MODELYEARINDEX

Which Nissan Armada years to avoid

Across 10 scored model years, the 2019, 2017 and 2018 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Nissan Armada Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2019 vs model median 3.1×
Model median3× median
Electrical 29
Driver Assist 10
Brakes 6
Avoid

2017 · 2019

Best

2012 · 2015

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
1.07× 22 C
2011
1.04× 21 B
2012
0.55× 11 B
2013
0.71× 12 B
2015
0.55× 13 B
2017
2.68× 62 F
2018
1.94× 50 D
2019
3.07× 75 F
2020
0.96× 23 B
2021
0.82× 14 B
2022 P
0.72× 14 B
2023 P
0.60× 10 B
2025 P
1.61× 31 D

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2017 F 62 reports · median 39,979 mi

  1. Electrical 14

    Bought nissan armada about 7 weeks ago. Went on a 3.5 hour trip twice. While using the navigation system the navigation system went blank, flicker. Called and took it back to dealer. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 13

    From slow starts, the tachometer will flutter and that hesitation is transmitted through the drivetrain to the wheels. This hesitation has been seen around all shift points and has been confirmed by service technicians. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 9

    2017 vehicle hesitated while leaving a drive through, would not shift from park. At next venue, the vehicle failed to start. Owner attempted to start vehicle with remote start. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2 fire · 3 injuries

2019 F 75 reports · median 20,000 mi

  1. Electrical 29

    The contact owns a 2019 nissan armada. On several occasions, the vehicle was taken to capital nissan (5501 market street, wilmington, nc 28405) to be diagnosed due to defective forward facing and back up cameras. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Driver Assist 10

    We have a group of customers must of US have experienced a stop lamp brake light switch gone bad that causes the computer to trow codes ABS,tc,collision distance from the car in front ,bci malfunction,dealers are… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 6

    Bci malfunction message displayed on the dash along with other indicators. Vehicle wouldn't start. Service department suggested to continue to press the brake and push start button while I waited for road side… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 1 injuries

The best year for the Armada

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2012 is the best-scoring Armada model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 83.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2012 0.55× 11 B
2015 0.55× 13 B
2013 0.71× 12 B

Recalls

14 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
19V654000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2018, 2019 1,228,830
23V067000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2010, 2011 404,690
20V188000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2013, 2015 216,678
10V072000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES 2010 179,383
26V455000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2020–2025 168,149
25V821000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2025 64,085
10V208000 SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM 2010 41,649
12V143000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2012 26,626
21V373000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE 2020, 2021 24,140
13V451000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER 2013 3,247
10E019000 SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM 2010 1,873
15V501000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY 2015 1,554

+ 2 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2019 were reported at a median of 20,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Nissan Armada years should you avoid?
2019, 2017, 2018 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Nissan Armada model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Nissan Armada?
2012 is the best-scoring Nissan Armada model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 83.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Nissan Armada have?
14 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Nissan Armada model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2019 Armada
Complaints in window
75
Severity-weighted
97.5
Model median (weighted)
32
vs model median
3.07×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
1
Open investigations
0
Score 22.5 F