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Nissan Armada knocking problems

17 of the 1,857 owner complaints about the Nissan Armada describe engine knocking or ticking, most of them for the 2006 model year.

owner complaints
17
worst model year
2006
typical mileage
86,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2019
    1
  • 2018
    1
  • 2017
    3
  • 2011
    2
  • 2010
    2
  • 2009
    1
  • 2008
    1
  • 2006
    3
  • 2005
    2
  • 2004
    1

What owners say

Filed Apr 22, 2026 · Engine · VA

UNKNOWN - engine developed knock that could potentially lead to catastrophic engine failure during normal driving conditions, causing loss of control or inability to stop. NTB19-057a is a technical service bulletin issued by manufacturer - cylinder 7 scuffing with a short block or complete engine replacement as the fix. Manufacturer will not replace engine outside of vehicle warranty period, even with documented maintenance proving engine failure is not due to lack of being maintained.

Filed Sep 14, 2024 · Airbags, Electrical · NY

Was driving on a smooth road when suddenly airbag light on dash came on flashing. All the steering wheel buttons are working. Brought car to mechanic's shop to scan obd2, no dtc codes. Mechanic says they don't know what it is without a code. Nissan has been shady lately with technical service bulletins TSB instead of recalls. TSB according to Nissan hq is a repair at the discretion of the dealer meaning that they do not have to repair it even while it was under warranty. I had some piston slapping noise and burning smell coming from engine bay while under warranty the dealer Mechanic said," the noise is normal that of a suv and the burnt smell was the peanut packing oil burning off the outside of the engine". There was a TSB put out a few months later saying that Nissan acknowledged a defective short block in the engine causing abnormal wear on the piston. I brought it into the dealer and they refused to replace the short block and damaged cylinder. the federal safety agency needs to up their game and force these auto companies to be accountable. Years back my first edition Honda accord v6 had failed brakes that made me have an accident totaling the car. Veered off side of highway to minimize harm to others. Three years after the accident a recall on that models brakes came up. I was never given money for the totalled car by Honda. They need to be held accountable. Please take action and force the recalls instead of waiting for more people to be injured. Just look at the complaints on this make and model, why hasn't an investigation even begun? Airbag should be a top priority in recalls. Especially a blinking light with no explanation is a ticking time bomb that can set off an airbag at any given notice worst yet not deploy when there is an actual accident.

Filed Apr 6, 2024 · Engine · AR

Ticking sound from engine. Inspection found failure in cylinder #6, removed spark plug and inspected head. Found metal circulating and damage to cylinder. Engine replacement recommended

Filed Jul 31, 2023 · Engine · 69,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that the vehicle made ticking noises during start-up. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder # 7, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to cover 50% of the repair cost. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-057A (Engine Knock Or Tick Noise); however, the vehicle was not covered by the TSB. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

Filed Oct 5, 2022 · Airbags, Fuel system · 144,000 miles · DE

The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Armada. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she heard a knocking sound coming from the vehicle and the air bag warning light was blinking. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed and the spiral cable and horn were replaced. The mechanic also stated that the fuel tank and fuel sensor needed to be replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 144,000.

Filed Jul 13, 2022 · Engine · 60,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Armada. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, he heard abnormal startling and ticking sounds coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would delay responding while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that upon opening the hood to determine the cause of the failure, he noticed that the engine manifold was fractured. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly while driving. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not under recall. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Filed Apr 6, 2022 · Engine, Transmission · MN

The engine is failing on many Nissan vehicles with the Nissan VK56VD (gasoline V8) engine. Cylinder 7 on the engine has significant scouring, and there is a Nissan Technical Service Bulletin (NTB19-057a) indicating this problem is widespread among 2017-2019 Nissan Armada, NV, Titan, and Titan XD models. This is a major safety concern. When there is a problem with the engine, the vehicle may stall, lose power, or even catch fire. If a driver loses the power from the engine while driving, or is unable to accelerate as expected, the vehicle could be at risk of getting hit, seriously injuring the occupants of all vehicles involved. The problem has been diagnosed, reproduced, and confirmed by Kline Nissan in Maplewood, MN. The vehicle was inspected by Kline Nissan. Diagnosis details attached, along with borescope photo showing significant scouring in Cylinder 7. Repair action is a new engine short block. My vehicle was outside the 60000 mile powertrain warranty window at the time of inspection. My service advisor at Kline Nissan contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs to submit a Factory Goodwill case, but was informed by Nissan Consumer Affairs that they would not be assisting in the replacement of their defective engine. The concern I share with the federal safety agency is the cost I was quoted to repair this problem is $9203.70. This problem is so widespread, among 3 years of Nissan's vehicles, I expect very few vehicle owners outside of the warranty window will be investing this level of repair in their vehicle. As a result, many of these engines to fail on the road, putting the public highways and roads at major safety risk. There are no warning lamps or messages for this problem, simply a tick noise that gets louder over time as the cylinder continues to get scoured, worn and damaged. This will eventually lead to damage significant enough to unpredictably blow the engine while driving which would be a major safety concern putting the vehicle occupants and others on the road at risk.

Filed Jan 30, 2021 · Engine · MD

Engine making a ticking noise coming from the right side. Believe it's the manifold being cracked

Filed Nov 18, 2019 · Engine · 140,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 nissan armada. After starting the vehicle, a ticking noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. Also, the vehicle would not accelerate properly and stalled on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to nissan of lake norman (18615 statesville rd, cornelius, nc) to be diagnosed, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the exhaust manifold was cracked. The manifold was replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000. The VIN was invalid.

Filed Oct 24, 2017 · 100,000 miles · CA

Extremely loud knocking when HVAC door opens and closes to accommodate the interior temperature changes. While moving or while parked. Whenever the engine is running.

Related recalls

Engine and engine coolingReported October 28, 2010 · 747,480 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 armada, titan, infiniti qx56 and model year 2005-2006 frontier, pathfinder and xterra vehicles. The intelligent power distribution module (ipdm) assembly contains an engine control module (ECM) relay that has a diode for electrical current noise reduction. The ECM relay may allow silicon vapor to form and, over time, the silicon evaporates from the diode molding which causes silicon oxide to develop on the ECM relay contact due to arcing.
Risk
This could cause engine stalling increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ECM relay inside the ipdm assembly. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on december 6, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.

Recall number 10V517000 · Recall details

Questions about the Nissan Armada knocking

Which Nissan Armada years have engine knocking or ticking problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2006 (3 complaints), 2017 (3 complaints) and 2005 (2 complaints).

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