2018 Nissan ARMADA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Below Average

Quick Summary

The 2018 Nissan ARMADA has 115 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 1.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (35% of all complaints), specifically: i went out to my vehicle which unlocked with my pod i went to start it and all the dash board lights came on but the vehicle would not start. i jumped the battery and it started instantly so i took the vehicle to an auto store to check the battery which they stated was a great battery with a high ch.

3 crash reports 1 injury

115

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

1.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

40 complaints

35%

• I WENT OUT TO MY VEHICLE WHICH UNLOCKED WITH MY POD I WENT TO START IT AND ALL THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS CAME ON BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I JUMPED THE BATTERY AND IT STARTED INSTANTLY SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTO STORE TO CHECK THE BATTERY WHICH THEY STATED WAS A GREAT BATTERY WITH A HIGH CH
• RADIO AND DISPLAY ALL WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. HAD TO PULL OVER, SHUT THE VEHICLE ALL THE WAY OFF, RESTART JUST TO GET EVERYTHING TO COME BACK ON. 2018 NISSAN ARMADA, WITH ROUGHLY 68K MILES.
• THE ENGINE LOSES POWER SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON). WITH THE LOSS OF POWER, VEHICLE LOSES SPEED AND ACCELERATION. THIS SITUATION HAS HAPPENED ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. IN ALL CASES THE LOSS OF POWER HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, THREE OF THE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HI

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“I WENT OUT TO MY VEHICLE WHICH UNLOCKED WITH MY POD I WENT TO START IT AND ALL THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS CAME ON BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I JUMPED THE BATTERY AND IT STARTED INSTANTLY SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTO STORE TO CHECK THE BATTERY WHICH THEY STATED WAS A GREAT BATTERY WITH A HIGH CH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

14 complaints

12%

• VEHICLE SUDDENLY WOULD NOT START ON 12/21/2019, THUS LEAVING MY FAMILY AND I STRANDED IN A BRAND NEW VEHICLE. (REPORTED TO NISSAN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE) BCI MALFUNCTION WARNING (SEE PHOTO) AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO AUTOMATICALLY APPLY THE BRAKE AS I WAS DRIVING AND I COULD NOT OVERRIDE IT. I FEEL THIS
• 7/25/2020 NISSAN ARMADA PLATINUM RESERVE - WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE CANYON, I HAD THE BRAKES START APPLYING THEMSELVES THEN ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON WITH A MESSAGE "BCI MALFUNCTION." WE WERE ABLE TO GET PULLED OVER SAFELY AND TURN THE CAR OFF. WE THEN RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE LIGHT CAME ON
• WE HAVE ALMOST HAD A COUPLE OF ACCIDENTS DUE TO BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGING. FIRST WE WERE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY WITH NOTHING AROUND BUT THE VEHICLE IMPLIED BRAKES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. LUCKILY THE VEHICLE THAT CAME BARRELING DOWN OUR ROAD SLOWED DOWN UNTIL THE VEHICLE FINALLY LET THE BRAK

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“VEHICLE SUDDENLY WOULD NOT START ON 12/21/2019, THUS LEAVING MY FAMILY AND I STRANDED IN A BRAND NEW VEHICLE. (REPORTED TO NISSAN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE) BCI MALFUNCTION WARNING (SEE PHOTO) AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO AUTOMATICALLY APPLY THE BRAKE AS I WAS DRIVING AND I COULD NOT OVERRIDE IT. I FEEL THIS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

14 complaints

12%

• CODE FOUND :P0138 (02), CODE FOUND :P0138 (PD) 02
• VEHICLE TENDS TO LOSE POWER WHEN GAS PEDAL IS ENGAGED. WHEN FOOT IS OFF THE GAS AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHILE IDLED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT VEHICLE TRIES TO ACCELERATE. I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO BE MINDFUL TO KEEP BRAKES FIRMLY PRESSED.
• My Nissan Armada is 4 years old with 42,000 miles and has needed two brake switches replaced on it to date. This is RIDICULOUS! This car is completely unsafe. It has failed to start more times than I can count, and it most recently broke down on my on New Years Day. I had to have it towed. I have

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“CODE FOUND :P0138 (02), CODE FOUND :P0138 (PD) 02”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

10 complaints

• BOUGHT A NEW 2018 NISSAN ARMADA IN DEC 2018 IN THE EVENING. NOT THINKING MUCH ABOUT IT PURCHASED MY NEW SUV AND DROVE HOME. SHORTLY AFTER MY PURCHASE I NOTICED IN THE SUN THAT MY TRUCK PAINT DIDN'T LOOK QUITE RIGHT. AFTER WASHING I NOTICED A COUPLE PAINT CHIPS AROUND THE DOOR AREA THAT WERE QUITE
• WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKES WILL ENGAGE INVOLUNTARY AND MOST THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIGHT UP. A MESSAGE BCI MALFUNCTION APPEARS. CAR CAN NOT ACCELERATE AT A SAFE SPEED UNTIL CAR IS PARKED AND RESTARTED. SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT START UP IMMEDIATELY, LEAVING THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE STRANDED.
• DURING NORMAL DRIVING, BCI LIGHT WILL APPEAR AND THEN ALL DASH WARNING LIGHTS AND CAR WILL HANDLE SLUGGISHLY. UPON STOPPING AND ATTEMPTING TO RESTART CAR, VEHICLE WILL NOT START FOR UPWARDS OF 30 MINUTES. ONCE VEHICLE IS IN PARK AND VEHICLE IS RESTARTED...GEAR SHIFT CANNOT BE MOVED FROM PARK TO DRIV

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“BOUGHT A NEW 2018 NISSAN ARMADA IN DEC 2018 IN THE EVENING. NOT THINKING MUCH ABOUT IT PURCHASED MY NEW SUV AND DROVE HOME. SHORTLY AFTER MY PURCHASE I NOTICED IN THE SUN THAT MY TRUCK PAINT DIDN'T LOOK QUITE RIGHT. AFTER WASHING I NOTICED A COUPLE PAINT CHIPS AROUND THE DOOR AREA THAT WERE QUITE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

8 complaints

• SEVERAL TIMES THE ENGINE WILL NOT CRANK AND WILL NOT START. CAN TAKE UP TO 10 MINUTES SOMETIMES BEFORE VEHICLE WILL START, LEAVING DRIVER STRANDED. TWICE NOW THE BCI MALFUNCTION (BACKUP COLLISION INTERVENTION) ERROR CAME UP ON THE DASH ALONG WITH OTHER LIGHTS IMMEDIATLY AFTER ENGINE STARTUP. FIRST T
• The Display Control Unit (DCU) has failed in my 18 Armada. My VIN is not part of the recall with the other 18 Armada models. The safety features of the collision warning system does not work because the DCU has failed. The back up camera does not work because the DCU has failed. This is a pedestrian
• The Forward Emergency Braking light has been on and off intermittently. The other days while driving on the highway at approximately 55-60 mph the light on the dash suddenly came on and the car applied the brakes by itself coming to a complete stop. There was not another vehicle in front of me and I

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“SEVERAL TIMES THE ENGINE WILL NOT CRANK AND WILL NOT START. CAN TAKE UP TO 10 MINUTES SOMETIMES BEFORE VEHICLE WILL START, LEAVING DRIVER STRANDED. TWICE NOW THE BCI MALFUNCTION (BACKUP COLLISION INTERVENTION) ERROR CAME UP ON THE DASH ALONG WITH OTHER LIGHTS IMMEDIATLY AFTER ENGINE STARTUP. FIRST T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 115 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: I WENT OUT TO MY VEHICLE WHICH UNLOCKED WITH MY POD I WENT TO START IT AND ALL THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS CAME ON BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I JUMPED THE BATTERY AND IT STARTED INSTANTLY SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTO STORE TO CHECK THE BATTERY WHICH THEY STATED WAS A GREAT BATTERY WITH A HIGH CH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: VEHICLE SUDDENLY WOULD NOT START ON 12/21/2019, THUS LEAVING MY FAMILY AND I STRANDED IN A BRAND NEW VEHICLE. (REPORTED TO NISSAN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE) BCI MALFUNCTION WARNING (SEE PHOTO) AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO AUTOMATICALLY APPLY THE BRAKE AS I WAS DRIVING AND I COULD NOT OVERRIDE IT. I FEEL THIS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: CODE FOUND :P0138 (02), CODE FOUND :P0138 (PD) 02
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: BOUGHT A NEW 2018 NISSAN ARMADA IN DEC 2018 IN THE EVENING. NOT THINKING MUCH ABOUT IT PURCHASED MY NEW SUV AND DROVE HOME. SHORTLY AFTER MY PURCHASE I NOTICED IN THE SUN THAT MY TRUCK PAINT DIDN'T LOOK QUITE RIGHT. AFTER WASHING I NOTICED A COUPLE PAINT CHIPS AROUND THE DOOR AREA THAT WERE QUITE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)