2012 Nissan Armada reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Armada over 15 years — 1 per year. The other Armada years sit at about the same rate: their median is 1 complaints per year. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Labels.

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (4 of 17), then Structure (4) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Armada has 17 complaints, 2 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Nissan Armada. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (1)

Recall Labels 2012-04-04 · NHTSA campaign 12V143000

Summary NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 TITAN AND ARMADA VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 12, 2011, THROUGH MARCH 13, 2012. THE PART 567 CERTIFICATION LABELS ON THE VEHICLES DO NOT CONTAIN RIM SIZE INFORMATION. THUS, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS.

Remedy NISSAN WILL SUPPLY OWNERS WITH A NEW LABEL AND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW INSTALL THE LABEL OR THE OWNER WILL HAVE THE OPTION OF TAKING THEIR VEHICLE TO A NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE THE NEW LABEL INSTALLED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 28, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-615-725-1000.

Complaints by component (17 total)

Service brakes

Structure

Electrical system

Fuel system, gasoline

Air bags

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Fuel and propulsion system

Powertrain

Suspension

Visibility

Show 3 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving, he drove over a bump in the road, and the back end swayed and it fishtailed. The contact pulled over and was unable to locate the cause of…"
Suspension, Fuel system, gasoline, Structure · filed 2025-06-12
"I have a 2012 Nissan armada and a 2013 Nissan armada and both cars o2 sensors have went out on each of them. This must be a common problem and the financial strain shouldn’t be left for the customers buying an already…"
Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2025-04-11
"Ignition doesn't respond when key is inserted and turned to start. Sometimes it does it, sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't work, it usually takes about 10 or 15 times trying and then it eventually starts."
Unknown or other · filed 2024-10-14
"The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact's husband inspected the vehicle and related the failure to NHTSA…"
Air bags · filed 2023-04-13
"THE REAR LIFT GATE HOUSING IS CRACKED AND COMPRISES THE INTEGRITY OF KEEPING THE REAR DOOR FROM OPENING FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TO INCLUDE THE GLASS WINDOW PORTION. I DISCOVERED THE CRACKED LIFT GATE HOUSING AS THE…"
Structure · filed 2020-12-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 Nissan Armada SUV 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	3 stars
2012 Nissan Armada SUV RWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Armada two-wheel drive	5.6L, 8-cyl	Automatic 5-speed	Rear-wheel drive	13	19	15 MPG	$4300
Armada two-wheel drive	5.6L, 8-cyl	Automatic 5-speed	Rear-wheel drive	13	19	15 MPG	$4300
Armada four-wheel drive	5.6L, 8-cyl	Automatic 5-speed	Four-wheel drive	12	18	14 MPG	$4650
Armada four-wheel drive	5.6L, 8-cyl	Automatic 5-speed	Four-wheel drive	12	18	14 MPG	$4650

Specs and fitment

TA60 generation, 2012–2015

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-30 (VK56DE; about 6.9 qt with filter) , 6.9 qt capacity

Tire size 265/70R18 (common OEM)

Compare

Next year 2013 Nissan Armada See every Nissan Armada model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Nissan Armada reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 Nissan Armada?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (4 of 17), then Structure (4) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2012 Nissan Armada more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Armada has 17 complaints, 2 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Nissan Armada been recalled?

The 2012 Nissan Armada has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Nissan Armada?

Owners have filed 17 complaints about the 2012 Nissan Armada with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Nissan Armada get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Nissan Armada is 14.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Nissan Armada use?

TA60 (VK56DE) models commonly use 5W-30 (~6.9 qt with filter); Y62 models commonly use 0W-20 (~6.9 qt with filter).

What tire sizes does a Nissan Armada use?

Earlier Armadas commonly use 265/70R18; later Y62 packages commonly include 265/70R18, 275/60R20, and 275/50R22.

What back-up camera recall covers certain Armada models?

Recall 19V-654 covers certain 2018-2019 Nissan Armada vehicles among many other Nissan models; dealers update back-up camera settings software.