2005 Nissan Armada

I OWN A NISSAN ARMADA SUV (MODEL LE 5.6 V8). THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 3/2005 AND NOW HAS SOME 3000 MILES. WE EXPERIENCED STRONG VIBRATION OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE BRAKING AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE SERVICE DEPT. AT THE RENO (NV) DEALERSHIP. YESTERDAY, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US THAT NISSAN HAS A PROBLEM WITH ALL ARMADA & TITAN MODELS OF 2004/2005 AND THE PROBLEM IS CAUSING ALL BRAKES TO VIBRATE AS THE BRAKE DISCS TOUCH THE BRAKE PADS. THIS IS APPARENTLY SOMETHING THAT NISSAN KNOWS FOR A WHILE BECAUSE ALL THE PARTS ARE ON "BACK ORDER" AND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR A FEW MONTHS AND INVOLVES > 100,000 VEHICLES. THE DEALER TOLD US THAT THE PROBLEM MAY COME BACK IN A FEW MONTHS / THOUSANDS OF MILES AND FOR THE MEANTIME THE "BRAKES WERE WARPED" WHICH IS A TEMPORARY FIX. WE ARE INTERESTED TO INVESTIGATE WHY (A) NISSAN HAS NOT DECLARED A FORMAL RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND MAKE CUSTOMERS AWARE THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS AND (B) TO FIND OUT IF THE PROBLEM IS HAZARDOUS TO LIFE AND IF OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *NM

DT: CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE AND PULL TO THE RIGHT. HE WAS TOLD BY SOMEONE WHO DID NOT WORK FOR NISSAN BUT FOR ENTERPRISE RENTAL CAR THAT THE ROTORS WERE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP, AND HE WAS TOLD THAT NISSAN WAS SENDING OUT THE REPAIR KITS AND WILL HAVE THE VEHICLES FIXED. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE WASN'T A RECALL ,BUT NISSAN WAS FIXING THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TWICE, AND WAS TOLD IT WILL BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM UNTIL THE KIT ARRIVED TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY. THE PROBLEM WAS BETTER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN I TO DEALER, BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED AFTER A WEEK.*AK *NM

THERE ARE MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THE NISSAN ARMADA 2005 VEHICLE. 1ST, THE BRAKES HAVE GONE OUT NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. 2ND, NUMEROUS RATTLES THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE HAVE GONE UNFIXED BY NISSAN SERVICE - SOME RATTLES ARE SERIOUS ENOUGH TO WHERE THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPENS A INCH OR SO OVER A LARGE BUMP IN THE ROAD (SOMETHING COULD BE WRONG WITH THE LATCHING MECHANISM OR FORM FIT BETWEEN THE DOOR AND BODY). THE REAR CARGO DOOR HAS RATTLE AND VIBRATION ISSUES. 3RD) A SERIOUS VISIBILITY ISSUE THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN IGNORED BY NISSAN SERVICE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. THERE IS A SERIOUS VISIUAL PROBLEM THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD THAT CAUSES DOUBLE VISION (SOME SORT OF OPTICAL ISSUE WITH CARLEX GLASS) - NISSAN HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR DUE TO COMPARISON WITH OTHER ARMADAS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE.

BOUGHT NISSAN ARMADA JANUARY 2005. BY MARCH OF 2005 JUST A LITTLE OVER 2000 MILES THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING WHEN BRAKING. BROUGHT CAR BACK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD ROTORS TOO SMALL FOR THE CAR. ROTORS REPLACED. STEERING STARTED SHAKING AGAIN EARLY JUNE. CAR BROUGHT BACK AGAIN. TOLD IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE PERMENENT "FIX" WOULD BE AVAILABLE BY THE END OF JUNE. TOLD AT THE END OF JUNE THE "FIX" WOULD BE AVAILABLE BUY MID JULY. NOW MID JULY WITH NO "FIX" AVAILABLE. STEERING WHEEL SHAKES SO BADLY IT IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. CAR WILL BE BROUGHT IN FOR THE 3RD TIME ON 7/19/05 FOR THIRD VISIT AND 2ND SET OF ROTORS. STILL NO PERMENENT "FIX" AVAILABLE.

WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE END OF 3/05. W/IN DAYS WE NOTICED A "SHIMMY" IN THE STEERING AND THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AT SPEEDS OF 50+. STEERING WOULD VEER TO THE LEFT AND WHEEL WOULD JERK TO SIDE WHEN ENCOUNTERING SLIGHT BUMPS IN THE ROAD. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD VIBRATE & SHUDDER AND WAS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL (AT ANY SPEED). IT TOOK MORE PRESSURE THAN USUAL TO GET CAR TO STOP. THE MOST FRIGHTENING PART WAS THAT THE CAR WAS ESPECIALLY HARD TO CONTROL IN RAINY CONDITIONS. WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF BETWEEN 25-35 MPH, IN A MODERATE RAINFALL, THE CAR HYDROPLANED ON 5 OCCASSIONS WITHIN A DISTANCE OF APPROX. 60 MILES. ALSO, THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK, I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MY TIRE PRESSURE CHECKED. IT WAS FINE AND THEY HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR THE LIGHT APPEARING. I WAS OUT OF STATE AT THE TIME & THEY SUGGESTED I BRING IT INTO MY DEALERSHIP. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED, WHICH IS WHAT I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY BALANCED MY TIRES AND TOLD ME THIS WAS WHY MY TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT WAS GOING ON. AFTER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED, I WAS TOLD IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES AND THAT NISSAN WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM . I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE PARTS TO ARRIVE, BUT HAD NO IDEA WHEN THIS WOULD BE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I AM FEARFUL OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN NORTH AMERICA AND RECEIVED NO SATISFACTION. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND I AM FURIOUS THAT I CANNOT GET THE MANUFACTURER TO COMMIT TO A DATE THAT THEY WILL REPLACE THESE BRAKES. NISSAN N.A. REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT IT'S NOT A SAFETY ISSUE & MY DIFFICULTIES HANDLING THE VEHICLE IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS WAS "EXTERNAL". THE CAR IS HARD TO HANDLE IN THE BEST OF CONDITIONS. IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT THE MORE DIFFICULT THE DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE HARDER THIS VEHICLE WOULD BE TO CONTROL.

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES WHEN SHE BRAKES THE CAR PULLS AND VIOLENTLY SHAKES. THE STEERING WHEEL FELT VERY LOSE. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. SHE BROUGHT IT TO DEALER ON 6-27-05, WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM THEY WERE HAVING WITH THE NISSANS AND RECOMMEND A REPAIR KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD CONSUMER THEY COULD NOT GET TO HER CAR UNTIL 6-27-05 BECAUSE THEY WERE BUSY WITH FIXING ALL OF THE BRAKE PROBLEMS THEY WERE HAVING WITH THE NISSANS. SHE ASKED FOR A LOANER V AND THEY REFUSED TO GIVE HER ONE. *AK

I AM LEASING A 2005 NISSAN ARMADA. CURRENTLY THERE ARE 3300 MILES ON THE TRUCK AND I ALREADY TOOK IT TO THE DEALER 2 FOR BRAKE ISSUES. THERE IS A VERY A HARD BRAKE JUDDER ONCE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED WITH THE TRUCK GOING OVER 20 MILES PER HOUR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AT 1900 MILES AND THEY SAID IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL AND THEY WILL REPAIR IT WHEN I TAKE THE TRUCK IN FOR MAINTENANCE AT 3500 MILES. NOW I TOOK IT IN FOR MAINTENANCE WHEN THE PROBLEM IS WORSE AND THEY ARE SAYING THEY HAVE NO PARTS TO FIX THE TRUCK SINCE NISSAN HAS NOT SEND THEM. SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN EXCELLENT AND TRIED TO HELP WITH ALL MY QUESTIONS BUT IT DOESN OT LOOK LIKE IT IS UP TO THEM ANYMORE. THE TRUCK IS ALMOST IN THE UN-DRIVABLE CONDITION.

EVERYDAY DRIVING ON GOOD ROADS AND BAD ROADS AND WHILE HITTING BUMPS OR ANY IMPERFECTION IN THE ROAD STEERING WHEEL MOVES SIDE TO SIDE. NOT THE WHOLE COLUMN JUST THE STEERING WHEEL. ONE TIME, WHILE HOLDING STEERING WHEEL NEAR BOTTOM WHEEL JILTED TO RIGHT AND CAUGHT MY HAND IN OPENING OF WHEEL TO WHERE I COULD NOT GAIN CONTROL RIGHT AWAY. THIS STEERING WHEEL SHAKE HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY, WHERE VEHICLE DOES MOVE TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT DEPENDING ON WHICH WHEEL HITS THE BUMP OR HOLE IN THE ROAD. DEALER SAID THIS IS NORMAL IN THE STEERING. THE STEERING IS JUST VERY LOOSE AND SLOPPY, EVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WHERE IT IS SUPPOSE TO GET TIGHTER. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO DEALER ON 2/19/05 FOR THE PROBLEM, AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING, ONLY THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND REPLACED THOSE PARTS. THEY SAID THIS WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM. BUT MY PROBLEM IS WITH THE STEERING , AND A REPAIR OF BRAKING SYSTEM WILL NOT SOLVE THE STEERING PROBLEM, THAT WILL JUST SOLVE THE SHAKING PROBLEM WHEN I STEPPING ON THE BRAKE,S NOT WHILE I'M DRIVING ALONG ROADS. THERE IS 2,600 MILES ON THE VEHICLE ,AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE OR COMFORTABLE. IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE HAS A SHOCK OR STABILIZER PROBLEM. I HOPE THIS CAN BE LOOKED INTO SERIOUSLY BEFORE SOME ONE LOOSES CONTROL AND HAS A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH SERIOUS INJURY BEFORE THIS PROBLEM GETS RESOLVED. I AM WRITING THIS SO ALL 2005 ARMADA OWNERS WILL KNOW THERE ARE NOT ALONE OR NUTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IT DOES EXIST REGARDLESS WHAT THE DEALERS SAY. THANK YOU.*AK