2020 Nissan Armada Problems

Safety Defect Complaint – 2020 Nissan Armada I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2020 Nissan Armada with approximately 90,000 miles. On August 6, 2026, the right/passenger-side exterior mirror suddenly became extremely hot and then exploded/broke. The failure also caused damage to the surrounding area near the side of the windshield/side guard. This happened unexpectedly and created a serious safety concern. I am concerned that an electrical or heating problem with the mirror may have caused it to become excessively hot and break. I am also concerned that this could happen to other Nissan Armada owners. I am requesting that this incident be investigated as a possible safety defect and that Nissan and NHTSA determine whether this problem is related to a recall, known defect, or electrical/heating issue. Vehicle: 2020 Nissan Armada Mileage: Approximately 90,000 miles Incident date: August 6, 2026 Affected area: Right/passenger-side exterior mirror and surrounding windshield/side-guard area I have photographs of the damage and can provide additional documentation, repair estimates, and vehicle information if needed. I would appreciate an investigation of this safety issue and information regarding whether Nissan will cover the repair.

Purchased this vehicle in August 2024. A month later car wouldn’t start and the battery died. The dealership replaced it. 14 months later (October 2025) the car wouldn’t start again. Engine light came on. We took it to warranty approved shop and they told us the battery had died. Again. 7 months later the car won’t start. Engine light turned on. Took it to warranty approved shop and they said the battery had died again. The shop owner said it was related to a smart battery charger and it was draining our battery even when off. He mentioned this was common for 2020 Nissan Armada and the only solution was to keep replacing batteries every few months.

When driving home from work my car disengage cruise controlle and started flashing in my center concel BCI Malfunction. Since I makes it hard to start my car from time to time and it will randomly continue to flash BCI Malfunction

BCI malfunction message, sudden braking, mulitple dashboard warnings lights

When driving home from work my car disengage cruise controlle and started flashing in my center concel BCI Malfunction. Since I makes it hard to start my car from time to time and it will randomly continue to flash BCI Malfunction

BCI malfunction message, sudden braking, mulitple dashboard warnings lights

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the charcoal canister purge valve. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump and O-ring. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who determined that the fuel cap needed to be replaced. The failure reoccurred, with the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was a failure with the battery. The contact was informed that a larger battery was required. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was 74,000.

The 2020 Nissan Armada Platinum began with a BCI Malfunction notification on the dash, as well as multiple other warning lights illuminating on the same time on the dash. As well the low windshield washer fluid light came on after just changing the oil and checking fluids in mid-June. Reservoir was filled with additional washer fluid, the notification went off, but returned 30 minutes later despite the reservoir being full. Later in the day, the gear shift would not immediately engage to allow me to put the car into drive. While sitting at a stop light in a turn lane the car was put into Park to adjust the Navigation settings. From that point, the car would not shift into any other gear to make the car operational. Panicked and blocking traffic in the road, the car was turned off in the hopes it could be turned back on and it would engage the gear shift. The Armada would not start after that point at all. I sat for ten minutes attempting to restart the car, constantly having to get out of my car to waive traffic around me, putting myself at risk of being hit. Thankfully, a local Fire Dept was coming back from a call, and stopped to assist me. They blocked traffic to my right with their fire engine, and a family member came and blocked traffic from behind me with their vehicle to keep me safer than I had been. The Firemen tried everything they could to get the car to start to get the car to safety as we contacted a tow truck. With no success after another 20 minutes, they had to get a long screwdriver from the fire engine to release the shift lock to be able to put the Armada in Neutral. It took three firemen, and a family member to be able to push the car across three lanes of traffic, with the fire engine driving alongside my right to block traffic, pushing me into a busy intersection (at one point with an 18-wheel coming at us) to make a right onto the connecting street to a gas station parking lot to await a tow to the dealership. So scary!

Absolutely. Here is the revised, anonymous version of your NHTSA complaint about the acceleration and incline issue—with all identifying info removed: ⸻ Component/System: Engine performance and drivetrain. My 2020 Nissan Armada experiences repeated loss of power when accelerating, especially on inclines or under load. The RPMs spike erratically, but the vehicle does not gain speed and often slows down unexpectedly. This condition has persisted despite a prior repair and continues to occur. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. ⸻ Safety Risk: This issue places me and my children at serious risk while driving. The vehicle slows down when acceleration is needed most—such as when merging onto highways or climbing hills—creating a real danger of rear-end collisions or failed merges. The erratic RPM surges add instability and make it unsafe to rely on the vehicle in critical traffic situations like passing or freeway driving. ⸻ Confirmed by Dealer or Service Center: Yes. I brought the vehicle in for service in early 2025 after experiencing this issue. It was diagnosed with code P0025 and the exhaust valve timing control solenoid was replaced at a cost of over $1,000. However, the issue was not resolved and continues exactly as before. I returned for follow-up and was told an engine replacement might be needed, without receiving documentation or a clear explanation. ⸻ Inspected by Manufacturer, Police, or Insurance: No. The vehicle has not been inspected by Nissan corporate, police, or insurance. It has not resulted in a crash, but it remains an ongoing safety concern. ⸻ Warning Lamps or Symptoms: There were no consistent dashboard warnings. The issue began in early 2025 and occurs frequently—particularly during acceleration on hills or when the vehicle is under load. The RPMs surge, but the vehicle slows or struggles to maintain speed.

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was oil leaking onto the ground. The dealer and Jenkins Nissan of Leesburg (8865 US-441, Leesburg, FL 34788) were made aware of the failure. Jenkins Nissan of Leesburg informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V373000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) associated with the VIN and scheduled an upcoming appointment for diagnostic testing. Both dealers informed the contact that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was a stop-sale issued on the vehicle in June 2021. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

In the 35 months that I have owned this vehicle I have had to replace a faulty brake light switch 9 times. I find this extremely unsafe as brake lights are a major saftey feature. This problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealer. I do not know if the component has been inspected by the manufacturer. There were warning lights with the vehicle forward looking radar for cruise control and swerve control. This first happened on August 9, 2023.

I feel that there should be a more visible notification or warning if the headlights are not on at night. While driving at night on the highway a car in front of me rapidly switched lanes to avoid exiting the highway and nearly caused a major high speed accident. He didn’t see us because the headlights weren’t on. All of the dashboard lights come on even though the headlights are off- so it gives you a false sense that the headlights are on. There is a very small green light that comes on when the headlights are on, but there should either be no dashboard lights or a message that warns you about the headlights.

No warning messages or signs. It has happened twice now. The rear suspension airbag leveling system has blown out. Two separate times. The suspension is now out on the rear of the vehicle which is a safety concern. Also, when the air bag does blow, it is loud and startling. When driving and it blows up, it is very startling and then you are driving with a trailer connected and a compromised rear suspension. The airbag had been replaced once. It is possibly being over inflated making the pump the problem potentially.

on 12/13/25 at 2:30pm our vehicle slid on ice and we crashed into the front of a barrier. No deployment of airbags occurred but the impact was so severe it damaged the frame/suspension/radiator. Our insurance adjusted/police and tow yard were surprised that the airbags did not deploy.