Nissan Armada

dboogie

Nigthmask and Jlamb23, I'm not sure if the clicking sound you guys are hearing is the same one I had in my Armada but I did have a clicking sound that was coming from the rear axle. In post #2095 I explained what the dealer did to fix it. As of this morning the sound has yet to return (keeping my fingers crossed :>)

nitemask

Thanks. I'll let you know. I actually printed out the posts about the clicking sound and brought it into them. Mine wasn't constant. Sometimes you heard it sometimes you didn't. I'll let you know what they find.

deanders

Opening the rear doors for the kids will get old really really fast. Especially in inclement weather. As my kids grew up they entered our vehicles thousands of times. Especially while on vacations. What will end up happening a lot is that they will enter through the front doors and crawl over the seats around to the back. If at the beach, which we always visited a lot, they will drag a lot of dirt and sand with them.

Sorry, but being a chauffeur is going to get old very fast. In my opinion, this would be very high on a list of the "stupidest vehicle design quirks" of all time.

popinjay

While I personally think the door handle placement is a bit...odd....I've got a 5, 9, and 12 year old and have had nary a problem since November. Even the 5 year old can reach up and use the handle.
I also find that things are much quieter, and there's less fighting if the kids are crated and strapped to the roof. The added roof weight seems to help quell the resonance, as well.

dboogie

Bwahahahahaha, that cracked me Popinjay! Sooo, the kids don't mind the gentle breeze gliding through their hair at 75 miles an hour? :>)

04redtahoe

Did your have the kids get out the chainsaw for the non-folding 3rd row?

cwoferg

Let us know if that chainsaw thing works!! Go, go guinea pig!!

fremar1

My grandson is 4 and doesn't have any trouble opening the rear doors. Of course, this may have something to do with the fact that I am 6'6" and my son is 6'7". My height is why I bought the vehicle in the first place. The Armada is absolutely the only SUV that seats a person my height comfortably in the first or second row. The others don't come close. I agree that the third seat doesn't cut it, but it is just for kids and other little people that can't open the rear door. We throw 'em in from the rear hatch.

I find it interesting that it takes a Japanese car company to design a vehicle to accomodate larger Americans, while the American car companies seem to be designing their cars for someone under 5'8". Maybe the American companies are planning on selling alot of cars in Japan.;>)

Overall, I am more pleased with this vehicle than any I have ever owned.

tiggerguy

I'm still happy with the styling myself. It really was a large factor in my choice. For once, I have something that really stands out and it sure won't look as dated as the Chevy/GMC twins will in a few years. As for the door handles, I can't really complain, no kids here, but I'm sure they did this to mimmick the regular Pathfinder.(does anyone complain about those?) I kinda like them this way, but anyhoo.....The way I see it, there's no such thing a a perfect run of vehicles, there's bound to be some bad ones somewhere down the line- I bet you could even find an unhappy Land Cruiser owner or two. (maybe)
I do believe Nissan has some work to do, there are some definate issues, i'm just glad I seem to have been blessed with an Armada that was put together on a day that the bosses were watching LOL
Good luck to you,Chazman, hopefully Dodge got their stuff together on the New Durango, and you can drive in A peaceful resonance free environment.
-Tigger
ps. -had a chip in my trade in's windshield too LOL didn't tell maybe we are all going to jail

daveman

I personally also love the styling. I have a 4 year old and a 6 year old; both of whom can open the rear doors. They both have to stand on the foot board, and I agree it is easier for them to open the doors of other vehicles, but they both do it every day. We made sure they could before purchasing.

stever

Looks like our editors agree with you:

Top 10 Vehicles for Taller Drivers

Steve, Host

soldaustin

Nitemask, please post when you get your Armada out of the shop. I too have the helicopter sound that comes from under the hood on the drivers side. I took it in to the dealership but they said it didn't do anything. I had thought maybe when a fan kicked on but it did it when I stopped and I was able to get out and that wasn't it. It doesn't do it all of the time but is annoying. Also when I take off slow I hear the popping clicking sound. I thought it was coming from the front end but it is hard to tell. It seems when I take it in, I am the only one who hears these sounds. They turned my rotors and so far so good. I didn't like them doing that but they said it is all they would do and if it needed something else, I was covered. It is smooth now but after 3,500 miles or so when it started before I am sure it will do it again. WE found the rattle (overhead console) It sounded just like it was coming from around the steering column. I have one on order and just got the call it is in. (front section) Besides these things it is fine. Oh, besides the constant pounding from the roof. Drives me nuts!

jabcpa

I had the migrane-inducing resonance from mile 1 to about mile 1900, when it seemed to subside quite a bit. Now at mile 5500, it has come back almost to the previous level. Also - the darn sonar beeps practically every time in reverse. The dealer states they see no problem (of course it never does it when it is in the shop!) but they gave me a preprinted sort of lame sounding explanation of how the sonar works and could be effected by debris/water/ice, etc so I can't be the only one if they had this blurb all ready to hand out.
I'm not convinced that there ever will be a TSB for the resonance, it's been "coming any day now" for months. The sad thing is, I actually like the rig, other than the constant assault on my hearing either from the resonance or the sonar beeping, it is great. My wife is the primary driver and the resonance is not even noticeable to her so maybe I should stop the rant. 4 kids (4-9) and no problem with the door handles. We always help them in the back anyway to make sure they are strapped/buckled properly but I know the older ones can operate the handles with no problem. I too wish for a split seat but knew that going into it that there wasn't one. Shopped the Durango too but the ultimate deal maker was more spacious second row (although 3rd row is better on the Durango for headroom), one extra occupant (8 vs. 7) and the vehicle stability control which Durango did not have (there was a great post on this months ago). Please Nissan - nix the darn sound torture and I'll sing your praises to anyone who will listen.

nitemask

I'll let you know. They wanted me to test drive it with them since they didn't hear it, but I had to do so this morning. I went in early, warmed it up, then drove with them about 1 mile. The rattle\drone from the fan on high came back (no rattle, just a high drone). He thinks it might be a bearing in the fan. The helicopter sound (at idle) I got him to hear after I parked, left it running, and had him sit in the driver's seat. He doesn't know what it is, but will be looking at it today. At least they gave me a rental.

nitemask

1. Rattle/Drone when blower was on. New blower motor on order.

2. Helicopter sound under hood at idle. Purge Control Valve on order.

Everything should be in by tomorrow and I should have it back. I'll verify that everything is fixed.

dboogie

thanks for the udate Nitemask!!

anthony4

LE - no options --

Have had three problems with the truck -- airbag light began blinking -- corrected by resetting fault code. No biggee but hassle nonetheless.

The day after returning from the dealer for the airbag problem, I noticed small pit type rust spots all over the rear hatch door -- cannot see any indentation in the paint but the rust colored spots cannot be removed.

Lastly, and most troubling, the windshield leaks!!
Washed it last nite and had a streak of water come down the drivers side. Very disappointing in a vehicle with less than 1k on it. Sickening!!!

Seems by previous posts that vehicle was released before it was fully "baked". I owned a 94 Maxima and had absolutely no unscheduled service calls for it in over 100k miles. I am very concerned about the previous posts with the various problems with this truck. This is a shame as I do like the vehicle overall. The styling is "polarizing" but it is nice to at least evoke some type of feeling from others.

I feel the leather seats are uncomfortable. Not enough side bolstering to keep your legs from spreading. I am 6'2' and find the seat bottom too short and the front of the seat bottom does not tilt back far enough to hold me in position. I am constantly bracing my knee under the column to keep from sliding around. Wife does not have this problem however - and she is almost 6' herself.

Purchased the vehicle to pull our new boat that weighs in at over 6k. If the Sequoia had more grunt, I think I would have purchased one over the 'mada.

topazm3

Sensed warped front rotors starting at 5500 mi. Got bad by 6700. Got it back today, and predictably they turned the rotors. What are they going to do in 3-4K mi when these rotors with even less thermal mass start warping again?? 2K of this mileage was on one long trip. There is not much braking on this vehicle. For reference, my 97 Expedition went 108K miles without ever warping a rotor. Prospect of changing rotors every 6-8K miles is unacceptable. Nissan needs to fix this-- bigger rotors, cooling ducts or something. A post on Freshalloy stated dealer he's aware of has replaced several Armada rotors.

sub9904

No way they should be warping. Period. I think you'll see more people having the problem as they increase the miles on their Armadas. That's not to say everyone will have it happen but it would seem that at the rate it is occuring for people posting it is something to be concerned about. I'd like to know why there is so much heat being generated? Did Nissan not put big enough rotors and pads on?

offroadnarmada

Is this rotor issue going to cause conflict for those of us who have extended warranties? I'll be damned before I pay for my rotors before 100K, especially due to all of the bragging nissan has done over their brakes (which do work very well). Maybe Nissan will replace them with "fixed" rotors?

I'm not meaning to be as negative as it seems, i swear. Just a little concerned... Paying cash for an SUV to have long-term flaws that will bring down resale dramatically is, (select a word).

soldaustin

I think this is a problem for sure. Like I had mentioned in an earlier post. I had under 1,000 miles on my vehicle before I took it on a 2,000 mile trip. I noticed a shake at around 3,500 or so miles but didn't take it in. I hit over 5,000 and it was unbearable and hard to hold the wheel when I stopped. I had to take it in. Should have done it before but couldn't do without the vehicle. It will do it again I am sure.

Thanks Nitemask for the updates. Now I am hoping to take mine in after getting some direction on all of the things mine needs. Including the clicking sound when I take off at low speed. I will print the posts to show them so they know what I am talking about.

dboogie

you mention yours is making a clicking sound when you take off.....is that sound coming from the rear axle area? If so, my Armada was doing the same thing and we took in for them to fix. Its now been around 700 miles since we had it done and the sound has yet to return. In message #2095 I described what they did to my vehicle for the problem.........check it out.

nitemask

My guess replacing the rotors will depend on the dealership. The one I went to, when I was telling him the issue. He mentioned that it was probably the rotors, but instead of turning them (if it wasn't too bad yet), he'd rather just order them and replace them. That was here in the DC area. They already know about it here and it's all under warranty since this isn't a normal maintenance thing t a couple 1000 miles.

offroadnarmada

(This is my first new vehicle)

I have the Silver Plan (5 yr 75000 miles). What would be concidered "normal" wear and tear on an Armada? If these vehicles are going to have rotor issues, and the MSRP has already dropped a few thousand in the past few months, I would rather sell it now than be stuck with a paid off vehicle that I am continuously replacing rotors every 3-5K miles...

topazm3

the dealer had it for 2 days because they had to cotact Nissan and Nissan told them to shave the rotors. Porsche and BMW only replace warped rotors. Porsche specifically mandates against doing it. Yes, heavy SUVs put more thermal load on their brakes. A now recognizeable pattern of warping rotors at as little as 3-5K mi is a design and engineering or some sort of production flaw that Nissan needs to address. I'm actually not the biggest Ford fan; and except for the rattles and brakes, I love this truck; BUT my 97 Expedition never warped a rotor in 108K mi of the same driving at the same weight.

nitemask

Purge Control Valve took care of the helicopter noise under the hood.
Blower motor did not take care of the drone when fan going. Supposedly Nissan has something coming out for that, but we'll see.
Rotors on order. They are replacing instead of turning them. It's not real bad yet, so I'm fine. They will call me and replace them when they get in.

ksloan77

Well folks, I have had it with my Armada. I have had it back to the dealer now on 4 different trips to "fix the roof"....and all of the other sqeaks and noises...but to no avail. i am now thinking that the roof problem may not be fixable. i have contacted nissan and insisted that they buy this piece of crap back from me...i want my money back! good luck to all of you out there with this lame duck.

bowke28

heck, man...they dont even know HOW to fix it yet...why would you keep taking it back over and over if it wont do any good?

rshe

Just curious which one did you have SE, SEOR, LE and did you have a sunroof??? Good Luck..

chasmanz28

get your money back while you can, or go for the trade in like i did, before you lose your shirt on these 04 model's, way to many serious issues like i stated before, good luck

rparnell

I don't know ksloan, but if he/she dropped in the region of $40,000 on a truck, I think they are within their rights to place extreme pressure on the dealership to fix the problem - including returning it repeatedly for fixing. The dealership is the consumer's only real path back to Nissan, and the only way to make the level of pain and irritation clear. I am sorry that the dealer service departments should feel pain for a Nissan manufacturing defect, but it goes with the territory.

Also I suspect that it is a requirement of lemon laws that you demand a certain number of attempts to fix the problem from a dealership before heading to arbitration.

twinbladesz

I've been reading these boards. I do like the vehicle rides nice and all but hope to see if they fix the resonance and warping rotor problems. If they cant fix it by the time I'm ready to purchase a new truck will have to look elsewhere.

cdog

Wow. Have been reading this board and test driving since October. Really love the motor and the footing of the thing on the road. Love the roominess inside.

Really concerned about quality control. Keep reading and test-driving and hoping to discover it's all been fixed. Doesn't look like that is about to happen.

Salesman the other night told me a customer bought an Armada that had 8000 miles. (Wonder where that one came from?) Nissan bought the vehicle, gave the customer a new one, helped him pay down new financing. They tore the used one apart to study. Said that was an example of Nissan's QC commitment. Yea, right. Sounds to me like an indication that Nissan knows it has a big problem and won't stand up and fix it.

And where are the ads for this flagship vehicle? I get the impression that Nissan plans to off load this year's inventory with minimal advertising to limit exposure to lawsuits. I wouldn't bank on an '05 since as a solution since this one looks like it needs a complete overhaul. I think it generally takes 2 years from first sketch to showroom, assuming Nissan plans to fix it.

I still remain really interested in this truck. Would jump to get one if not for the rotors, seatbelt sensors, seat motors, axles, eardrum-popping resonance, rattles, creaks, stripped seatbelt bolts, wobbling DVD units, and now, leaking windshields, rust pits, etc., etc., etc.

I've only experienced the resonance, since I don't own one -- but I've experienced it in almost every one I've driven, plus some rattles and creaks. The Armada is beginning to remind me of such fine vehicles as the first run Jeep Cherokee, Ford Taurus wagon, and the '68 Opel Cadet. Too bad. Nissan had a very good reputation once.

Alternatives: Durango interior quality seems cheap. Don't like the PT-Cruiser-Peterbilt hybrid look and the low front end. Who's supposed to be able to fit on that rear bench - Barbie and Ken? Difficult to trust Dodge after the engine-sludge problems in the previous Durango.

Expedition and Sequoia have those weak engines, and lack the footing of the Tahoe and Armada. Add Ford QC issues, and that gets lined out. Chevy -- Great engine, great feel on the road. I had hoped the Armada would be the Tahoe with dependable quality. Chevy QC too predictably poor.

Looks like I'm headed back to look at an SR5. Don't like the sway, especially without curtains in every row. But at least I'll get dual zone climate control standard and won't have to make weekly visits to the service department.

rsholland

By then a lot of these "v1.0" issues will have been resolved.

Bob

bowke28

i dont understand...

you said: "Sounds to me like an indication that Nissan knows it has a big problem and won't stand up and fix it."

and: "rotors, seatbelt sensors, seat motors, axles, eardrum-popping resonance, rattles, creaks, stripped seatbelt bolts, wobbling DVD units, and now, leaking windshields, rust pits, etc., etc., etc."

and yet you say this: "I still remain really interested in this truck."

i dont get it. either these problems arent REALLY problems, or you dont care about them. if it is the latter, then why on earth would you even post about it?!?! what a waste of time!

it seems you are saying: "i dont really care about these things...i just want to worry other people with no first hand information."

get a life, man.

popinjay

Can somebody give me the lowdown on what I'd be seeing/feeling if I had the warped rotor deal? Everything seems fine at this point, but maybe it's all in my head. Thanks.

cdog

Read the post, disagree, talk about it. Your personal comments are inappropriate.

bowke28

i thought i was pretty clear. i said i dont understand your motivation for the post, and i explained why.

cdog

Nissan Armada, SUV

offroadnarmada

why is it that my vehicle retailed for 39K one month ago, and now the SAME config. is at 35.7K ???? I payed 36.2K ttl and warranty because of the issues i delt with at the local nissan dealership because of my age (long story, problem resolved though), which gave me a 3k discount, to find that the msrp is now 4k lower!!!

I heard they were overpriced around here, but that is rediculous. I mean come on! that is by far completely unfair for those of us who have already paid ours off!

I might be setting myself up for more heartbreak, but does anyone have any idea if the new pathfinders will retail for the same price the current ones are? if so, I might think about trading it in for one of those. I don't think Nissan would ruin their rep. with their normal Pathfinders, that would completely waste the public's respect for Nissan SUVs...

topazm3

are initially a faint vibration felt primarily in the pedal while braking. It progresses to vibration felt in the steering wheel. As it gets really bad, the pedal vibrates and the steering wheel can shake.

wdog

The Armada has lots to like. This board, thanks in part to you, has become one of Edmunds' liveliest. Can we continue to read hoping problems get fixed and we can buy it for the things we like? If one is disappointed but still interested are they not allowed to mention it? Well, that would cut down on the negative posts. Maybe the concern should be how long those not going to buy now continue to look.

I've also read this board since inception. Earlier you opened the possibility that some with negative posts might not be accurate. No, at that point you didn't say anyone was. An initial challenge to negative comments? At the time I gave it no further thought. Thinking about that now I can't recall bringing into question the group that praised. I mention this for the sake of balance. Personally I see no reason to bring into question the validity of either group.

Later you challenged a poster's truthfulness. Could it be that bad, the dealer did take it in trade, was the dealer that stupid, did you hide some things from the dealer, etc. This to a man who had repeatedly posted his suffering for all to know and possibly help. Neither he nor most of the others with these problems have had them resolved. Seems like even his ethics were questioned along with a lesson on what he SHOULD do.

Wherever "trade in" rates in the decision to purchase, indicating one should not purchase some vehicle and/or hold on to a Nissan because of a supposed trade in loss does not seem sympathic or address that person's problems. Why on earth would someone who can deal with the loss of a few grand suffer for months and not have the use of a vehicle hold on to it? The problems may have been that bad.

Maybe the resonance problems will cause structural damage. Then the best that could happen to trade in value would be a buy back. Maybe resonance will eventually afects all Armadas, making them dangerous. Maybe it will all be straightened out and some might regret not holding out and enjoying what they could have had. Aren't these more important considerations than trade in loss? There are two sides. If it was me and I had gone through what chasmanz28 and maybe others have gone through I'd want that nightmare out of sight and mind. However, that's my bias.

The person who just posted resonance problems also mentioned "other squeaks and noises" for going back four times. NOW he knows it couldn't be fixed. So he shouldn't have gone there in the first place? Do you know the dealer didn't say he would try? Or is this just one more counter to a negative post?

Earlier I interpreted your posts as valuable information from one caring enough to take the time. Now I'm wondering if there's an agenda to challenge and distract from negative comments and the problems people are having. Why has a respected poster gone to the extent, IMHO, that you have, of questioning ones motives, rights, and truthfulness?

llajumpvid

Where are you seeing that there has been a MSRP change? I Just checked Nissanusa.com and the MSRP is still the same as it was in December? Are you talking about what the average sale price is? In that case it is typical that the longer the vehicle is on the market the price will drop some (supply and demand). Just curious because my LE+tech is coming in next week and I will probably have to renegotiate some.

tidester

... stick to the issues and not the individuals. Second guessing motives is a fruitless exercise and quite distracting.

tidester, host

cwoferg

Outstanding post, good points across the board.

cwoferg

No one knows these people's dilemnas more than they do. Please give it a rest. I am happy that you are happy with yours, but if you have a bad apple, you have a bad apple. I am glad that Chas had the means to afford losing a couple of thousand dollars to make himself happy, good for him. If I could do it, I wouldn't be waiting for my lemon law suit to settle. He is right, it is a pain, but I can't afford to lose that much money. Everyone's case is different. If yours was as bad as Chas's, who knows what you would do? ONLY YOU would know what's best for you!

rshe

Has anyone that has used a cartop carrier on their Armada noticed any increased resonance? I have a cartop carrier which I will be using this summer, but am a little nervous that I might cause a resonance issue, I don't already have. Just by the added stress to the roof.

twinbladesz

You are coming off rude dude. These people paid their hard earned money to buy a new vehicle. Even though its a 1st year vehicle they do expect certain things to be working like seatbelts lol. Anyway I can understand the poster's meaning. We like the vehicle and I too was interested in it from the beginning. I saw the problems my parents had when they purchased their 1st year model Eagle Premier. The thing was in the shop more then it was in our driveway. So as much as we like how the truck drives and all its features. With the problems its having now it would make sense for those of us who haven't purchased it yet, but are still interested to wait until Nissan fixes these bugs. Bowke doesnt own an Armada as far as I know he is a Nissan/Ford dealer I believe.

sub9904

Rshe sounds like you are between a rock and a hard place. If it was me I'd just try it out and now and see what happens. You'll have to put the carrier on sooner or later right?

If it wasn't for this board I'd own an Armada. No doubt about it. Especially when my Sub. started to have some serious issues. New engine now so can wait another year or two for the kinks to get worked out. I like everything about the Armada. Well except for the 3rd row. It took a great deal of will power to not buy one. Haven't felt this way about a car since my old 240z. Anyways, I really appreciate people taking the time to post about their vehicles. Good, bad, and the ugly.

btill1

I have Thule 1600 that I have put on the top of my Armada (with some modifications to the car-top carrier). I have not had any resonance issues with it on or off. I have an LE with sunroof package I also have a wind deflector for the sunroof, which sends the wind right up into the car top carrier with no issues.
Any other questions let me know. Good luck, Brian