2019 Nissan Armada: What to check before buying

The battery drains while the SUV sits parked, sometimes within minutes of shutdown. The result is a no-start that needs a jump or a tow. Many owners get new batteries over and over, and the problem keeps coming back. Lights may flicker, the shifter may not leave park, and false forward collision warnings can appear. Dealers point to the brake switch, the body control module, a parasitic draw, or the smart alternator not charging fully on short trips. Reports start as early as 5,000 miles. A failing telematics module can also make the screen, hands-free calling, and backup camera cut out.

The rear air suspension fails, and the back of the SUV sags or drops suddenly, sometimes with a loud pop and no warning. A low rear end makes the vehicle unstable and hard to control, and owners say it gets worse on wet roads. Other reports describe very bouncy rear shocks and poor handling. One owner reports $1,500 to replace the rear suspension. Another reports badly worn inner rear tires and a rear end that would not align after the suspension was replaced.

Brakes fail to stop the SUV after a front sensor failure light comes on, and owners describe rear-end collisions at low speed. Automatic emergency braking engages at random, then shuts off and disables cruise control. Several reports tie brake-area faults to no-starts and BCI warnings, with dealers replacing the brake switch and updating software. A loud hissing from the brake pedal area also comes up. The manufacturer told one dealer this is normal because the booster is electric.

Serious internal engine failures appear in a few reports. One involves ticking, damage in cylinder #6, metal debris in the engine, and a recommendation to replace it. Another describes a sudden loss of power at highway speed, a top speed of 20 mph, and coolant leaking into the engine, which led to an engine replacement after the transmission had already been replaced. The other reports in this group are really battery-drain and brake-switch no-starts filed under the engine.

The transmission fails with no warning. The SUV lurches, the engine races, and it will not go above 20 mph, so the transmission has to be replaced. Another owner reports a loud noise from the transmission when shifting out of park, which the dealer could not find. The rest of this group describes battery drain and no-starts that return after an ECM reprogram. One dealer quoted $725 to reset and reprogram the vehicle's systems.

The SUV accelerates on its own after it is shifted into drive. Hard braking does not stop it, and it hits another vehicle while a SONAR malfunction message is on the screen. Separately, a faulty start switch at the brake pedal blocks starting and shifting into gear most of the time. Owners describe long rounds of pumping the pedal and pressing the start button before the SUV starts or goes into gear. This switch problem shows up at under 24k miles, just after the warranty runs out.

A Backup Collision Intervention (BCI) malfunction message appears now and then. When it does, pre-collision warnings, backup warnings, cruise control, and sonar all shut off together. The same episodes can bring hard starts that take several brake presses, and a shifter that sticks in park. Dealers have trouble finding the cause, and one vehicle went back about 4 times without a fix.