Nissan Armada

mess

Hey everyone..it's been a while since I've been on. Noticed that most of the discussion topics have been offical TSB's from Nissan (finally). The window regulators, front brakes, wheel alignment, tire pressure monitor, etc. BUT..I still have not seen the resonance TSB for the Armada. I've read the Q's...but am waiting for the official Nissan one. Anyone with solid info on the TSB date, id #??? Also wanted to let everyone know that even though there are these problems with the Armada, it's still a great truck. Most everything it does, it does well, and besides a little quality control, I'm very happy. I'm assuming the plant is producing better vehicles now versus then. My biggest rant about this forum is the few very negative peeps..."this thing will fall apart...get away now"...you know...the gloom and doomers, and then the others just watching this forum to counter anything that might reflect badly on this vehicle. It makes one have to sort through nearly 3000 posts to read the 300-500 valuable posts that forums are made for. If I were to do it again I still wouldn't wait because of the little problems...BUT if I could have saved a few thousand dollars...that's a different story. Please update the roof resonance info on TSB's!!!!

centexkevin

Hey mess,
I agree with your comments about some excessive negativity and near harrasment from some members. Glad you spoke up so that we can keep this forum to the purpose it was intended for. Regarding your question on the TSB, I know that the TSB# is 04047, per nissan's technical site. I don't have a current subscription to see the whole thing, but thats the TSB# you were looking for. I've just ordered my Armada, hoping that that issue is fixed, if not, I know the TSB# for the dealer to implement. Good luck.

scott174

I have a problem with the 2 previous posts. It all boils down to individual experiences. If you have a trouble free Armada great!!! The negative posts are all from people who spent about $40,000 for a NEW vehicle with problems. We should be able to express ourselfs and the experiences we have had. We have just had way too many "problems" with them. The problems with mine, are much more than just skin deep.(see earlier posts) So, instead of making it seem were overly stating the facts, come over to my house and take her for a spin.
If all the above posts are without warrant, why did the service advisor at an Orange County California Nissan Dealership say to an Armada buddy of mine "We love to see the Armadas & Titans roll in"
Translation: They are all aware of the serious problems effecting these trucks!!
One more thing, I have a copy of the Fourteen page TSB:Cabin "Booming" noise on rough roads. I would Email you, but your email is private.

bowke28

the issue isnt about talking about the problems...some of us are simply sick of the statements like "the trucks will all fall apart, so treat them like the plague."

this sensationalism is simply unnecessary, and i will fight it every time.

post away about your problems...i dont take issue with that. just be reasonable is all i ask.

bullwag

I would love to see that 14 page TSB. If you can E-mail me at bullwag@aol.com,I would really appriciate it.
     One more major problem,in my opinion comes with my second row captain chairs. When the armrests are down and somebody lifts the seat to get to the third row,the armrest itself digs into the center consule. It already ripped one armrest up and the metal in the armrest dug into the center consule. Wanted to see if this is on the TSB.I dont consider this a major problem if Nissan will take care of this.

rosie726

Funny, I just called Nissan today about my front passenger seat, seems like you'll slide right out of it if you don't brace yourself when braking or going down a hill (yes, with a seatbelt on.) We even bought seat covers thinking it was the leather seat but it didn't help. Anyhow, the person I spoke with said he never heard of this problem before and said to have it checked by our dealer. Also, we did have a rotor problem and the rotors and brake pads were recently replaced. The person I spoke with today said the rotor problem WAS a RECALL and that the new rotors are "improved". Hopefully this is true. Other than a roof rattle we are totally happy with our vehicle!! The ride is fantastic! The dealership gave us a Ford Explorer to use while they replaced the rotors, it doesn't even begin to compare with the Armada!

chuntmd

The famous line "never heard of this problem before" is the reason why everyone with a Armada (even Titans are having flat seat problem) needs to call Nissan Comsumer Affairs. Some bench seat Titan owners are installing a nylon spacer between the seat and the bracket. There are pictures on a site that "talks" just about Titans.

I took mine in last week because the dimmer was not working and the dash lights below the radio were off. They replaced a fuse. They worked for several hours but the fuse is blown again. Appointment set for Monday for a diaganoses.

Passenger seat is starting to squeak on curvy roads (went to the Western MD Mountains past weekend)

rshe

Took my Armada off road for the first time. Went down to Assateague National Seashore and went to the ORV area.. Pretty deep and soft sand. Must say the Mada performed flawlessly after I took the tire pressure down to 15 lbs and disabled the VDC. The more I drive it the more I like it..

Only downside, my overhead console screws are pulling through the plastic. So I need to call my dealer to order me one.. Hopefully they will make a more durable plastic, so this isn't an annual occurrence.

klondike_x5

Done any mods to their Armada? If so I would like to see any pics

llajumpvid

I had a bad sunroof rattle that they replace the drain assembly to fix...after they did I see I was missing parts on delivery. There are covers on each side that hide the hinges these were missing...now the one on the passenger side keeps coming loose and rattling. Also there is a piece along the back on the sunroof that sits just above the sliding shade that rattles over a moderate bump.

Since they replaced the drain assembly my headliner has been vibrating badly, and I noticed the front screws on the overhead console are cracking plus a clip on one side won't hold anymore. I decided to try and figure out why the bad vibration and took the overhead console down. I found that a front strap that one of the clips snap into only had one bolt in it and was attributing to some of the vibration (it hadn't been installed because I didn't find it in the overhead.)...the big contributor is that there are 1"x2" foam blocks that are suppose to be weged between the roof beam and headliner that had fallen out on both sides. I duct taped them in place plus a lot of the wiring harnesses and sprung open one of the clips the best I could...I took it for a short test drive and it seems to of made a fair amount of improvement but it wasn't the roughest road. I'll know more tomorrow on the way into work. It looks like they could do a better job supporting the headliner as it doesn't seem to have much in terms of support along its width.

Thought I'd pass along my findings and maybe help someone else with similiar problems.

llajumpvid

FYI I've read that from June 2 through July 6 Nissan is giving a $1000 rebate or 1.9% interest upto 60 months on both the Titan and Armada.

ceric

ksloan78

bowke, you claim that not one armada has had problems....have you sold every single one of them? you see, that makes as much sense as what you asked about me driving them all.

there is a DESIGN FLAW with the roof that they have not corrected yet...therefore, ALL armadas have this problem (or will have) that have been manufactured to date. this is not my opinion, but the words of the field rep that inspected mine.

bowke28

"bowke, you claim that not one armada has had problems"

no, i never said that. i just said that you are being ridiculous by thinking ALL of them are crap.

popinjay

Can we avoid posting opinions such as this: "therefore, ALL armadas have this problem (or will have) that have been manufactured to date."

Comments like that serve no purpose and certainly don't further your arguement. This board provides some useful info, but sometimes it's the worst collection of falsehoods, fabrications, misrepresentations, deceptions and just plain old-fashioned taradiddle that I have ever read."

hitnwakes

What kind of mods? I've put a new system in mine.

dboogie

what all have you done to your stereo system??

ksloan78

yes, every single one has the problem...every single one. perhaps you just don't notice it as much as others. since there is not enought roof support for the vehicle in EVERY SINGLE ONE PRODUCED, then they ALL have the problem.

ksloan78

IT IS NOT FIXED YET

ksloan78

REASONABLE IS ALL YOU ASK??? don't make me laugh!!! go back and read all your earlier posts where for weeks if not months you denied there was even a problem(s) with the armada....need i remind you of how many times you said "we've sold xxx many armadas and not one single problem" --- so you now saying you don't have an issue with people posting negative comments about the armada is taken with a grain of salt. i.e. translation --- hogwash.

ksloan78

i dont know what it takes to get through to some of you people --- again for the last time, ALL armadas DO HAVE the roof problem. this is not opinion, it is fact. nissan reps, regional rep, the field inspector, and even the local dealer, have all said so....and the fix is not ready yet. i own one of these pieces of junk and wish it wern't so, but it is. even those of you who have not had the severe roof vibration that many of us have had, will have it. you all want to believe that your armada won't have this problem...i understand that desire. but it won't change the facts that your armada, just like mine, has a roof design flaw that is not fixed.

rshe

I was the one whom brought the issue of resonance up in October after I drove one of the 1st Armadas on the lot. I know the sound/sensation you are referring to. My Armada has no signs of the resonance, but I do admit the roof structure is not adequately supported.

popinjay

I'm not denying that there's a flawed roof design. That's for the engineers to decide.

I do take exception, however, to statements saying that EVERY armada will experience this horrible resonance. Just when will it occur? I've got 6k miles on mine. Guess what? No resonance. If they're all flawed, wouldn't I have experienced it right off the bat? And if it doesn't resonate right off the bat, what magical event will take place where it will suddenly happen?

Instead of the over the top histrionics, how about giving us some actual useful information? You seem to have the ear of every VIP at Nissan.

llajumpvid

that those who don't have the resonance (myself included) do have excessive (IMO) vibration of the roof/headliner. This is likely not an issue to most people unless you have a video screen that you are trying to watch. I've ridden in large SUV's with overhead screens and they are alot more stable than the Armada's. Put your hand while driving on the front overhead bin (sunglass bin) and feel the difference when you reach back and touch the bin where the monitor goes. Huge difference and if the front is that stable then they should be able to reinforce it all the way back I would think. I posted last night what I found with mine when I took down the overhead, it made a substantial improvement putting in the missing screw and displaced blocks. Scale of 1-10 with 10 being what I feel is a typical amount of vibration felt in other large suv's I'd say I went from a 3 to 7.

Looking up there I can see that there doesn't appear to be much glue squeezed out between the support and the upper skin (I have a April build). I imagine the people with the resonance is from the separation of the skin and thats where the drumming comes from. The separation is probably due to the continuous vibration weakening the adhesion?

As long as things don't get any worse than what I have now I am more than happy with my purchase (mpg excluded but expected):). I love the looks, room, and performance!

daveman

Sorry Ksloan, but please help me understand your statement below:

"i dont know what it takes to get through to some of you people --- again for the last time, ALL armadas DO HAVE the roof problem."

What "roof problem"? Best I can tell, a few people have a resonance problem that is significant, but all Armada's definitely do NOT have a resonance problem. Other Armadas, (maybe even all Armada's) have a roof that vibrates more than the owner would like, and interferes with someone who has a DVD. Is this the "roof problem" you refer to?

I have not noticed any vibration on my roof / headliner, but also do not drive around with my head turned around to see if there is a vibration. My wife has looked and felt for a vibration and has not noticed one. We have no rattles, loosening bolts, noises, or noticable issues with our roof. So please - explain to me about the roof problem that you say I have.

I have 2100 miles and so far love the beast.

norbn

Dear Nissan, I'm going to get something else if you don't fix the problems. I really really like the Armada but am concerned about the quality issues. Still waiting for the 05's.

offroadnarmada

yes!! i thought i was the only one. my passenger seat squeaks on every turn of the steering wheel, but only when someone is sitting in it (which is just about every ride). i have a "seatback" on order, but the tech doesn't know what the problem is.

klondike_x5

I think the overhead noise horse is pretty dead now. I would imagine that we REALLY get the point that the roof has some kind of problem that some are more affected by than others.... move on, please!
Oh, as my last dig I have 4500 miles and no problems;)

mpower

OK I just got back from my Houston dealer. My Armada is the 1st here to have installed their "brake pad kit" which is under a service bulletin on repairs for the known brake shimmy/rotor/pad issue. My rep said they just released this kit to all Nissan Service shops - to aid in the fix. He said kit has: a newer bi-metallic pad, a different caliper bolt lubricant(sic.) and they turn the rotors of course (on 1st repair...he confirmed next time NUSA will authorize replacing rotors). As soon as I left, I got on the proper road and bedded in the new pads (4-5 high speed decellerations hard on the brakes from 60mph without stopping) They were smoking by the last run. Overall they feel much better already - so we shall see. The kit #:
1 41060-7S025 PAD KIT-DI

bullwag

Thanks Scott174 for sending the TSB on roof vibration. How can I see the entire TSB report for the Armada? Would love to have everything taken care of next time I go in to have my broken overhead consule replaced due to vibration.
  Reguarding daveman, just curious, do you have a sunroof?
  My opinion is that due to the sunroof sliding back into the roof, Nissan cannot support that area. Maybe those of you without sunroofs do not have the bad roof vibration. Just for the record, my Armadas overhead consule w/ DVD did break, but have not YET expierenced the resonance yet.
    Still have not heard of anybody w/ bucket seats having the problem with the armrest digging into the 2nd row center consule yet.
    By the way Scott, where do I find the Build # ?

offroadnarmada

AAAAHHH!! I was getting some Burger King tonight and what do i hear when I slow to the window? SQQUUEEEAAAKKK. Sounded like a fifteen-year-old town car with the same age brakes!! Is this the start of what those with the rotor issue have spoken about? I haven't noticed any odd behaviors, just a constant squeak at low braking speeds. I only have 4100 miles on her!

bowke28

happens on ANY vehicle, when the pads become glazed from overheating. my 2003 focus with 8k miles does it sometimes...if you are a late-braker, or do a lot of emergency stops, then squeaking is inevitable. once it starts, the only way to counter it is with new pads, and a more conservative braking style.

lucas2

I had it on my QX56. The infiniti tech just tightened two bolts on the seat back. He said ther are two bolts that hold a rod down. ??? don't ask me, all I know is the seat is now solid (it moved to much side to side before)and no more squeek. Its only when someone is in the seat because that's the only time there is side to side pressure on the seat back.

lucas2

Also had this problem in my QX56. The service manager gave me another DVD disk from the QX sitting on the showroom floor. Worked great for about three days then "disk error" again. The infiniti dealer replaced the entire Nav system and no problems yet. Only took about 40 minutes. The service manager said he had another customer call in that moring with the same problem. He also said infiniti is back ordered now on the NAV DVD players, which he thought might indicate a more widespread problem. One good thing about infiniti over nissan, is that service bends over backwards for you and will do anything to make you happy. And no fabricated stories about serial numbers having to match! What BS.

klondike_x5

I e-mailed bose about their system and they have yet to respond. I wanted to know if there were any upgrades to the weak sub woofer and also if I could install a third set for the third row, without messing up the sound quality. I must admit I'm not really happy with the Bose pkg for music but as far as for playing DVDS it's great. So when you decide to purchase the Armada don't waste your $750 on this pkg.

ceric

Lucas, great to hear that your NAVI is now fixed. It is the player after all. Any idea which vender Nissan/Infiniti is using for NAVI? Honda is using Alpine. Most people have very few problem with them.

big0147

I am currently living in Hawaii and nobody on the Island of Oahu seems to be able to find the correct cut for the grill on the Armada. I am looking for the paint protection plan that includes the Armada's front grill. Can anybody help me with this

daveman

I do not have a sunroof. I wonder if the people with sunroofs have more vibration than the others???

lucas2

The Svc Mgr thought Clarion was the vendor for the Navi, although he wasn't sure.

offroadnarmada

thats the thing, im a decent braker. my '89 blazer was fine, never had a rpoblem with my '90 laser or my '96 grand prix. and i stomped on those pedals all the time. i slammed on my brakes once (someone pulled in front of me on the highway going 35-40 while i was at a nice 65), but never had the need to brake hard since then.

i can feel it when it squeaks, thats what gets to me. as the wheel slows, i can identify when the brake will sqeak based on how far the wheel has turned.

llajumpvid

Has anyone noticed if their passenger airbag dash light works like this?

From 0 lbs to 60 pounds, the passenger air bag should be disabled, and the dash light should indicate that the air bag is off.

Above 60 pounds, the dash light will be off and airbag on.

(from 60-102 pounds, the air bag is suppose to deploy with a reduced force and above 102 at full force)

My wife is 105 lbs and the light does not go off, I read on another forum some titans are experencing this as well.

adjmcloon

Hello all,

Just picked up my Armada from the dealership. The resonance fix seemed to work great- the vehicle is much quieter, and there's no damage to the headliner. I had them also dynamat the roof, so I'm sure that helped.

Just a friendly notice that Nissan will fix these first year blues..I was getting pretty disgusted for a while, but it's all good now. Finally!

Good luck with your vehicle!

rshe

I think the dynamat is a great idea for two reasons...First, I was in a heavy downpour the other day and have to say the when the rain hit the roof it made a real hollow tinny sound, like I have never heard in any other vehicle.. Secondly I have to think the dynamat will aid in keeping the roof skin secured to the spars somewhat. Maybe Nissan should add the dynamat as part of the TSB!!

adjmcloon

I'm a longtime musician, but it doesn't take one to know that metal is very resonant. It's seems like a no-brainer to me and the reason I had them dynamat the roof. At the very least it will dramatically cut down on the amount of noise the roof can generate. I did purchase the dynamat and a roller for the dealer- of course they wouldn't purchase it as it's aftermarket.

Just by "earballing" it I'd say the noise level dropped 20db easy- which is very significant. There's hope folks! Just get the fix applied and all will be well.

I'm still waiting on the brake fix (new pads and calipers and low dust- yippee!) and a new console since the screws broke mine at the factory. Oh yeah, that and that annoying squeak from the rear gate is still there. Oh well, my dealership has been great (Classic Nissan in Nederland, TX) and I guess it's first year model blues. The power and ride make up for it to me...especially now.

offroadnarmada

i spoke with my uncle about this a month ago (hes a nissan tech). the airbag itsself is fine, it should deploy as necessary, but the light is malfunctioning. if i recall, there is already a tsb out for it. not many armadas were affected from what he said, mainly just titans. your dealership should be able to fix that in a fairly short amount of time.

ceric

> Just by "earballing" it I'd say the noise level dropped 20db easy-

No offense, but the difference between the quiet Sequoia and the Armada is only 3db. "db" is in log scale. 3db means the magnitude of sound is "doubled"! 20db difference would be between "talking" and "jet plane flies by".

I am sure you didn't mean it. I can feel your excitement. Congrats for the fix!

soldaustin

I think that is a really great idea also. Where can I but the materials and all that is needed to do this? I will for sure supply it to the dealer. I also want to buy it to go under new carpeting I am going to install in my '85 Trans Am. I think it should help that car alot. Thanks for the info. These boards are really helpful. I am going to get the roof fix done soon, also my rotors were turned the first time over 5k miles (needed it before then) and now they are shaking pretty good again. SO this time I am due for rotors and the brake fix. I am going to talk to the dealer and see how long this stuff will take. I am hoping if it is a couple of days they will give me something to drive since I don't have anything really reliable to drive besides this.

adjmcloon

I got mine on ebay- you can get it fairly cheap. I saw deals for 100 sq. ft of dynamat- well, actually a knock off but it all works the same- for like $100 on ebay. All you need is that and a wallpaper roller and they should be able to put it on no problem. It helped mine out tremendously.

crazyeyes

Way back some people on here were discussing extra storage and top carriers.

I ended up needing extra storage while on vacation and picked up a Yakima Pro 18. It looks very good on the Armada and is extremely easy to attach and take off. It is also very adjustable. They also make a slightly bigger model for those needing more storage.

The unit also rides very well on the Armada and produced only a slight decrease in fuel mileage. No resonance was created by the unit. I've had no resonance problems anyway.

I will be using the Yakima again for camping next month.

btill1

How often is everyone doing there oil changes, I have done them at 4k and 8k the next one at 12k when I will also rotate the tires. I have 11k miles and no problems with my Armada, I love everything about it except for the gas mileage (which I knew going in. No resonance and all my squeaks have seemed to go away it could have something to do with the warm weather.