005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My emergency breaking will come on and almost stop my vehicle driving down the road with no one near me. It’s very scary and it happens frequently. I will put my most recent incident below
NHTSA complaint #11728005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lugoff, SC
ENGINE
My family and I traveled to Ohio to visit family. After stopping for fuel, 6hrs into our drive, our 2021 nissan Armada started bucking, skipping, and eventually stalled 50 yards from the fuel station. Several attempts at restarting the vehicle resulted in a sputtering idle and stall. This put my family is grave danger as we were beginning our acceleration onto the interstate at 11pm eastern standard time. After some research, our vehicle doesnt fall under the recall for faulty pump. The pump assembly is $900 as well as a $700 tow bill. This is very dangerous and its evident their's more Armadas with the faulty pump than nissan originally recalled. My wife and I are extremely disappointed and frightened to drive this suv 10 hours back home once its fixed. Please review and consider our vehicle for reimbursement for the near miss situation. Best regards
NHTSA complaint #11705865 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lugoff, SC
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My family and I traveled to Ohio to visit family. After stopping for fuel, 6hrs into our drive, our 2021 nissan Armada started bucking, skipping, and eventually stalled 50 yards from the fuel station. Several attempts at restarting the vehicle resulted in a sputtering idle and stall. This put my family is grave danger as we were beginning our acceleration onto the interstate at 11pm eastern standard time. After some research, our vehicle doesnt fall under the recall for faulty pump. The pump assembly is $900 as well as a $700 tow bill. This is very dangerous and its evident their's more Armadas with the faulty pump than nissan originally recalled. My wife and I are extremely disappointed and frightened to drive this suv 10 hours back home once its fixed. Please review and consider our vehicle for reimbursement for the near miss situation. Best regards
NHTSA complaint #11705865 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cary, NC
POWER TRAIN
On April 5, 2023, I purchased a used 2021 Nissan Armada SL with 74,429 miles on it. On August 29, 2025, I took the vehicle in for front & rear differential and transmission fluid services. On August 31, 2025, I drove the SUV to Boston MA. The vehicle began a jerking motion and slow acceleration. I assumed it was due to a possible low grade of gas. I filled the vehicle with 93 octane gas. The issue continued. On September 15, 2025, I took the vehicle into Nissan for a further look and was told I needed to replace the entire transmission! After speaking with Nissan's Consumer Affairs, I was told there was nothing that can be done for this issue. The vehicle is less than 5 years old. I have owned the vehicle less than 3 of those years and drove it less than 40,000 miles and now Nissan wants me to pay $11,000 for a new transmission. There has been, no check engine or other warning light indicators alerting this issue or concern. There is no way this can be a normal for a powerhouse company who's reputable as built to last vehicles that their transmission is now only built to last barely past 100,000 miles. This has to be a factory defect in this vehicle. I am presently seeking legal actions concerning this matter. This is a very costly and risky issue that could have left me stranded and possibly caused a serious accident. There needs to be a factory recall for this issue and concern.
NHTSA complaint #11687438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Miami, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I purchased a 2021 Nissan Armana back in September 2024. The vehicle has been giving issues leaving me stranded and with my vehicle battery drained. I’ve purchased two batteries for my vehicle within a 9 months period that I’ve had the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11673217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Miami, FL
ENGINE
Vehicle battery is being drained. The vehicle won’t start. Purchase a new battery on March 2025. Vehicle Car fax states a new battery was installed in vehicle in May 2024. I purchased the vehicle on September 4, 2024.
NHTSA complaint #11670051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Miami, FL
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle battery is being drained. The vehicle won’t start. Purchase a new battery on March 2025. Vehicle Car fax states a new battery was installed in vehicle in May 2024. I purchased the vehicle on September 4, 2024.
NHTSA complaint #11670051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Haywood, VA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Car started sputtering and code said misfire Dealership said it was the mass air sensor said they fixed it but symptoms continued when I picked up my vehicle Issue sounds like the recall reason of the fuel pump
NHTSA complaint #11654010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Haywood, VA
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Car started sputtering and code said misfire Dealership said it was the mass air sensor said they fixed it but symptoms continued when I picked up my vehicle Issue sounds like the recall reason of the fuel pump
NHTSA complaint #11654010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jennings, FL
POWER TRAIN
At 100,000 miles, my 2021 Nissan Armada experienced a complete transmission failure, requiring a full transmission replacement. The vehicle has been properly maintained. After researching, I’ve found multiple owners reporting similar transmission failures at relatively low mileage. I believe this could be a defect that needs to be investigated and could lead to a potential safety hazard. I am requesting the NHTSA to investigate this issue for a possible recall.
NHTSA complaint #11646379 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Marksville, LA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I’m reaching out with an urgent issue regarding my 2021 Nissan Armada Platinum, which is part of our ongoing lemon law case, Case # 2023-1489 Division B (Avoyelles Parish, La.) I began experiencing electrical issues with the vehicle early on, around 10,000 miles. The initial problems included all the screens going black and remaining unresponsive for extended periods. Additionally, the sensors would malfunction when backing up or pulling forward, causing the vehicle to brake hard and stop unexpectedly. The situation has now become significantly more dangerous. The sensors are sporadically activating while I’m driving at highway speeds, causing the car to brake extremely hard without warning. This puts me, my passengers, and others on the road at serious risk of an accident. I contacted the dealership, but they refuse to service the vehicle due to the open lemon law case. I’ve also documented the issue with notes and photos to support this claim. Given the severity of this safety concern, I urgently request your guidance on: Seeking immediate relief from the court or expediting the trial process. Pressuring the manufacturer to address this safety hazard or provide a loaner vehicle. Exploring any additional legal remedies to resolve the immediate safety risk. Please let me know the next steps as soon as possible. This is a time-sensitive, life-threatening issue, and I’m very concerned about driving the vehicle any further. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
NHTSA complaint #11641694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I’m reaching out with an urgent issue regarding my 2021 Nissan Armada Platinum, which is part of our ongoing lemon law case, Case # 2023-1489 Division B (Avoyelles Parish, La.) I began experiencing electrical issues with the vehicle early on, around 10,000 miles. The initial problems included all the screens going black and remaining unresponsive for extended periods. Additionally, the sensors would malfunction when backing up or pulling forward, causing the vehicle to brake hard and stop unexpectedly. The situation has now become significantly more dangerous. The sensors are sporadically activating while I’m driving at highway speeds, causing the car to brake extremely hard without warning. This puts me, my passengers, and others on the road at serious risk of an accident. I contacted the dealership, but they refuse to service the vehicle due to the open lemon law case. I’ve also documented the issue with notes and photos to support this claim. Given the severity of this safety concern, I urgently request your guidance on: Seeking immediate relief from the court or expediting the trial process. Pressuring the manufacturer to address this safety hazard or provide a loaner vehicle. Exploring any additional legal remedies to resolve the immediate safety risk. Please let me know the next steps as soon as possible. This is a time-sensitive, life-threatening issue, and I’m very concerned about driving the vehicle any further. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
NHTSA complaint #11641694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Marksville, LA
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
I’m reaching out with an urgent issue regarding my 2021 Nissan Armada Platinum, which is part of our ongoing lemon law case, Case # 2023-1489 Division B (Avoyelles Parish, La.) I began experiencing electrical issues with the vehicle early on, around 10,000 miles. The initial problems included all the screens going black and remaining unresponsive for extended periods. Additionally, the sensors would malfunction when backing up or pulling forward, causing the vehicle to brake hard and stop unexpectedly. The situation has now become significantly more dangerous. The sensors are sporadically activating while I’m driving at highway speeds, causing the car to brake extremely hard without warning. This puts me, my passengers, and others on the road at serious risk of an accident. I contacted the dealership, but they refuse to service the vehicle due to the open lemon law case. I’ve also documented the issue with notes and photos to support this claim. Given the severity of this safety concern, I urgently request your guidance on: Seeking immediate relief from the court or expediting the trial process. Pressuring the manufacturer to address this safety hazard or provide a loaner vehicle. Exploring any additional legal remedies to resolve the immediate safety risk. Please let me know the next steps as soon as possible. This is a time-sensitive, life-threatening issue, and I’m very concerned about driving the vehicle any further. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
NHTSA complaint #11641694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Minneota, MN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased this vehicle about a month ago and when trying to activate the Nissan Connect Services to get the advanced safety and convivence features I was told that I cannot do so because the Armada is a Canadian vehicle. The SUV I purchased in USA was built for Canada and the connect service that does some of the security and convenience features will not work because of the cell service built in to the SUV will not work in the USA and Nissan does not have a part replacement to make it work. I have contacted Nissan USA and Nissan Canada and keep getting the run around and each pointing at the other to try to get it resolved. I was finally told that there is not option to replace parts to make the features work in the US. If a car is built for one country and the safety features will not work in another country then it should be illegal to sell those cars across boarders. I now have a $70k that does not give me the advanced safety and convenience services that is advertised to have. I have looked any many Nissan websites and do not find anywhere that these features will not work and I do not know anyone that when buying a car asks where it was manufactured. I am also told that since this is a Canada VIN I could have issues getting recall notifications in the US. I am not sure if that is true as I don't think that I have any recalls open.
NHTSA complaint #11498361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Suwanee, GA
ENGINE
Loud engine noise like military tank. RPM rapidly up and down between 1000 and 3000 with noise.
NHTSA complaint #11486263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Frederick, MDCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
I was driving a RENTED 2021 Nissan Armada. The brakes of this vehicle locked up when I was trying to avoid rear ending a car that had suddenly jumped in front of me. Instead of being able to control the braking, once I put the brake on, I tried to let up a little to see if I could stop the vehicle from skidding. However once I put my foot down on the brake it continued to stay depressed. I noticed that the vehicle was sliding and the steering wheel was also locked. I couldn't swerve to the left or right. I hit the van in front of me, the air bags deployed--driver's side air bag broke open and let out noxious gas. I have never driven a vehicle with such AEB troubles. If this is how the 2021 Nissan Armada acts, then other will find themselves not being able to avoid an accident as well. - Cheryl D., Frederick, MD, US
NHTSA complaint #11447227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Frederick, MDCrash1 injured
SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving a RENTED 2021 Nissan Armada. The brakes of this vehicle locked up when I was trying to avoid rear ending a car that had suddenly jumped in front of me. Instead of being able to control the braking, once I put the brake on, I tried to let up a little to see if I could stop the vehicle from skidding. However once I put my foot down on the brake it continued to stay depressed. I noticed that the vehicle was sliding and the steering wheel was also locked. I couldn't swerve to the left or right. I hit the van in front of me, the air bags deployed--driver's side air bag broke open and let out noxious gas. I have never driven a vehicle with such AEB troubles. If this is how the 2021 Nissan Armada acts, then other will find themselves not being able to avoid an accident as well. - Cheryl D., Frederick, MD, US
NHTSA complaint #11447227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving a RENTED 2021 Nissan Armada. The brakes of this vehicle locked up when I was trying to avoid rear ending a car that had suddenly jumped in front of me. Instead of being able to control the braking, once I put the brake on, I tried to let up a little to see if I could stop the vehicle from skidding. However once I put my foot down on the brake it continued to stay depressed. I noticed that the vehicle was sliding and the steering wheel was also locked. I couldn't swerve to the left or right. I hit the van in front of me, the air bags deployed--driver's side air bag broke open and let out noxious gas. I have never driven a vehicle with such AEB troubles. If this is how the 2021 Nissan Armada acts, then other will find themselves not being able to avoid an accident as well. - Cheryl D., Frederick, MD, US
NHTSA complaint #11447227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.