Reliable Auto DB

2021 Nissan Armada reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Armada over 6 years — 1 per year. The other Armada years sit at about the same rate: their median is 1 complaints per year. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Labels and Control module.

2012 Nissan Armada
Photo by Charles, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0
Complaints

13

Per year

1

Recalls

2

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (4 of 13), then Electrical system (3) and Engine (3). The most filings arrived in 2025 (7 of 13). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Armada has 10 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2022 has 9 complaints, 1 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

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 2021 Nissan Armada. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Labels 2026-07-15 · NHTSA campaign 26V455000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Nissan Armada, 2011-2013 Infiniti QX56, and 2014-2027 QX80 vehicles equipped with 22" wheels. The Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) listed on the certification label is incorrect, which can allow the vehicle to be overloaded. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Remedy Dealers will install new labels, free of charge. Additionally, Nissan will mail replacement labels to owners. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed September 2, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated Fall 2026. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R26B1 and P6A13/4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, fuel pump, control module 2021-05-20 · NHTSA campaign 21V373000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Armada and 2020-2021 INFINITI QX80 vehicles equipped with V8 engines. The impeller can swell and bind within the fuel pump module, causing it to fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 4, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R21A2. Owners may contact INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200. INFINITI's number for this recall is R21A3.

Complaints by component (13 total)

Fuel and propulsion system
4
Electrical system
3
Engine
3
Forward collision avoidance
3
Powertrain
2
Air bags
1
Back-over prevention
1
Service brakes
1
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

320227202532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Stalling out in traffic, and have to keep restarting. Very dangerous"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-07-27
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was jump-started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-04-28
  • "My emergency breaking will come on and almost stop my vehicle driving down the road with no one near me. It’s very scary and it happens frequently. I will put my most recent incident below"
    Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-03-30
  • "My family and I traveled to Ohio to visit family. After stopping for fuel, 6hrs into our drive, our 2021 nissan Armada started bucking, skipping, and eventually stalled 50 yards from the fuel station. Several attempts…"
    Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-12-18
  • "On April 5, 2023, I purchased a used 2021 Nissan Armada SL with 74,429 miles on it. On August 29, 2025, I took the vehicle in for front & rear differential and transmission fluid services. On August 31, 2025, I drove…"
    Powertrain · filed 2025-09-15

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Nissan Armada SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 3 stars
2021 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 (7-speed) Rear-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $5000
Armada four-wheel drive 5.6L, 8-cyl Automatic (7-speed) Four-wheel drive 13 18 15 MPG $5300
Armada four-wheel drive 5.6L, 8-cyl Automatic (7-speed) Four-wheel drive 13 18 15 MPG $5300

Specs and fitment

Y62 generation, 2017–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (Nissan Motor Oil 0W-20 SN or equivalent) , 6.9 qt capacity
Tire size 265/70R18, 275/60R20 or 275/50R22 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V-654 covers certain 2018-2019 Nissan Armada vehicles among many other Nissan models: dealers update the back-up camera settings software so the rearview image displays as required.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Nissan Armada Next year 2022 Nissan Armada See every Nissan Armada model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Nissan Armada reliable?

Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Armada over 6 years — 1 per year. The other Armada years sit at about the same rate: their median is 1 complaints per year. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Labels and Control module.

What are common problems with a 2021 Nissan Armada?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (4 of 13), then Electrical system (3) and Engine (3). The most filings arrived in 2025 (7 of 13). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2021 Nissan Armada more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Armada has 10 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2022 has 9 complaints, 1 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

Has the 2021 Nissan Armada been recalled?

The 2021 Nissan Armada has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Nissan Armada?

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 2021 Nissan Armada with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Nissan Armada get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Nissan Armada is 15.3 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.