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thinking about buying a armada

36K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  scr38 
#1 ·
looking to get out of my current vehicle, not too pressed about a brand new ride , i recently viewed a 2006 5.6l 4x4 off road armada with 110k miles.

thinking about buying it. interior is very nice engine seems pretty strong still as well. spacious.

so my questions are are these suvs pretty reliable? i currently own a mopar.. biggest hunk of junk ive ever had in my life. constantly replacing the front end.

are the nissan 5.6l engines durable? and to what mileage can expect a pretty decent reliability?

i know there are people who will say bad things about certain car groups but non the less every car company has its problems some more than others.

so let me know your opinions on this sweet ride.
 
#2 ·
reliable? I've been pounding mine pretty hard for years. 2005 with 180k
 
#3 ·
nice. i dont plan no doing any modding of mine.
maybe a aftermarket exhaust for some manly sounds idk. haha.

i have a charger now. piece of crap if you ask me.
pretty redicilous when you buy a car with 30k miles and within the timeframe of 30k miels to 80k miles the whole front end done twice drive shaft replaced rear end drop for cradle bushings and other trans and engine module replacements.

ive never owned a nissan but i rarely see them broke down on the side of the road.

are these engines heavy duty rated? or are they light duty rated?
 
#4 · (Edited)
In my experience with owning many types of vehicles, nissans have annoying problems but typically won't leave you stranded.

Overall the engine and transmission on the armada are very strong and reliable. Some common problems are the exhaust manifolds (~$2200), front shocks (Blisteins can be easily installed for ~$250), brakes ($350 to $3k+ if you go crazy), muffler / tailpipe rusts off ($350 for a catback or higher if you go nuts), front anti sway bar bushings ($20 and easy install), OEM tires suck (~$1200 for michelin LTX MS2s the best tires for our trucks), poor ac performance at idle (still haven't gotten a fix for that) and various annoying squeaks and rattles.

Some people have reported brake failures that a reflash of the computer seems to resolve.

I've got about 98k on mine and I still love the truck and have been happy with the reliability.

You also have to factor in gas as these are thirsty gals :). I'm not lite on the peddle and have larger rims / tires for summer and heavy Duratracs for winter. I average about 10 mpg in the winter and maybe 13 in the summer. My best ever is almost 15 mpg but that is rare.

The power and hauling capacity is great. A 4x8 sheet of plywood or sheetrock will fit in the back with about 8" hanging out the back. I've hauled thousands of pounds in the back and the truck didn't even flinch.
What's so great about this truck is how nimble it is despite its massive size.

Unfortunately the new models have gotten so expensive I am not sure if I will get a new one when the time comes. Hopefully mine will last another 100k.

Check the problems sub forum for some ideas on what goes wrong with the armada.

Good luck on what ever you decide and if you do get an armada I'm fairly certain you will love it.





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#5 ·
More Pros and Cons

I used to be a Nissan guy--it was my first vehicle, a 1992 Nissan Hardbody extended cab with a 2.4L and 5-speed. I drove that truck like crazy and never had a problem. By the time I got rid of it around 100k, it still had the original clutch. . .

We bought our 2005 Armada LE 4x4 w/NAV about a year ago. Previously, we had a 2004 Honda Pilot and most recently, a 2003 Chevy Suburban Z71 4x4. I traded out of the Pilot because we wanted to pull a larger camper. The Suburban never left my wife stranded (she's the primary driver. . .) but also never really inspired confidence that she was going to make it either. I spent money replacing brakes, rotors, shocks, one front drive axle, plugs, and light bulbs--I had to get rid of it when I realized the reason it never had much power was because of the head gasket leak it had always had since I owned it! That was the straw that broke that beast, otherwise it was a good truck functionally.

The Armada had about 125k miles on it, and the original owners we bought it from pretty much used everything they could without having to do any major repairs. So in the last year, we have replaced the tires, cracked OEM manifolds with JBA headers/catted B-pipes/UpRev, rear air shocks and rear suspension pump, one of the front AC duct actuators that clicks (or used to. . .) and just got done with replacing the OEM radiator/water pump/T-stat with an all-aluminum Stillen unit and other aftermarket parts for the rest. Also I replaced the front AC electric condenser fan--which is out again and the O-rings for the AC system going into the rear unit plus a recharge.

All told, I guess I've spent around $4800 on these repairs plus the $10,500 cash for the truck in the year I've owned it. So I've now spent about $15,000 on a truck who's maintenance is almost completely up to date and should last me a few years before having to do much with it. That's not bad.

Now, the flip side--this truck has more seating capacity (and passenger room in general) than the Suburban. With my JBA headers, it has more power and better fuel economy and it tows my camper like a monster with a great sounding exhaust note. Most importantly, my wife never feels like it's going to leave her stranded!

That's my story--I truly believe that the bottom line is you need to be realistic with maintenance items that will come with buying a used truck with 100k miles. If you can get a good price on a truck in good condition then you'll be set for at least a few years in case your situation changes.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
 
#6 ·
I do my own maintenance and looked to get into an SUV that met my needs.

Full size 4wd suv
with fold in floor back seat
most interior room
reliable track record

Only two at the time fit the bill...Ford Expedition and Nissan Armada. No brainer!

I bought mine used with 54K on the clock from CarMax. Its our family wagon and she does everything very well. After we had her for a while we started to upgrade a few things and to this day its one of the best vehicle's I have ever owned. It has its problems like any make but like it was stated it won't leave you stranded. My wife loves her ride and we plan to keep it for a long time.
 
#7 ·
If the vehicle has 110K on it, it should have a recent new timing belt, new universals in both drive shafts if you are 4wd. The axle bearing blocks need to be replaced no later than 100k, the cv shaft splines need to be coated in anti seize to prevent clunking. The battery clamps need to be upgraded to solid lead ones. The battery cables, which are all crimped and not soldered from Nissan need to be replaced by 80K with replacements being hand built (soldered). The aftermarket grounding kit needs to be installed, again, with soldered ends. And there are approximately 40 grounding points under the hood that need to be undone, cleaned and depainted, the eyelets need to all be soldered instead of just crimped, and you should have relatively new Bilstein shocks in the front (and rear if no auto level system). If you have an auto level system, all the slip together connections need to be checked to make sure they actually hold air for 8 hours. If you have electrical drivers seat... check the cheapo plastic lever switch assembly to make sure it's not broken and that it passes a full 12 volts to the seat motors. My '07 has 100k and only passes 7 volts to the motors. Then check the frame to body bushings. They shrink with age. On my car, only the very forward most and rear most bushings actually touch the frame and body, the rest have over 3/8" of slop (need to replace them soon). I tow and cover many miles and the engine is as good as new. Only things that go are the cheapo hose clamps all over. The cheapo battery cables. The heater valve, if you don't cycle it routinely. And replace the brake and power steering fluid once a year. When Nissan puts in the wheel bearings and cv shafts, they don't lubricate anything, so that's a follow up item. And at about 100K miles, the plastic self destruct clips that hold on the hood liner and bumper covers will start to fall off. Other than that, it's a good ride!
 
#9 ·
I find your list of "needs" pretty shocking. I do not think my 07 with nearly 100k is going to have all those failures. Several high mileage members claim no issues from the parts you describe.

Can you share some more about your experience that led you to label all those items as needing replacent? Perhaps some how to's on how to diagnose and replace these parts?


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#8 ·
Thanks for the advice. I'm looking at purchasing an 04 or 05 Armada with 100,000+ miles on it to replace my current vehicle, a Nissan Pathfinder. As decent as that vehicle has been, I can't afford to deal with the coolant leak and resulting transmission replacement. Unfortunately, I already found evidence of coolant getting into the transmission before I had it serviced. So instead of gambling on a possible time bomb, I'm looking at purchasing an armada. My greatest concerns are going to be the MPG going from the previous gen Pathfinder to the Armada. What should I expect realistically? (I'm not a terribly aggressive, and only tow the boat a few times a year). My other concern is future maintenance costs. I'd rather not find out I traded in one possible money pit for another. Any preventative maintenance I need to be looking for? I hope to hold onto into the 200,000 mile+ range. Thankfully, I don't have to drive to much (I put less than 10,000 miles on the Pathfinder), and most of the driving I do is highway. I appreciate any input you guys having since I'm new to this forum.
 
#10 ·
There is no timing belt on the Armada, it's a chain and does not need replacing.
I guess there is something wrong with my 04 Armada. At 135K miles I still have the original U-joints, axle bearings, CV joints and boots, battery cables and clamps, ground points have never had any service, no problem with the auto level, seat work fine, engine runs great, transmission perfect. I tow , but not excessive loads. No problem with bushings.
I have replaced the hose clamps on the transmission lines; originals will leak. I have also replaced the power steering pressure hose. I installed Bilstein shocks on the front for better handling/ride.
I am on my third battery, but that's not bad in 10+ years and that many miles.

The point is, we all have different experiences with our vehicles. I take care of mine, but I sure don't baby it. It is driven hard.

I have owned almost 50 vehicles in my 60+ years of driving, from Corvettes to VWs, and the Armada has probably been the best one of them all.
 
#11 ·
scr38,
ditto on all that.... mine is 04 2wd with 157k & counting. i have changed the oil myself since about 40k & ofcourse "the brake issue" that all have had, & then the r-p steering unit & that is about it....
i feel that this has been one of the best vehicles that i have owned in my 30yrs of driving....

DANG!! I AM OLD! :)
 
#12 ·
scr38,
ditto on all that.... mine is 04 2wd with 157k & counting. i have changed the oil myself since about 40k & ofcourse "the brake issue" that all have had, & then the r-p steering unit & that is about it....
i feel that this has been one of the best vehicles that i have owned in my 30yrs of driving....

DANG!! I AM OLD! :)
You aren't old!
I got my drivers license in 1952!
 
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