[vindicator]

I would love to buy an 06 armada. Like the appearance, size, power, options, interior, but when i see the list of problems posted from little to big, and the hassle with dealers fixing the problems quickly the first time, I am reluctent to buy one.
Have a lincoln, corvette and toyota now with no problems. Dealers have always given these cars superb service.
It just seems to me that although the Armada is really cool, that the truck and Nissan have developed a bad reputation based on what i have read on this forum.
Would appreciate your comments. thank you

 

[scr38]

You have to realize that only a very small percentage of Armada owners post here. And usually no one posts unless there is a problem, so that's all you hear about. Its like going to your local hospital and seeing no one there except sick people, and the people "fixing" them. You don't assume that everyone in your community must be sick because all you see at the hospital are sick people.
Go to the forums for any make of car, truck, camera, or anything else and you will find lots of people with problems. That doesn't mean that all people with that product are having problems.
I have over 26,000 miles on my Armada, and haven't had any significant problem. I have has a couple of the TSBs done, with no trouble with my dealer at all. There is no other vehicle that could do as well for my requirments as my Armada. I plan on driving it for a long time.
If you haven't done so, take a Armada for an extended test drive. If it does what you want, then go for it!

 

[shirleyujest]

I am used to driving a vehicle with a better fit and finish as well as dealer response, then what I have experienced with my '05 LE.

However, I expect that the more mature the Armada gets, the better it will become.

When my lease is up in three years, I will probably look at another one to see how Nissan has progressed.

 

[Mike Up]

I did but I'll never buy another full size vehicle from Nissan again. After my troubles with the Titan, Nissan should be kissing my feet that I bought a Pathfinder. Next full size vehicle will be a Ford.

Don't know how the '06 Armadas and Titans are, but the Pathfinder has been excellent with only 2 problems, a sticky 2nd row, bottom seat, cushion spring catch, and a dimpled hatch seal from the lock mechanism (saw this dimpled seal on a few others on the lot also). I have 5000 miles and had the troubled Titan in for several problems at this mileage.

Currently having oil changed, tires rotated, skid plates installed, lower seat spring catch replaced, and a scratched coin cover replaced. Can't say how much I really like this vehicle, perhaps even more than my 2000 SE 4X4 Xterra.

It's a shame that Nissan's neglect with customer service and quality in the full size models have turned some away from Nissan forever since their midsize and compact offerings are excellent in every way. That's why I decided to go with the Pathfinder. Excellent owner reviews everywhere, just as powerful as Titan (when power/weight ratio factored in) and quiet interior and reliability (so far, knock on wood. )

I was quite amazed by the very large amount of negative reviews at nissanhelp on the full size models considering how well they're liked here, at Titantalk, and the Titan Spot.

Just remember, Nissan does make other vehicles that aren't buggy. :thumbup:

Have a good one.

 

[SE Off Road1]

Armada

Mike Up wrote: “Excellent owner reviews everywhere, just as powerful as Titan (when power/weight ratio factored in) "

Yeah, an ant is more powerful than any human when you factor power to weight Relax, Bro...your PFinder has nowhere near the power of a Titan or Armada. The problems you had are not the norm, and IMO Nissans offering in the full-size arena blows the competition away. You want to talk about fit and finish??? Go check out your latest GM offerings.

You bought a nice truck with the PFinder. I had an 88, 92, 96, and a 99.5. All excellent trucks. None are the best tow vehicles, little soft in the rear end, and with a V6 they are underpowered with not enough torque. The latest PFinders do not come close to the Armada in the towing game. Enjoy your P. I expect my Armada to be every bit as reliable as any other Nissan I have owned.

 

[Cillyone]

Look past the little stuff

No one, and I mean no one has a better V8 or V6 & transmission on the market now, Toyota included. The drive line alone for me is worth the price of admission. Look at the American alternatives, there is no choice, at least Nissan has virtually zero issues with the drive line and that is what gets you there and gets you home, with power to spare that Toyota can't deliver. I will take rattles and squeaks over piston slap and transmission failures any day.

 

[Mike Up]

Relax, Bro...your PFinder has nowhere near the power of a Titan or Armada.

I had the Titan and the Pathy does have the power. The 270 Hp and 291 lbs-ft torque are better or equal to many of the competition's smaller displacement V8s. Power to weight ratio is the way performance is played, HP and Torque mean nothing without a weight they're pushing.

The problems you had are not the norm, and IMO Nissans offering in the full-size arena blows the competition away.

I'll agree to disagree. My problems were echoed by several on Titantalk. Many had the same issues I did as they were TSBs.

You want to talk about fit and finish??? Go check out your latest GM offerings.

I have no disagreement there as I'll never own another POS GM product.

You bought a nice truck with the PFinder. I had an 88, 92, 96, and a 99.5. All excellent trucks. None are the best tow vehicles, little soft in the rear end, and with a V6 they are underpowered with not enough torque.

That was yesterday and the new PFs have as much torque as the competitions small displacement V8s. My Pathfinder has less rear suspension compression when towing my camper than my Titan did. However the Titan's suspension must have been softer for ride quality as it was the best ride in a full size I've experienced and the rear suspension sat 2.5" higher to compensate.

The latest PFinders do not come close to the Armada in the towing game.

The Armada w/o tow package is rated for 6500 lbs/ 650 tongue weight but I'm guessing that's because of the softer rear suspension. The Big Tow air bags compensate. The Pathfinder's is 6000 lbs/ 600 lbs tongue weight. Even the Titan big tow package used a different rear leaf spring. Most likely stiffer.

Enjoy your P. I expect my Armada to be every bit as reliable as any other Nissan I have owned.

Hoping your reliability continues as I wouldn't wish the problems I had with the Titan on any owner.

The Armada and Pathfinder are good trucks. So far the Armada isn't having the drivetrain problems of the Titan. Besides my rear end going out as others have, my dealer also found I had a transmission oil leak that they repaired after I traded it in. So the trans may have been the next thing to go out.

On a side note, the Armada does have a higher payload than the Titan. Add a cap on the Titan, and it's payload was less than my Pathfinders.

As of right now, I'm playing it safe and not going to go the Nissan Full Size path anymore until they have proven to build them better in all areas.

Have a good one.

 

[Cillyone]

The Armada w/o tow package is rated for 6500 lbs/ 650 tongue weight but I'm guessing that's because of the softer rear suspension. The Big Tow air bags compensate. The Pathfinder's is 6000 lbs/ 600 lbs tongue weight. Even the Titan big tow package used a different rear leaf spring. Most likely stiffer.
QUOTE]

The Armada tow package consist of a lot more than suspension air bags.

- Underbody receiver hitch
- Lower final gear ratio
- 7-pin wiring harness
- Trailer brake pre-wiring
- Transmission temperature gauge
- Heavy-duty battery
- Auto-leveling rear suspension
This package is standard on SE Off-road and LE.

And you might want to go to lemons.com and do some research before you buy your next full size Ford, you might find out Nissans are not so bad after all. Have you heard about Fords spark plug ejection problem? Do a web search and the problem is across their entire V8 and V10 line-up (modular engine series). They only have 5 threads holding the plugs in the aluminum heads and they have been blowing out. Ford recommends that the plugs be re-torqued every 12 month with a torque wrench to help avoid the problem if it is not too late. AND Ford is not fixing them, consumers are shelling out $1200 to 2k each to get the head(s) replaced.

BTW, I think you have the exact same transmission in your Pathfinder that is in the Titan/Armada/QX56.

 

[jcvader99]

I've only had my 06 Armada for a month now, so I can't really speak for any long-term issues, but I will suggest that you try your best to overlook the issues with many of the 04 models.

Almost every new model of vehicle is going to have first year, and even second year growing pains. The obvious issue with the Nissan full-size vehicles was the brake problem. All the other issues like rattling, knocking, pinging, etc can be expected sooner or later in almost any car or truck.

I have been reading posts on here since day one of owning my 'Mada, and watching the TSB's as well. So far, I haven't been able to find any of the known issues (and I tend to look very hard for even simple things).

So far, this is my favorite vehicle I've ever owned. I spent alot of time with my last vehicle in the shop, and based on that experience, I purchased the Nissan Extended service plan, but that was more for my own peace of mind, than any known issues that I had seen.

Unless something really outragious happens with this one, I am 99.9% sure that I will be trading it in for a new model when I reach my 100k mile extended warranty limit.

 

[Mike Up]

I've only had my 06 Armada for a month now, so I can't really speak for any long-term issues, but I will suggest that you try your best to overlook the issues with many of the 04 models.

Almost every new model of vehicle is going to have first year, and even second year growing pains. The obvious issue with the Nissan full-size vehicles was the brake problem. All the other issues like rattling, knocking, pinging, etc can be expected sooner or later in almost any car or truck.

I have been reading posts on here since day one of owning my 'Mada, and watching the TSB's as well. So far, I haven't been able to find any of the known issues (and I tend to look very hard for even simple things).

So far, this is my favorite vehicle I've ever owned. I spent alot of time with my last vehicle in the shop, and based on that experience, I purchased the Nissan Extended service plan, but that was more for my own peace of mind, than any known issues that I had seen.

Unless something really outragious happens with this one, I am 99.9% sure that I will be trading it in for a new model when I reach my 100k mile extended warranty limit.

If nothing happens to it and it's been reliable for that 100K miles, I'd keep it. I'm still upset that I traded my 2000 Xterra in at 60K miles. Looking back, I should had just kept it as it was very solid even up to it's 60K miles. I'm hoping that the Pathfinder will do as good.

Have a good one.

 

[inqui-Z-tor]

MY '05 Armada represents my 2nd Nissan purchase. I purchased an 84 Z31 Turbo ... thats over 20 years ago .. and NEVER had any problems. TSB's, recalls .. all handled w/o major issues.

Same, so far for the Armada .. except for TSBs .. no problems.

Now dealershp service issues haven't changed in the 20 years between Datsun/Nissan products. Dealerships can't (won't) give you the exact service as your private mechanic/garage ...

But then I've also owned a Honda (very good vehicle .. reliable .. and lasted until my son got in an accident) .. and I own 2 toyota(s) .. an old corolla that is like a rock .. all beat up .. but is probably my most dependable car!

 

[jcvader99]

Mike_up,

In the past, I would completely agree with you. I have always owned used cars and have kept them all well past 100k miles.

Unfortunately, I have been burned heavily lately on trying to keep an older car on the road. My 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee (that I traded in on the Armada) had 190k miles on it. It had been perfectly fine up to about 120k miles... but since then I have spent over $4000 on it, just trying to keep it on the road. (Transmission, seals, sensors, gaskets, etc...) The only reason I spent that much, was to keep it another year or three to avoid a new car payment. The Jeep recently developed an issue where it would just stall at random times. I spent almost $1000 fixing "things" trying to resolve the stalling issue. None of them worked, and I wasn't going to spend another $1000 hoping to figure it out. I can tell you that the hardest check I've ever written was paying my mechanic that last $300 AFTER I had traded the Jeep in on the Armada. That really sucked.

Anyhow, I am looking forward to not spending 3 out of every 5 days at the mechanic for a while. I will absolutely be doing my regular maintenance on the Armada, but at least those can be done by appointment, and on my schedule.

 

[CDNArMaDa]

Absolutely

I have three vehicles right now two dying chryser products (A Dodge dakota with 330 000 km and a LHS New Yorker with 230 000km ) Bought the 'Mada as a good reliable vehicle for the wife and son. Got a great deal by a dealer very interested in selling a used two model year old vehicle. ( I didn't realize that you could make a deal and get financing so fast, IF i had asked I could have driven away with the vehicle within 2 hours of the handshake)

I cannot see buying new, but I would by a two year old 06 in 08, perhaps a q ship, except for a few the TSBs ( all taken care of by a local Nissan dealer) there are no complaints (except the lack of winter tire availability)

 

[ggeorgie]

buy and no regret

 

[gabe2]

I have a 05 Armada LE 4x4 and love it. Yes, it does have some growing pains and yes It needed new brakes, but they were taken care of around the first oil change and alignment check. Other than that, nothing elase. I have been so happy with the vehicle, that I purchased another one in the second half of 2005. Happy! You're darn right! I couldn't ask for any better vehicle! Nissan has taken care of me pretty well.

 

[Tmation]

I agree with scr38, plus I think it is all down to the local dealer and how he treats you if you do have any problems

Some people on here slag off GM and Ford products, remember they sell millions of vehicles so bound to have some problems. I had a GMC yukon for nearly 5 years (and 80k) before my Armada with only two very minor problems that didn't effect safety or take the car off the road and the dealer fixed them straight away. I also know at least 20 Yukon owners and none have had any problems, also lots of Ford Expiditions owners with no problems either.

Like scr says, people come on here with problems so it looks worse than it is. Also some people take these problems in their stride (helped by a good dealer) others get very upset. If you like the Armada check out the local dealers to make sure they are upto speed with the TSBs etc.

Good luck in your choice.

 

[92TripleBlack]

I would love to buy an 06 armada. Like the appearance, size, power, options, interior, but when i see the list of problems posted from little to big, and the hassle with dealers fixing the problems quickly the first time, I am reluctent to buy one.
Have a lincoln, corvette and toyota now with no problems. Dealers have always given these cars superb service.
It just seems to me that although the Armada is really cool, that the truck and Nissan have developed a bad reputation based on what i have read on this forum.
Would appreciate your comments. thank you

Lincoln problems: Rear grind is the largest, but they are plagued next to the Armada. Depends on what year vette you have. On mine for example, the optimax is the weak link. Get it wet, you die on the side of the road with a $500 repair bill. Toyota Sequoia had the same brake issues the '04 Armadas had. Nissan fixed the problem in less than 2 years. Toyota took more than 4 and didn't honor the warranty. My Infiniti/Nissan G35 has had zero problems and my Nissan dealer has fixed anything I brought him on the first try.

As for a bad rep, you have the exact backwards opinion. I think its probably the most reliable if not THE most reliable full size SUV. If you go on any forum for any vehicle, you will find the same gripes and problems. On a forum like this they just get much more press. One guy in 5000 has a problem and suddenly its "common". The Armada is definitely far more reliable than the GM versions, Dodge Durango, or Fords. The TOYota is still a 3/4s vehicle with its own share of problems. Nissan fixed most of their problems by '05 and now they are pretty problem free for '06. I doubt you'd see the repair shop ever in an '06.

 

[vindicator]

thank you for your posts

You all really put your Armada experiences in perspective for me.
I am heading out today to test drive an Armada. Already picked out the color and model etc. With your encouragement I will probably buy. Will let you know. Vindicator

 

[BigMike]

Hey guys 1st post. I have an 04 SE 4x4 with the tow pkg. I would with out a second thought buy another armada and am looking right now at a titan and giving the new with the mada. The only thing stopping me is I cant get my color anymore, i have the dark orange that was from what they tell me an 04 color only. My brother has a 05 caddy and hates it with a passion, the fit and finish is very bad, everything just feels cheap. I have a friend with a durango "hemi" and is so upset he spent 40 large on a truck that gets driven by the dealer more him. I pull a trailer alteast days a week, I have my own demo business and I would not trade my mada for anything. I have only had it in for one thing and it was the recall on the trailer harness. I have never seen another in my color and get so many looks, and then they hear it and find out what it will do at big red.

 

[ggeorgie]

Hey guys 1st post. I have an 04 SE 4x4 with the tow pkg. I would with out a second thought buy another armada and am looking right now at a titan and giving the new with the mada. The only thing stopping me is I cant get my color anymore, i have the dark orange that was from what they tell me an 04 color only. My brother has a 05 caddy and hates it with a passion, the fit and finish is very bad, everything just feels cheap. I have a friend with a durango "hemi" and is so upset he spent 40 large on a truck that gets driven by the dealer more him. I pull a trailer alteast days a week, I have my own demo business and I would not trade my mada for anything. I have only had it in for one thing and it was the recall on the trailer harness. I have never seen another in my color and get so many looks, and then they hear it and find out what it will do at big red.

welcome, BigMike, few questions , did you have to have your brake fixed? and what are the modification you had on your rig? post some pics of your rig