Nissan Armada

ateixeira

They might be testing the current fix, perhaps even in customers' cars.

-juice

adjmcloon

Could be. You know, I had this problem in my Tahoe but it was way worse. I don't recall many people griping about it on other forums. Goes to show the kind of quality that people expect from a company like Nissan.

I think most large vehicles with large amounts of sheet metal like an SUV are going to have this issue. It's a simple frequency resonance issue that I'm not sure you can fix completely, simply because of the way that lower frequencies (caused by a large box) build up, particularly when you add vibrations from suspension and road noise into the picture. I guess you could build a "bass bin" which will absorb low frequencies, but I don't know where you'd put them.

I wonder if Nissan has thought about simply putting some type of dynamat (like a 1/4" rubber sheet used in car audio applications) on the metal roof under the headliner? It certainly would kill a lot of vibrations and help to absorb some sound. Oh well, we'll see I guess.

-Nathan

gkatz1

Nissan needs to fire their test drivers. Either that or Nissan needs to start listening to them. What a disgrace.

mess

We'll see how long it takes. It's a big enough problem they have to solve it. I'm surprised the QX56 was released knowing of this problem. They must not have a fix...or we would be getting what they did to the Q. Anyway...I still think the cheapest and best way to fix it is to add 2-3 horizontal floor pieces to the luggage rack, that nicely fit the shape of the roof, can be bonded onto the roof and attached to the current rack. My old Landcruiser had something similar. Luggage racks used to have a floor support, to support the luggage. If anything is placed on our roof it will just collapse down until it hits the crossmembers under the skin. This would avoid the service time and destruction to the headliners. I'd even do it myself. Mess

ateixeira

I like the dynamat idea. Nissan has to figure out what solution is cost effective.

The Armada is popular so clearly it's worth a little investment. C'mon Nissan. Tie Carlos "le cost cutter" Ghosn if you have to.

FWIW I've felt a resonance in one other vehicle - an older Pontiac TranSport an aunt of mine owned. If you drove with the front windows open you'd get a fierce resonance at certain speeds. It was so bad you just had to close the windows.

-juice

04redtahoe

I have an 04 Tahoe and there is no resonance. I had an ML320 prior to this vehicle. No resonance. I had a Suburban prior to that. No resonance. Resonance while driving with all windows and doors closed is *not* common on any vehicle except the new Armada. Why people are even considering the 04 Armada knowing the migraine/nausea inducing resonance is beyond me. My point is: Resonance on your Tahoe is extremely unusual and probably singular of all Tahoes ever produced. This is happening on almost every single Armada or will happen given a few thousand miles and apparently nothing can stop it right now.

adjmcloon

Is your Tahoe Victory Red? Heh- just curious.

C'mon now- it's not accurate to say resonance is not common. Every vehicle has a resonance of some kind when you drive- it's unavoidable. Whether or not it's loud enough to be annoying is one thing, but it's impossible to completely isolate all resonance and noise from a vehicle. A hollow cavity WILL vibrate when moved, regardless of how good the suspension is, etc. Not to say that there aren't cars that have eliminated most noise, but noise happens. The bigger the cavity, the lower the frequency, and depending on the shape of the cab the more the frequencies can build up. It is interesting to me that it's a choppy low frequency resonance in the Nissan- I don't know what to make of that.

This resonance in the Armada isn't that big a deal to me, but I'm coming from a 2000 Tahoe (new body style) and even with the res. my Armada is still miles above the Tahoe in most every respect. Way more power, a smoother ride thanks to the independent rear suspension, better interior, etc. And it's quieter!

I shopped Denalis and Escalades before I bought my Armada, and I was pretty disappointed. I have always been a U.S. car guy, but my Nissan has turned me into a believer. The Japanese do design better vehicles. At least this one anyway.

Why anyone would buy an Escalade is beyond me- it was nothing more than a Tahoe with the 6.0l V8. The same cheesy plastic, same poor fit, etc. as my Tahoe. Sad when they're asking 50k plus for a new Escalade. Strangely I found the Denali a little better, although still pretty much the same vehicle with the same issues.

I don't know how bad the resonance problem is in some of the other vehicles, but to my ears this resonance issue is a tad overblown. Not to say that I won't consider having a fix applied (depending on many factors) but to me it's just not a dealbreaker if you're thinking of buying an Armada. I live on the border with Louisiana which has some of the worst roads I've ever seen, and even then I don't even notice it so much unless I've got the radio off. Maybe I'm lucky?

Sorry for the long post...
=Nathan

theresonator

Hey there-

My wife and I bought the Armada about 3 weeks ago. I was really concerned about the resonance issues and was hesitant to but one but went ahead any way. I'm regretting it now.

We went on our first road trip yesterday and it was not fun. The resonance was noticeable enough to cause pressure in our heads and ears and cause discomfort.

I've owned Suburbans, Ford Pickups, Expeditions, and countless sedans without ANY noticeable resonance problems... much less induced head aches.

I went to my local dealer today... the service advisor said he had never heard of the issue. Given the problems that people have had with the fixes I'm reticent to even TRY and get if fixed.

Hopefully they'll issue a TSB soon that fixes the problem or Nissan will have a big problem on their hands. I'm sure it's negatively impacting sales not to mention that the cost of the buy backs/ lemons.

I love everything else about the truck but wish we had never bought it now...

sub9904

I agree with you on many fronts regarding the Armada and GM. However, I could not disagree with you more on the ride. Coming from a 2500 Suburban I find that the ride of the Armada is no better. No worse either but definitely not what I expected. Maybe my Michelins are head and shoulders above the Armada tires and I drive them with 55lbs too. As for the resonance issue consider yourself lucky. I've test driven two and both had it. Bothered my ears. I'll stay away until the first year issues are resolved. BTW I thought the new 1500 Suburban was much quieter than the Armada but still wouldn't buy one.

adjmcloon

I guess my resonance problem hasn't gotten as bad as some (yet). It is too bad- because I really like this SUV. Hopefully there will be a TSB soon. Last word I got (day before yesterday) from Nissan was about 2 weeks.

-Nathna

ateixeira

Issues will creep up, no matter the make or model.

Let's see how Nissan responds. I think that's the telling part.

If they step up and provide a good fix for this, they could even build loyalty. I can't imagine they'd ignore this. They can't.

-juice

offroadnarmada

hmm... the first Armada I test-drove popped my ears after driving down a bumpy road. I figured it was just that Armada until I looked online... when I bought mine, I noticed a similarity to the one I test drove, but nowhere near as bad. After 2 weeks, it got somewhat annoying.

I read that tire pressure might be a factor, and found my tires were over-inflated to 41-42 psi. After I took them down to 35 psi as stated on the tire chart, it vanished.

Maybe I just got lucky and was having a different type of problem, but from what I've read the "resonance" i experienced is the same as everyone else's, just not as bad...

Oh, the second armada I test drove also had the same problem, but it wasn't as bad as the first... the two Titans i drove didn't seem to have any resonance at all.

rshe

since they don't have the extended roofline.

adjmcloon

Must be a factory thing on the tire pressure, because mine were at 45lb psi when I took it home. Brought them down to 35 and it's all good- the ride improved some.

=N

ateixeira

That's common, they do that to prevent flat spotting on the tires while they sit in inventory.

Proper PDI would have them air it down before delivery, but they often rush.

-juice

offroadnarmada

"The rear windows moan and groan upon lowering."

I have the same noise when I roll them up. The nissan tech is ordering two new pieces for the back. I forgot what they were called, but they will be here in 3 days. If this fixes it, i'll make sure to post... the groaning sound is almost embarissing!!

chasmanz28

and you thought the tsb would fix the problem, wishful thinking, they had my head liner torn apart twice now, im taking legal action to have nissan buy back this piece of junk, maybe you should do the same, we have just about the same amount of problems but my trim pieces inside the entire cabin are damaged

rparnell

My Armada is getting worse at 1200 miles. It was generally OK, but definitely got worse after I dropped the tires to the recommended 35psi from 41 as delivered.

I think the roof thing may not be the whole problem. Every time I hit a bump I get a low frequency vibration running through the entire body, and a related resonant thundering noise. The vibration and thundering occurs at any speed. I can feel the drivers door and center console vibrating all the time I am driving. Sometimes I get a much more severe shuddering that runs through the body.

I am beginning to think that the vibration and resonance is actually the basic resonant frequency of the body shell, and we are hitting an effect not dissimilar to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster, where the bridge was caused to vibrate at its resonant frequency and then ripped itself apart. An energy input from going over a bump excites the body at its natural frequency, and more input either from road bumps or wind keeps the effect going. The "helicopter" resonance might be the extreme state of resonance.

If that is the case, then I don't see how glueing the roof to its supports is going to do anything long term. The desire of the body to flex at its resonant frequency is going to be so severe that it will soon cause any joints to fail.

I think the problem is actually far more severe and deep seated than we have realized to date, and I don't see how Nissan can fix it. That would certainly explain why a TSB has not been seen yet, even though Nissan has been working on this problem for a long time.

Oh boy, this could be a long haul.....

vmccaul

It seems there are many more people with the resonance problem as time goes on. It is very worrisome. So far I have not had any resonance...or at least that I have noticed. We have 4,000 miles on the Armada and so far have have only had problems with the sunroof and the window groaning. They have fixed the sunroof, and haven't taken it back in for the window problem yet. All and all I have been very satisfied with the vehicle. Is there anybody else out there with over 3,000 miles with no major problems? I'm am starting to worry, as it seems this resonance problem is cropping up as mileage goes up. We have been over some rough dirt roads, so it has had plenty of jarring, but luckily (knock on wood), no resonance yet.

chasmanz28

Quote:"I think the problem is actually far more severe and deep seated than we have realized to date, and I don't see how Nissan can fix it. That would certainly explain why a TSB has not been seen yet, even though Nissan has been working on this problem for a long time", You are right my friend its more than that, thats why they even changed over the bushings in my ride so it can have a softer ride and feel and still didn't work, ever notice when your going over a bump how much vibration you feel coming from the steering wheel, something is wrong for sure and its serious and they know it, major defect for sure and i feel unsafe driving it at higher speeds because of it,

bowke28

the clips of the hood closing could have been titan also.

offroadnarmada

I'm starting to wonder if Nissan forgot to inspect these vehicles before they were shipped out...

I have noticed the lack of Armada commercials... I used to see one or two every few days, now I haven't seen a single commercial...

Does anyone else notice a clanging sound coming from the back of their Armadas when going over a bump or pothole? It sounds like my step-dad's metal toolbox in the back of his F-350... I figured it was the tools in my crappy "toolbox," but I'm still hearing it after taking everything out of the back...

Also, how exactly am I supposed to put on my rear license plate with a frame without drilling holes through the back bumper?? There are only two top holes, and this lets the plate stay extremely loose, especially since I put on a protective plate cover... (Never had a problem installing plates, are there adapers I could use, maybe? I haven't a clue, but I don't want holes in her.)

cwoferg

The shot of the Armada was from the front but further back. It showed the Armada's elongated roof and roof rack. To the best of my knowledge, the Titan doesn't have a roof rack. They still have the Titan in there, but absolutely no Armada.

bowke28

color me corrected. ;-)

chasmanz28

that clanging sound is most likely your tailgate moving in place, there having a problem with the tailgate closing all the way hence is why where having that noise in the back, so when you go over a big enough pothole or bump the tailgate rattles, there working on that fix too, thats what ive been told since i have that very same problem too

berisimus

I have over 3,800 miles and, so far, no resonance. My only small issues have been the driver's window leaving track marks when it was raised after my car wash guy was done. It has stopped doing this of late so maybe it got back on track. A very minor quibble...the white lettering under the volume control button on the steering wheel is starting to peel off. Looks like a straight line abrasion as if one cut across it with a sharp instrument. I checked my fingernails and they are not the culprit. I don't think the wash guy did anything... Oh, and I did experience that front driver's seat suddenly moving forward once or twice when I was getting in. I think that issue has been addressed elsewhere on this forum. Other than those items (minor) I am extremely happy with my purchase. Now if the resonance should crop up, well, that would be a different story...

LE/Tech/Sunroof

offroadnarmada

tailgate? I haven't heard of an issue with the rear Armadas as of yet... the Titan is another story, I know Nissan is having problems with those...

On a better note, my gas mileage has had an extreme jump for the better. I'm getting ~14 mpg, vs. the previous 11.

btill1

Like berisimus I have my fingers crossed that I will not have any resonance problems or other major issues. The only issue I can say is that my moonroof was delivered out of alignment, corrected on the first service. I have 5,500 miles on my LE with sunroof package and I am very happy with the vehicle to this point. I am just interested to see if I will start having any resonance issues in the future if the problem is as complex as some have suggested, also will my PFA need to be fixed if I am not having this problem?

gkatz1

Is anything not going wrong with these trucks? I'm so glad I didn't buy one of these. My suspicions on Nissan quality are being realized. As some one else said, the fact that a TSB has not been issued concerning the resonance is not a good sign. Had they found a 100% solution it would have been issued already. I wonder if Nissan took the Armada to a wind tunnel during development? Perhaps there is a design flaw in the roof shape that causes unwieldy turbulance.

I've also been reading about overhead consoles coming loose and DVD screens shaking to the point of being useless. The list keeps growing. What a nightmare! I think Nissan's ambitious plans are running into teething problems.

bowke28

the issues presented by some...but lets keep things in perspective. the people posting problems are a VAST minority, and on top of that, i think some are bald-faced lying. i caught 2 people in lies posting problems with the titan. another with the quest, and several with the maxima.

having said that, i dont outright dismiss everyone on here individually. i beleive all of you...till i have reason not to.

also, out of the dozens of armadas that we've sold, noone has complained about or had repaired, any issue greater that a rattle...and that was only 1 person.

again...im not saying you all ARENT having problems. i just have a salt shaker ready every time i read about them. ;-)

tiggerguy

I guess you can call me that. So far, 3600 miles on my Galaxy LE with tech&sunroof, I am not experiencing the resonance, and I have had no issues that I would call flaws or problems. I do agree <ducking> that a few issues are unfounded, this Is a full size SUV, I cannot recall ANY full size suv that didn't get lousy mileage, have a loud motor (This is not a "luxury" model with 100 pounds of sound deadener)and rattles. I have a rattle or two that comes up when I hit a bump, but I also live in New England, and winters are brutal on our roads. I expect rattles to appear. No, things shouldn't fall apart, but given that these vehicles have interiors with a huge mass of plastic and very little soundproofing(18 inch wheels don't help either) I expect squeaks and such to come up. Maybe it's just because I was so used to GM that I feel this way, but ANYHOO....Like I said, no other issues, maybe there is something to the build dates, early production vs. later production, who knows- I do know others who have these and are as problem free as mine. I also believe people who have nightmares on their hands, I'VE BEEN THERE..
(holding it together in MA..) -Tigger

sub9904

Vast minority to what? How many owners of Armadas do you think actually post on the internet? The survey that was done said about 29 people had a resonance problem. That to me is extremely telling when you think that only about 12k vehicles have been sold so far and take into consideration the number of people who don't post. What percentage of Armadas have this problem? Then add in people reporting warped rotors with less than 4k miles? As much as I like the Armada the posts from this board (and others) tell me to wait.

freddy1

I have had my Armada for 3 weeks now and i do not have any resonance yet, and i hope i never do. So far i dont have one issue to complain and i pray to god i dont get this resonance later on. I have about 800miles on mine and it drives great, no issues to complain about. I hope what everyone is saying on this board is true because i have heard a lot of things of people lying to bash a vehicle. For my sake and for a lot of people out there i hope a lot of these things aren't true. Good Luck

llajumpvid

The sales manager at the dealership I order my LE+Tech in early Jan. from told me that my order's ETA has been pushed back from 3/12 to 4/2. He said that a large majority of orders have been pushed back until May? I've heard there was a shortage of wheels? Have trouble believing they can't produce wheels as fast as they can the whole vehicle? Do you suppose there is something bigger going on in Canton and thus the shipment delays and pulling the tv ads??? things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmm. If someone in Canton is reading this and rims are the cause of the delay you can pick up a few sets on Ebay and at least get my order out:)! I'm tired of waiting yet scared of what I might get....what another 6-7 months before the 05's???

chasmanz28

well i dont understand why people would lie about there problems, but from what i know about the problems from my armada and talking to the engineer from nissan i can tell you these problems do exist, too many problems that other guys are reporting on here is all the problems that im having with my armada, and i know for a fact that spending 43k on a suv theres no way we should be having all these serious issue or at least what iam going through, ive just about had it with this armada and if i can get a good trade in tomm ill be buying a different suv, ive had it, ive been with this article for a long time and wish to thank everybody for there help and hopefully helped other people with there issues, one more thing i wish to add, in general the armada's in my area aren't selling at all, ive talked to the dealership where i bought mine from and nobody is buying these suv's, from what ive been told by a number of dealerships the armada all ready has a bad name and buyers dont want all the hassle of what were going through now, of course from time to time you might have a nissan salesman come on here and maybe try to hide the facts of what is really going on here but i dont lie, im just trying to help others out, and for those owners having the resonance issue i would keep in touch with nissan and your dealership to hopefully fix this issue, ive tried twice and failed, all the rattles will not go away but get worse with time

freddy1

yeah why doen't the guy from edmunds complain about any problems with the armada, he rated it a what 7.9. Then you get consumer reports that rates it pretty good and i am sure they put that vehicle through hell testing it.What i would like to see is somebody well known on the web or on another site complain about this resonance problem and say yeah i test drove six of them and only this one doesn't have the resonance. It just doesn't make sense.

chasmanz28

only thing i can say about that is take it from somebody who has had this suv for almost 3 months now, just give it time and im sure if nissan doesn't get a hold of this issue they will kill the armada for sure, its only a matter of time until the public in general find out about these serious issue's, im sure the editor from edmunds reads these post's and knows something is wrong with that high of a rating

offroadnarmada

I have a question that hasn't been brought up in any board I have visited --

I have a Bose system, and allthough the ranges that hit sounds great IMO, the lower notes are nonexistant... Has anyone heard of a wiring harness or possibly a simple Audio Out that I could hook an amplifier up to for an additional subwoofer (for the absent lower ranges)?

If so, you are a godsend!! Crutchfield still doesn't have any information on the Armada save speaker size.

vmccaul

This board has been so negative I was beginning to worry about my Armada. As I said before I have been very happy with mine with only minor problems. I guess I need to remember a forum like this will have a greater number of people with complaints (looking for solutions). I have noticed that those of you that have said you are happy with their vehicles have the exact same model as I do (LE, sunroof, tech...mine is also 4WD). Don't know if that is a fluke, or something significant. Anyway, I do feel for those of you with problems, just want people to know it's not all bad. :]

offroadnarmada

The occasional negativity from dealing with the Nissan techs and the issues themselves tend to hinder my true opinion of my vehicle.

During my typical day-to-day commute (those that don't involve using any broken components), I absolutely love my truck. I haven't had this much fun driving in any vehicle, including all "sporty" sedans and the like.

She is truly a performance vehicle, and everything that works is a hell of a lot better than expected.

An abundance of storage compartments, cupholders, and other extremely useful features are around every nook and cranny.

As much as I hate to say it, I almost like the second row seats better than the fronts! While the middle seat is a bit stiff, passengers sitting next to the doors are given more head, leg, and overall body comfort than any of the "Pedestrian" UV's I tried.

By the way, the Armada is a true SUV, not a minivan. Give some gas to one or go play in the mud, definately at home

Although, as mentioned many a time, my baby is a Petroholic... Well worth the price, though

galvang

No resonance issues or other problems. Although every now and then I hear a couple rattles but go away after awile. Its seems that the rattles are temperature dependent. Cold weather is worse warm weather almost non-existant. Thats the plastic thermo-expansion/shrinkage issue.

The Aramada was a real Gas-a-Hog. I had one tire that was low in air and the tire pressure guage came on. Once I filled the air in the tire, gas mileage was dramitically improved. All tires are now all at 40ibs psi and that makes a big difference in gas milage.

Been hauling some stuff around and this "beast" is real good hauler. Very powerfull and with the leveling feature its awsome. Love my Armada.

rshe

Have you checked under the drivers seat to make sure they installed and hooked up the bass module... I read one post where they completely left out the bass module. Mine has great bass.

offroadnarmada

She has bass, a lot at that, I am just really picky with my low tones.. not your typical 18 year old who puts drop kits and 23" rotating rims on my SUV :: shudder at thought ::, but I still like the bass

For those of you looking, don't take me wrong. I love the Bose system. For most people, the Bose system is more than enough...

Any Nissan dealer have any inside info. on the newer Armadas? Allthough I got almost everything I wanted, these things are almost impossible to customize!! I wanted the Nav. package and sunroof, but not the leather. I would have liked the DVD player, but I didn't want the leather... I was really hoping to get the Off-Road, but again, you get the picture... I HATE leather...

rshe

I love my Bose when playing CD's, but it seems to dramatically lose sound quality when you use the radio.

adjmcloon

The tuner on the Armadas is definitely not all that. CD's do sound good though.

Anybody know where there's info regarding putting in an aftermarket stereo? I have a really nice Premier unit that I'd like to install. Ditto on any info for aftermarket subs, etc.

Everything is pretty much ok on my Armada. There's a little resonance, but it's not a big deal to me. I guess mine's not as bad as the worst.

Overall, I would highly recommend an Armada.

pmtre

LE with sunroof and upgrade package, only minor issues(sunroof a little noisy, some vibration in the steering wheel while braking (just before coming to a stop) not at higher speed ,initially had a slight vibration in the front tires at 80+mph let pressure down to 34psi rides fine now. 12 mpg around town, NO RESONANCE PROBLEM, no rattles, overall very satisfied with the Armada.

cwoferg

I am sorry that I was inaccurate about the Nissan ads earlier. They have two different ads for the "Close a Great Deal" campaign. One with the Armada and one without. Saw them both tonight.

stever

Town Hall does not tolerate profanity. If you wanna be the next Howard Stern, take it somewhere else. Thanks,

Steve, Host

chasmanz28

well guys and girls just wanted to let you know i traded in my armada today, lost a little money but it could have been alot worse, just didn't want the hassle of getting a lawyer for the buy back, good luck to all of you with the same problems i had, bye

dboogie

sometimes eventhough we may like something, sometimes its just not meant to be. You certainly had to deal with a lot with your Armada and I understand your desire to move on. I wish you much success with WHATEVER your next vehicle may be...........then, perhaps down the line you may swing back and pick up a 2005 or 2006 or 2007 Armada :O) Good luck Chasmanz!!