[Cristinejoy]

My husband - after reading with me thinks ours isn't brakes but we have a problem! I wanted the rig! Loved the body style! And the interior is so terrifically roomy for our large family.

So we bought a 05 Armada in Jan. and the 2nd day I told my husband we needed to take it back for a front end alignment because it was pulling so hard to the right. Took it back the 2nd wk. of ownership and they kept it over night (after they gave me a filthy old car to drive) saying it was low on air in the tire by 2 lbs. Yeah right! So another couple months and my husband says - we need to take this back in- as he kept getting pulled to the right. ( Remember - this is my rig and I drive it the most!) So that time he left it - had them bring him back out to work - and it was there a day - and the diagnosis - they drove it and couldn't make it do what we described. This third time - he drove it w/ a technician - both took turns driving it and it started to do the pull but didn't do what it does for us when the techy isn't in the car - so he brought it back home. Later that afternoon the service manager called saying we could pick up our rig - that it was done and that all Armadas pull that way and that it's just the way it is - esp. on road crowns! My husband then told him - they didn't have our rig and that there is a problem and w/ him owning many new cars and currently a 05 Dodge Ram -driving the same roads I do - that this wasn't a problem to keep and they'd need to do something about it. As it stands this week - the owner of our dealership is gone fishing but will be back Thurs. and is going to take it himself and see what the pull is like by driving it until it does it. (I just hope I get his demo in exchange and not a pile for the pmts. we make ea. month!!)

Then dirty brake dust on the wheels is hideous and scrubbing w/ Comet only makes it look nice for a couple days.

It's terribly frustrating! We could travel to another dealership - quite a pain - 40 mins. away and see if they'd be better if this owner doesn't try to make it right. Paying $42,000 for a loaded new vehicle (it now has 4000 miles) makes me want to do the Lemon Law after reading many of your posts. I know this is an "I love my Armada" site - but between my husband procrastinating on getting this fixed, reading the posts on here and other sites about the brakes,etc., - I think I'll never be excited about it! So any helpful hints to deal w/ the pull to the right? (it's done it do the left too but not as severe or continual.)

 

[armoody]

Comet, ouch, your scratching the finish on your wheels. Once you have the updated brakes installed the dust is noted to diminish greatly, or you can upgrade to some aftermarket pads. Don't know what to say about pulling. Is it doing it when you apply the brakes? or just driving?

 

[Copernic]

Brake dust

My husband - after reading with me thinks ours isn't brakes but we have a problem! I wanted the rig! Loved the body style! And the interior is so terrifically roomy for our large family.

So we bought a 05 Armada in Jan. and the 2nd day I told my husband we needed to take it back for a front end alignment because it was pulling so hard to the right. Took it back the 2nd wk. of ownership and they kept it over night (after they gave me a filthy old car to drive) saying it was low on air in the tire by 2 lbs. Yeah right! So another couple months and my husband says - we need to take this back in- as he kept getting pulled to the right. ( Remember - this is my rig and I drive it the most!) So that time he left it - had them bring him back out to work - and it was there a day - and the diagnosis - they drove it and couldn't make it do what we described. This third time - he drove it w/ a technician - both took turns driving it and it started to do the pull but didn't do what it does for us when the techy isn't in the car - so he brought it back home. Later that afternoon the service manager called saying we could pick up our rig - that it was done and that all Armadas pull that way and that it's just the way it is - esp. on road crowns! My husband then told him - they didn't have our rig and that there is a problem and w/ him owning many new cars and currently a 05 Dodge Ram -driving the same roads I do - that this wasn't a problem to keep and they'd need to do something about it. As it stands this week - the owner of our dealership is gone fishing but will be back Thurs. and is going to take it himself and see what the pull is like by driving it until it does it. (I just hope I get his demo in exchange and not a pile for the pmts. we make ea. month!!)

Then dirty brake dust on the wheels is hideous and scrubbing w/ Comet only makes it look nice for a couple days.

It's terribly frustrating! We could travel to another dealership - quite a pain - 40 mins. away and see if they'd be better if this owner doesn't try to make it right. Paying $42,000 for a loaded new vehicle (it now has 4000 miles) makes me want to do the Lemon Law after reading many of your posts. I know this is an "I love my Armada" site - but between my husband procrastinating on getting this fixed, reading the posts on here and other sites about the brakes,etc., - I think I'll never be excited about it! So any helpful hints to deal w/ the pull to the right? (it's done it do the left too but not as severe or continual.)

We are all complaining about brake dust. However, when you are driving on the road notice the Mercedes Benz suvs and the BMW suvs, their brake dust is a nightmare. I have seen many of those vehicles that Comet would not be able to clean their rims. You would probably need a metal brush to take that stuff off. :machinegu

 

[Cristinejoy]

Updated brakes - WHY?

Well this is what I don't get!?! We've had 3 new Hondas and didn't take them in EVER to get anything but routine maintenance. And now if the 04 Armada had a problem - why does the 05 and shouldn't they have resolved it before putting them out?

It pulls to the right when braking but can also start to do it as you begin to come to a slow down (at stop light, etc.)

I can't believe the dealership is acting like we're making something up when there are so many posts on here that have similar problems. So we'll see what they do and proceed. I'd like the phone # that someone called to get the dealership to do their brakes.

 

[Heat03]

There is no questions, my 05 definetly pulls to the right.
At my last service visit, and I only have about 4000 miles.. I asked them to check the alignment. They said they hooked it up to the machine and that it showed the alignment was perfect. They also told me something about the road being crowned... Thats BS... My wife's car drvies on the same roads and my old infiniti fx drove the same road, neither one pulled to the right. And yes it is bad enough to be a pain in the a$$... Not to mention, is it going to wear the hec out of the tires on one side now??

Why don't they acknowledge these problems and fix them...
I'm glad someone else has the alignment problem.

I think when I go back for the first oil change, I'm going to demand that they fix the alignment and see what happens..

I don't know what else to do... I got the same, "can't duplicate" answer.. and that is not acceptable. lol

 

[Heat03]

BTW Christine,

I called the 800 # in the front of the manual beacuase I did have the brake problem at 2600 miles... they have responded and NIssan USA tells me they have already contacted my dealer and put me on a list to receive the new rotors..

I too wonder, if they knew about the problem in the 04's, why does my 05 have the brake problem.

There is no point in getting upset, think of it as free brake jobs until the new parts are in... And yes, they did put me in a hyndai (sp) to drive while they were thinking of how to tell me the truck doesn't pull to the right !

 

[weezr17]

HA...Mine pulls to the LEFT! AAAAND I noticed that when I go over BUMPS that the Mada jumps...like skids. Can't explain it too well.....but it jumps to the side. No what I mean? Is this common in SUVs because my Aunt has a Durango and hers does the same thing going over a bump or pot hole. My husbands Jeep Wrngler did it as well! MMMM

 

[dearmada]

I know what you mean about hitting pot holes... the Armada does not handle them as well as I would like. Seems to really take them hard.

 

[ARMADAinSMOKE]

Could the pulling be cause by the tires? I took it to the dealer for the same reason along with my brakes and I got the road force balance blah blah blah..... The rotated my tires after the rebalanced them. It reduced the pulling and shuddering of the wheel, but it will still pull also depending on the road. I finally received the supposed "permanent" brake fix, the rig still pulls to the right or left sometimes. I am just waiting for the tires to finally wear down so I can buy new tires.

 

[rp718]

If it's pulling only under braking, it's not the alignment - it's the rotors.
Take a tech for a ride, and hit the brakes without holding the steering wheel. If the steering wheel turns by itself, there's the proof he can't argue with. Crowned road is a bunch of BS, and I'd tell the service advisor that to his face.
By the way, the brake dust on my Armada is nothing compared to my Benz.
But please don't use Comet, or anything abrasive to clean it when it will come off with normal carwash soap.

 

[Cristinejoy]

Pulls to right - that's the problem - not Comet!

I understand about my mentioning of the Comet! Sorry I did! I can live w/ the brake dust!

The real problem is that I can't imagine these problems w/ a NEW vehicle - the majority of the people on this board - so I'm assuming many who have Armadas are having brake, rotor, pulling, balancing problems. It's just unacceptable for spending that much on a new car. The dealership owner is still fishing - so we wait for his call to take my car himself - but it sure sounds/reads like from others that I'd prefer to go w/ the Lemon Law and not have my pretty & roomy Armada.

 

[Heat03]

Wow Christine,
YOu sound pretty pissed... I do understand as I have had many problems too.. and I do complain a lot...

but !

I still love the Mada and would never want to "Lemon Law" it... unless things got real bad or weren't fixed time after time... so far, Nissan knows about most of these problems and will fix them free of charge.. so it's not really the end of the world

 

[markandjenn]

I too have complained that my Armada pulls to the right since the first week I bought it in March. It doesn't pull much, but if take your hands off the wheel, it will pull slightly in a few seconds. My dealer looked at it twice and said that it is because of "road crown" and the "torque of the engine" and all vehicles pull to the right a little.

On the brake issue, I noticed that my steering wheel shutters slightly back and forth when I apply the brakes. The truck does not pull in either direction on braking, though. I was assuming that this was normal and due to the anti-lock brakes opening and closing quickly. Is this what everyone is complaining about as "the brake problem" and that I should bring it to the dealer for new brakes?

 

[andy]

I too have complained that my Armada pulls to the right since the first week I bought it in March. It doesn't pull much, but if take your hands off the wheel, it will pull slightly in a few seconds. My dealer looked at it twice and said that it is because of "road crown" and the "torque of the engine" and all vehicles pull to the right a little.

On the brake issue, I noticed that my steering wheel shutters slightly back and forth when I apply the brakes. The truck does not pull in either direction on braking, though. I was assuming that this was normal and due to the anti-lock brakes opening and closing quickly. Is this what everyone is complaining about as "the brake problem" and that I should bring it to the dealer for new brakes?

You definetely need the brake fix. The antilock brakes rarely kick in, only if one of your wheels are slipping while braking. When you are braking, there should be no steering wheel movement.

 

[armoody]

I too have complained that my Armada pulls to the right since the first week I bought it in March. It doesn't pull much, but if take your hands off the wheel, it will pull slightly in a few seconds. My dealer looked at it twice and said that it is because of "road crown" and the "torque of the engine" and all vehicles pull to the right a little.

On the brake issue, I noticed that my steering wheel shutters slightly back and forth when I apply the brakes. The truck does not pull in either direction on braking, though. I was assuming that this was normal and due to the anti-lock brakes opening and closing quickly. Is this what everyone is complaining about as "the brake problem" and that I should bring it to the dealer for new brakes?

Just wait, it will become obvious beyond a doubt things aint normal..

 

[FL_Crushin]

No pulling here

Mine doesn't pull to the left or to the right. Has about 2800 miles on it. However, I believe I am starting to get a slight shimmy in the wheel when I brake. Here we go. I try not to ride the brakes hard, so maybe it will take a while to materialize. Pulling under braking should be an obvious problem to the dealer. Maybe it is the complicated VDC system applying brakes when it shouldn't, who knows. Pot hole judder is normal with "trucks". The suspension is a little rougher than your minivan or car and doesn't tend to absorb or react as quickly to bumps therefore it skips either left or right.