Problems with 2004 Nissan Armada SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan armada. on eight separate occasions, while driving approximately 60 mph, the emergency brake light illuminated. the vehicle then began making a loud noise and vibrated. the failure makes it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. the brake pedal must be depressed to the floor; however, the vehicle still does not come to an immediate complete stop. the dealer stated that they could not duplicate the failure. the brake pads have been changed three times in two and a half years. the current mileage was 34,512 and failure mileage was 33,000.

Extreme brake judder causing severe loss of stopping effectiveness: 1) while driving with my wife and children in our 2004 nissan armada extreme brake judder occurred during normal application of the brakes. 2) this is the second time brake judder has occurred with our 2004 nissan armada and both times the effect has been severely reduced stopping capability. 3) if scenario occurred during a routine traffic stop it's evident that the 2004 nissan armada would of easily entered the intersection potentially causing an accident. thank you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan armada. the contact stated that the brake light illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle then lost power and the brake pedal went completely down to the floor. the failure occurred twice while driving 30 mph. he stated that it feels as if the abs is engaging and the vehicle has approximately 20% of its braking power. the contact has an appointment to have the vehicle inspected. the current mileage is 38,000 and failure mileage was 37,000. the consumer stated nissan has tsb for this issue in turn the charge was $85 to reprogram the vsb control. updated 08/23/07 *tr

I have a 2004 nissan armada and was traveling at low speed when the brakes failed. the vehicle rolled out into the intersection before stopping. just prior to stopping it felt like the abs was trying to engage, but the pavement was not slippery. i drove slowly and tried the brakes a few more times and every time it felt like the abs was kicking in, but the braking was severly diminished. i drove the vehicle slowly)about 1 mile to a dealership. turned the vehicle off, and when we turned it back on again , the problem was gone. the tech nician did a code scan and found that the abs needed to be reprogrammed, which was being done now. i dod a search on the internet and this seemed prevelant in the 2004 armadas and titans. my concern that the complaints i have read showed that this continuedc to recur even after the reprogramming. if this happened unexpectedly at high speed and a panic stop the results will be catastrophic. this should be investigated. thanks. *ak

We have experienced problems with the abs system on our 2004 nissan armada since early 2006. periodically while driving the brake light will illuminate, when brakes are applied the abs system activates and the brakes are very spongy. when released it sounds as though a big spring is released. each time (approx 8 previously) we've driven very slow to a safe location, turned the vehicle off and back which resets the system. the occurrence happens at various speeds from 25-70 mph. on one occasion i was able to take the vehicle to the dealership during malfunction. although observed, the weekend technician failed to properly relay the situation to the regular technician resulting in no action taken. each time we were assured if normal brakes failed, would still have brakes with abs. the system also malfunctions on initial start up, when turned off and restarted the system is reset. most recent occurrence was 5/11/2007, i contacted my current dealership and scheduled an appointment. on 5/14/2007, they found the dtc c1179 delta sensor out of program, it was reprogrammed under ntb06-040 program. malfunction occurred again during initial startup of vehicle on 5/19/2007, taking vehicle back for service. *tr

Repeated brake issues; abs computer shutdown; brake judders. this has been ongoing since buying the vehicle in 2004. vehicle has had at least 5 different brake kits installed and the abs computer has malfunctioned twice in the past 6 months. *tr

2004 nissan pathfinder armada. purchased at 11488 miles on 11/5/05. experienced very slight vibration when braking at high speed on way home. also experienced periodic "groan or thump" when gently braking, mostly while turning. vibration continued to increase until steering became unmanageable while braking. difficult to be without a car so we couldn't take the car in until 1/10/07 at 22030 miles. our mechanic said they were the worst warped rotors he had ever seen and had them turned. he also replaced 50% nissan pads with carquest ceramic pads. two days later, the vibration was back and dramatically increased over 1000 mile road trip until we took car to dealer on 3/2/07 at 24,140 miles. steering now completely unmanageable! dealer wouldn't honor warranty because we had carquest pads on car. also told us that warranty work had been done on rotors at about 7000 miles under original owner. dealer turned rotors and installed nissan pads and informed us that we were now back under warranty until 36000 miles or 8/07. don't feel safe on road, especially after reading posts of complete brake failure, yet need a car to drive on trips. please issue recall. *jb

Brakes pulsate and steering wheel shakes while applying brake and tires are cupping at5919 miles. dealer said tires needed to be balanced. then at 13539 miles still the same thing dealer turned rotors pad kit,bolt,boot kit. then at 21985 miles same complaint dealer replaced front rotors,pad kit,slide shims, and turned rear rotors. then at 26897 miles the dealer aligned all four tires and said i should replace them because of the cupping. i could not find all of my repair invoices for all the time that i took it in for the same problem all for the tires cupping and the brakes shuddering .i now have it in the shop again for the brake pedal going to the floor and the steering wheel shaking was told can not find problem will have to hold the car another day. today is 9-21-06. *nm

I purchased a 2004 nissan armada on 12-28-04. since that time the vehicle has been in for service on several occasions. the largest problem being the bad vibration and shake of the vehicle when braking. nissan has replaced the pads and rotors, which has not corrected the problem. on september 7, 2006 i was at nissan again, and was told that nissan would no longer make these required repaired repairs. i was also told by a mechanic that the real problem is that the brakes and rotors put on the 2004 armada are too small for the weight of the vehicle, and that is why the problem exists. nissan must correct this problem before someone is injured or killed as a result this serious mechanical problem. the next issue is with the rear sonar system. the problem is that when it rains the rear sonar goes off when the vehicle is placed in reverse. i have taken this to nissan for repair or replacement on several occasions. the replaced the system once, and the problem has recurred. i was told by the nissan service manager that nissan is working to find out what the problem is with the system. however, i have not seen a service bulletin or recall for this problem. the last problem is that since june 17, 2006 nissan has replaced four (4) radios in my vehicle. i was told that nissan uses radios manufactured by clarion in my vehicle, and that there have been problems with the radios. if this is so nissan should go to a more reliable company. on september 8, 2006 i made a call to nissan customer service. i was assigned file # 5460708, and told a company representative would get in touch with me. since nissan is unable or unwilling to correct these important problems, especially with the brakes, i am request the assistance of your agency in this matter. *nm

On eight different my 2004 nissan aramada had complete brake failure. executive jeep nissan did nothing to fix problem. vehicle very unsafe. been off the road for 3 months. driving down the road went to stop vehicle and brake went to the floor and no stopping power. nothing has been done to fix problem. after looking into this issue many people with 04 armada having same problem.. nissan refuses to fix problem! very dangerous. *nm

I went to apply brakes to stop at a light. the brakes failed to operate, forced to drive off road. myself as well as many others had experienced the same problem. nothing was done to fix!! *jb

2004 nissan armada brakes failed twice. *kb *jb

I took my nissan armada 2004 le to my mechanic and he said the brake rotor were warped. i bought it at 16,500 and it now has 18,500 miles. it has pulsated ever since i purchased it. my mechanic said it was odd that the rotors would warp so soon. he told me to check with nissan before he replaced them, since many of the armadas and titans have had brake problems. i went to the dealer and they charged me 95.00 dollars to diagnose and said the brake rotors were warped. the dealer bay ridge nissan 532 65th st in brooklyn new york 11220 told me it was not covered under warrant. they knew of the defect, but said at 18,000 miles it was due to wear and tear. my mechanic said that is odd. *nm

I purchased my vehicle (2004 nissan armada) with 4,836 miles...at 19,673 miles while driving i noticed my brake & abs light come on so i went to pull over..as i slowed i pushed my brake and it made a loud springing and grinding noise and the brakes lost at least 80% of its power "it felt very soft"..turned the vehicle off and then back on again and everything seemed normal, drove about 3 miles to the dealer and left the vehicle there. they changed the rotors, pads, torque member all were no good!!! now again at 23,800 miles the brakes have failed again happening in the same order that it did the first time. the dealer told me yesterday that they think it is electrical.....? so i asked them did you physically check the brakes? they said no....so my husband advised them to check it!!! a day later i am still waiting to hear what is going on? i had researched it over the internet and noticed that i along with hundreds of other people are having the same problem...why no recall!!! having bad breaks can be very very life threatening, i no longer feel comfortable trying my vehicle especially with children ranging in age from 14 month to 7 yrs. old. please help me!!! i want to just get rid of this vehicle, but do not want to just hand over the problem so another innocent person!!!*jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 35 mph and attempting to stop, the adjustable brake pedal fractured and toggled from side to side. as a result, the pedal could not be depressed in time to stop the vehicle causing a crash. a previous complaint was filed on the brake rotors and pads, odi # 10134217. the dealer was alerted.

One day last summer, the brakes on my armada failed to work properly. the brake pedal felt like it depressed more than normal and the car did not feel like it was going to stop. when the brake pedal was depressed firmly the car would come to an immediate stop. loud noises coming from near the front of the car could be heard. i drove very carefully across town to horizon nissan notifying the service writer that i would be there shortly. i pulled in. turned the car off. a service advisor came with me for a test drive . the car did not have the problem. i was informed that perhaps a rock got stuck in my brakes and fell out after i turned the car off. two more times, the brakes failed to operate in a safe manner. i pulled off the road. turned the car off. turned the car on and the brakes worked normal. once again, today, the brakes failed to work properly. while waiting at the intersection at a red light, i thought i could reset the brakes to work. turned the car off, on, and the brake light stayed on and the brakes did not work. i arrived at my destination and tested the brakes again. turned the car off - on. brake light went off, but came on after about 10 seconds. i then had the car towed to the dealership as i am very weary of driving the car anywhere not knowing when the brakes are going to act up. *nm

We purchased a 2004 nissan armada in march of 2004. since almost day one we have had ongoing brake problems (mostly rotor and caliper related). in january of 2006, my wife and three of my children were in the car when the brakes completely failed. fortunately, my wife was able to drive up an embankment and stop the vehicle before anyone was hurt. the diagnosis was a failed delta stroke sensor in the brake booster. a repair was made, but since that time we experienced intermittent warning lights for the vehicle dynamic control and slip. last week we started to experience severe steering wheel and brake vibration. we took the vehicle in for service and the diagnosis was a failed abs unit, a burned out 4 wheel drive computer, and a failed switch in the brake booster. these parts have been replaced, but the vehicle is still showing errors when hooked up to the diagnostic computer and is still under repair, but nobody is sure (including nissan) what the problem is. i feel that this vehicle is unsafe to drive. *nm

October 5, 2005 re: vin# [xxx] (2004 nissan armada) the brakes are defective and do not work properly when applying pressure to stop. we have never received any notification from nissan disclosing any brake issues or concerns. we have always been the ones to inform the dealer of our problems each time even though there was a nissan bulletin in existence. last month (september, 2005) was the first time we received a letter from nissan with respect to the brakes and they have informed all of the nissan armada owners that they will allow unlimited mileage/or up to 36 months to fix anything that has to do with the brakes. after four times getting the brakes fixed the brakes are still defective. the brakes are a hazard to me and my family as well as to others on the road. the brakes vibrate intensely and causes the whole car to shake and vibrate not just the steering wheel. it is hard to control the steering wheel and the vehicle itself is hard to control. my wife and my child are not riding in the vehicle at all and we had bought this vehicle to have as our new safe family vehicle but it is not safe at all. we have begun the process allowed under the massachusetts new car lemon law and other possible options including court action. just yesterday on october 4th, i (dino) while driving on the highway was almost in a three car accident i had applied my brakes going 50 mph to avoid a another car changing lanes without a signal and when i applied the brakes to avoid the car the brakes vibrated so much and the steering wheel and the whole car shook, i lost control of the vehicle and spun around to the breakdown lane thankfully, and was not hit from behind. i am formally informing the nhtsa of this and am praying that these vehicles are taken off the road before accidents occur and god forbid someone is injured or killed. [xxx], [xxx] [xxx], [xxx],[xxx], [xxx]. *nm updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Ever since i purchased this car (2004 nissan pathfinder armada) in december 2003 i am experiencing some brake problems and the dealer has been trying to solve the problem and it is getting worse. the car had only about 3000 miles when it all started. i cooperated with the dealer because he said they were aware of the problem and that nissan's engineers are working to solve the problem and now i cannot invoke the lemon law because it has been over a year, at least this is what a lawyer told me today. anyway, the car started to brake on its own without anyone applying the brakes and the emergency brake lights comes on when this happens. i had it towed to the dealer and they said there was a leak in the master cynlinder. they replaced it after 2 weeks and while my wife was taking the car home, the same problem occured again. this time the dealer is blaming the problem on the brake boosters. they will not have a replacement available before 3 to 6 weeks. the major incident occured on september 29, 2005 but the overall brake problems started in march 2004.

Dt: contact stated vehicle had defective brakes. on 11-12-2004 he took the truck to dealer, and they advised him that it was a defect on the internal parts of the brakes. they fixed the brakes under warranty. on 5-2-05 had the brakes resurfaced. now ,the brakes are grinding when applying them. *ak

Right after we purchased this car, the problem started, the brakes locked up the brake light comes on, i have to put it in neutral to turn it off start it back to get it to quit. the brakes grab but the car doesn't stop. took it to the dealer and they couldn't find the problem unless it was doing it when we took it in. i have no warning. i have kids and it amazes me that with close to 100 complaints nissan would take action. all they are doing is putting the cost of a vehicle above a human life. this is the first time i have purchased a nissan and this will be my last. i warn people not to buy this type of car. i will even go out of my way to tell them if i see them looking at them on a lot. if nissan isn't going to do anything to fix this problem even if it means replacing the brake system then we as consumers should warn others before some one looses their life. but that may be what it takes before some big company will fix the problem. everyone is having the same problem so for the life of me i cant figure out why they wont look into it.. makes you wonder if they would drive one of these cars. the number of failures are far more then what i listed. it caused me to go thru a stop sign and by the grace of god no other cars were around. i really don't want my 17 year old driving it with this kind of problem. the funny thing is if nissan would take the time to fix the problem they may have repeat customers. not me not ever again. i am going back to chevy then next time i buy. *jb

Bought nissan truck in may 2005 and the truck has been in the shop 6 times for bad brake pads and warped rotor. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan armada. when applying the brakes at 40 mph, the brake pedal extended down to the floor. the vehicle stopped when the emergency brake was applied. when the contact turned the vehicle off and restarted it, the brakes operated normally. the dealer changed the warped rotors at 2,500 miles. the vdc was reprogrammed at 38,581 miles. the current mileage was 60,186 and failure mileage was 2,500.

dt: contact owned a 2004 nissan armada. t when depressing the brakes front end shakes. the people at nissan's corporate office thought this was not a big deal because there was not recall. however, the government became involved, and that was why consumer enlisting y help. i began having problems with front rotors in february of 2004. took vehicle to a local nissan dealer who fixed the problem by rotating the rotors. then , on june. i had same the same problem . called the local nissan dealer again and they checked the front end again. this time they said that this was a problem that has been happening with the armada, and that they would have to order the part for the vehicle, and that it would be about three weeks. three weeks were up saturday july 16. consumer called the dealership on july 15 and spoke with someone from service. he advised consumer t that they could not tell when they will be able to fix the truck because they could not order the parts from nissan. also, they have a stack of order forms, and if consumer came in about two or three weeks ago then she would have had about 7 or 8 people ahead. when consume r told him that she do not feel safe driving the vehicle, and it did not make her feel any better to know that they did not know when it will be fixed. dealer then said that the vehicle was safe. consumer asked him how could it be safe when the front end shakes. *ak *nm

On three occassions, at mileage 7500, 15000, and 22000, the front rotors have warped on my nissan pathfinder armanda 4wd, causing dangerous steering and driving conditions. the problem has been described as incorrectly sized brake pads which heat up and warp the rotors. nissan has corrected the problem in each case by grinding and/or replacing the rotors. the problem has been described as the "armada brake issue".

Dt: the brakes were too small for the vehicle. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership and they replaced the pads. the second time they shaved the rotors. *jb while braking the steering wheel shook and the braked made noise. *nm

Purchased 2004 nissan armada 11/2004. progressively greater shimmy/jutter while braking. unsafe feel while attempting to stop. brake failure could result in serious injury or death. brake system was inspected and found to have underdesigned components for vehicle weight as stated by nissan dealer on 5/27/05. dealer turned rotors, replaced pads, stated "this was not a permanent fix". this all done within 8000 miles.

Brakes quickly waer down to the point of near loss of function due to vibration. this increases stopping distances and can cause accidents. dealer resurfaced rotors, but problem returned within 2 months. *nm

Complete brake failure-- vehicle: 2004 nissan armada le this vehicle has been in the shop (dealer) several times with brake issues. the rotors have been turned and replaced and turned again. nissan has not as of yet corrected the problem. about a week ago, i was making a stop at an intersection when the brake pedal went completely to the floor. i "pumped" the pedal and got enough pedal to be able to stop. on exam of the brake system, i found that the brake fluid reservoir was over half empty. why? i do not know. i added fluid and the brake problem appeared to be corrected. i took the vehicle to the dealer and requested it be examined to see if they could determine if there was a leak of some kind that may have caused the fluid level to get low. in checking out the vehicle, the problem occurred again with the technician. they could not determine the cause.*ak

I have taken my 2004 nissan armada in for brake service four (4) times now. 14737 miles and car is almost undrivable. nissan has known about this problem for some time, and yet no fix is available. nissan customer service was supposed to contact my within 2 business days. no call. i am leaving for a 3 week vacation and my car is unsafe to drive. dealer says my rotors can't be turned again(they've been turned 3 times already). dealer says they have no rotors available. dealer told me that "i" could check with other dealers about the availiblity of rotors. dealer gm told me that he was also having the same problem and was waiting for rotors himself.

Repeated brake system repairs, vibration,wheel lockup,rotors and brake pads. *nm

Steeering wheel shudders making this vehicle undrivable,dealership and manuf. have informed me that they have been aware of this problem and no perm. fix is available.only 4800 mi on vehicle and brake rotors are warped. please order recall.*ak

Purchased a new 2004 armada in august 2004. had nothing but problems with the car. i recently was involved in an accident because of brake failure. the car was taken to nissan immediately after the body was repaired for them ,to repair the brakes. mid city nissan in chicago informed me that they would not repair the vehicle because the body shop damaged the brakes. this was ridiculous because the car was in the accident in the first place due to brake failure. . also, the initial inspection revealed, that previous to any body work done, the rotors/ calipers, and the pads were defective. nissan was well aware of this problem, yet they did nit want to admit it. in addition, the employees of mid city were extremely rude and confrontational. they were not helpful in any way. driver's side window did not always roll up, and the stereo's volume faded in and out. however, mid city did not want to repair these problems either because there was nothing wrong with the car". this was the worst truck i have ever owned, and i will never buy another nissan. i cannot believe how poor their customer service is. i agree with a previous post, i should have brought my $40,000 to toyota. *ak

I bought a new 2004 nissan armada. only 3 months after driving, i started to have problems with the brakes. it started with excessive brake dust and squeaking barkes. this turned into a grinding sound when brakes were applying within another month, eventually leadingthe brake shudder. the stearing wheel started to shake as i applieid the brakes. i took the car into nissan of bakersfield to have the car serviced. the employee who scheduled my appointment informed me that all 2004 and 2005 armada and titans had problems with the brake system. she informed me that they were aware of the probelm with the brake system not being able to carry the weight of the car, therfore the brakes buckel under pressure causing damage to the rotors and brake pads. i had to take my car in a month later to get the brakes serviced again, due to the same problem.

I'm leasing a nissan armada 2004 brakes of the car have defects. the car shakes when you hit the brakes, hard to control the car, very unsafe on speed of 50 miles. i sent the car to the maintanence about 4 times now, and the same defets happened over and over, last week end i lost control of the care and i was on the hiegh way and i had to get out of the road to the shoulder other wise i would be crash other cars. please help me i tired from going back and forth to the dealer taking unpaid days off from work, i worried about my kids and my famliy safety, i don't want to wait until an accident happen. *ak

The consumer experienced a surge when the brakes were applied, which made it difficult to stop reliably. the steering wheel shook when the brakes were applied at different speeds. the dealer replaced the rotors twice but the same problem recurs less than 3000 miles later. the harder the brakes are applied, the more violent the shaking of the steering wheel. the vehicle was driven under normal driving conditions. *nm

Front brake began pulsating at 5000 mile. i brought vehicle to dealer who turned rotors and replaced brake shoes with thicker shoe. brakes are again pulsating at 11,000 miles. i believe the vehicle brake components are not sufficient for the weight of the vehicle. *jb

When attempting to slow down from high speed vehicle shakes violently. *ak

While applying the brakes and without warning vehicle started shaking uncontrollably. driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove to the dealer for inspection. mechanic informed the driver that a problem was present, but a solution was undetermined at this time. *ak

The consumer is experiencing a problem with the brakes. when applying the brakes, the vehicle vibrated violently. the has contacted the dealer who says parts needed for the repair are unavailable. also, when the parts needed are used to repair the problem, owners are bringing back their vehicles back after 3,000 miles. provide further details. *jb

Consistent failures on brake system. rotors and brake pads need to be replaced every 3000 miles. shortage or parts forces ownder to drive vehicle around with severe shudder in the steering wheel and brake pedal, potentially causing driver to loose control in heavy braking conditions.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan armada. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle took a long time to stop when the brakes were applied. the vehicle felt as if it were misaligned when attempting to stop. the contact took the vehicle to a local dealer and they acknowledged the failure with the brake system, but were unable to determine the cause of failure. she later returned to the dealer and they placed a kit on the brake system. one year later, the brakes began making a loud grinding noise and the vehicle became difficult to stop. the dealer repaired the vehicle again, however, the contact still had to apply pressure to the brakes at least four times in order to stop the vehicle. there were no warning lights present. the manufacturer is conducting an investigation. the current mileage was 30,000 and failure mileage was 3,500.

4th time since april 2004 the brakes deteriorate to the point of iminent failure. the steering wheel vibrates and shakes, the brake pedal travel increases, and brakes become unresponsive. rotors have been cut, pads replaced, rotors replaced, caliper "kits" installed, pins replaced, grease applied, etc. the problem keeps returning. many other annoyance type problems as well...rattles, navigation system failure, radio replaced, overhead console cracked, replaced window motors and switches, poor wheel alignment from factory.*ak

Brake rotor warping issue that has been brought up by many owners. rotors were turned and it needs it again 2500 miles later. i requested that the rotors be replaced but request was denied. it seems that the braking system on the front of the armada is not sufficient for the vehicle weight. i am going to take the vehicle in again for the same service this time demanding that the rotors be replaced. nissan should be forced to change the size of the brake rotors, pads, entire system if necessary. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan armada. while driving 35 mph, the contact began to feel a shuddering in the brake pedal and the brakes failed to respond. the dealer replaced the rotors. twenty thousand miles later, the shuddering in the brake pedal recurred. the dealer replaced the rotors for the second time. fifteen thousand miles later, the brake failure recurred for the third time. the dealer resurfaced the rotors. the current mileage was 59,236 and failure mileage was 10,000.

Violent vibration due to braking at only 6,000 miles fuel gauge is inaccurate, engine gets hot,sunroof leaks, roof rattles excessively, door rattles excessively. *jb

Poor braking system been to dealer will not fix. brakes are to small to stop armada properly. needs bigger rotor and pads. dash rattles very loud will not fix. poor paint on blizzard armada. *jb

Complete brake replacement at 6300. *ak

Vehicle pulled to the right when braking. vehicle was taken to the dealer, and mechanic turned both front rotors. within 120 days the problem recurred.*ak

My rotors were warped casing pulsating when i applied the brakes at 3700 miles. the dealer turned the rotors and as i have been reading from the complaints, i will be back during my next oil change. they need to redesign the rotors to handle the weight of this vehicle when stopping. *jb