2021 NISSAN Armada

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

Expert Verdict
Good Reliability

This 2021 model shows good reliability, primarily driven by a below-average recall rate for the NISSAN brand.

Key Factor:below-average recall rate

📋Why This Matters

Powertrain issues affect both daily reliability and long-term ownership costs. Unexpected stalling creates inconvenience at best and safety hazards at worst.

Insurance companies review vehicle reliability data when setting premiums. Models with elevated recall rates often see adjusted pricing.

Focus Area:powertrain reliability
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Expert Analysis

  • 📈
    Recall Trend:No Change in recalls
  • ⚠️
    Primary Risk Area:Accident
  • ⚖️
    Vs Brand: Better than avg (1.3)
    📝
    Summary:

Safety & Reliability Score

92/100

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-8
Complaint Impact-0.5
Investigation Impact-0

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2021 NISSAN Armada

Model Year2021
MakeNISSAN
ModelArmada
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle

Safety History Timeline

Jan21
NEWProduction
Jan21
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
ISSUEFirst Report

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

3 complaints (30% of total)
➡️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 10 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟠High
1(10%)
🟡Medium
5(50%)
🟢Low
4(40%)

Mileage Failure Analysis

⚙️Engineering Insight

Based on consumer reports, issues for this vehicle tend to peak around the 0-20k mileage range. The average reported failure mileage is 61,476 miles.

📊 Mileage data extracted from 3 of 10 complaints (30% coverage)
0-20k
1 reports (33%)
20k-40k
0 reports (0%)
40k-60k
0 reports (0%)
60k-80k
1 reports (33%)
80k-100k
0 reports (0%)
100k+
1 reports (33%)
* Analysis based on mileage data extracted from consumer complaint descriptions. Actual failure rates may vary.

🛠️ DIY Diagnosis Center

Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).

Primary Risk Areas

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Official Safety Recalls (1)

Campaign: 21V373000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE

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.

Consequence

Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.

NHTSA Investigations

0 investigations

No active investigations for this vehicle.

Consumer Complaints

10 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2021 Armada.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Accident30%
Stall20%
Acceleration Issues20%
Warning20%
Battery20%
Jerk10%
Check Engine Light10%
Fire10%
Noise10%
Engine/Powertrain🔶 Medium
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

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 at restarting the vehicle resulted in a sputtering idle and stall. This put my family is grave danger as we were beginning our acceleration onto the interstate at 11pm eastern standard time. After some research, our vehicle doesnt fall under the recall for faulty pump. The pump assembly is $900 as well as a $700 tow bill. This is very dangerous and its evident their's more Armadas with the faulty pump than nissan originally recalled. My wife and I are extremely disappointed and frightened to drive this suv 10 hours back home once its fixed. Please review and consider our vehicle for reimbursement for the near miss situation. Best regards

Engine/Powertrain🔶 Medium
POWER TRAIN

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 the SUV to Boston MA. The vehicle began a jerking motion and slow acceleration. I assumed it was due to a possible low grade of gas. I filled the vehicle with 93 octane gas. The issue continued. On September 15, 2025, I took the vehicle into Nissan for a further look and was told I needed to replace the entire transmission! After speaking with Nissan's Consumer Affairs, I was told there was nothing that can be done for this issue. The vehicle is less than 5 years old. I have owned the vehicle less than 3 of those years and drove it less than 40,000 miles and now Nissan wants me to pay $11,000 for a new transmission. There has been, no check engine or other warning light indicators alerting this issue or concern. There is no way this can be a normal for a powerhouse company who's reputable as built to last vehicles that their transmission is now only built to last barely past 100,000 miles. This has to be a factory defect in this vehicle. I am presently seeking legal actions concerning this matter. This is a very costly and risky issue that could have left me stranded and possibly caused a serious accident. There needs to be a factory recall for this issue and concern.

Electrical🔵 Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I purchased a 2021 Nissan Armana back in September 2024. The vehicle has been giving issues leaving me stranded and with my vehicle battery drained. I’ve purchased two batteries for my vehicle within a 9 months period that I’ve had the vehicle.

Engine/Powertrain🔶 Medium
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Vehicle battery is being drained. The vehicle won’t start. Purchase a new battery on March 2025. Vehicle Car fax states a new battery was installed in vehicle in May 2024. I purchased the vehicle on September 4, 2024.

Engine/Powertrain⚠️ High
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Car started sputtering and code said misfire Dealership said it was the mass air sensor said they fixed it but symptoms continued when I picked up my vehicle Issue sounds like the recall reason of the fuel pump

Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
POWER TRAIN

At 100,000 miles, my 2021 Nissan Armada experienced a complete transmission failure, requiring a full transmission replacement. The vehicle has been properly maintained. After researching, I’ve found multiple owners reporting similar transmission failures at relatively low mileage. I believe this could be a defect that needs to be investigated and could lead to a potential safety hazard. I am requesting the NHTSA to investigate this issue for a possible recall.

Electrical🔶 Medium
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

I’m reaching out with an urgent issue regarding my 2021 Nissan Armada Platinum, which is part of our ongoing lemon law case, Case # 2023-1489 Division B (Avoyelles Parish, La.) I began experiencing electrical issues with the vehicle early on, around 10,000 miles. The initial problems included all the screens going black and remaining unresponsive for extended periods. Additionally, the sensors would malfunction when backing up or pulling forward, causing the vehicle to brake hard and stop unexpectedly. The situation has now become significantly more dangerous. The sensors are sporadically activating while I’m driving at highway speeds, causing the car to brake extremely hard without warning. This puts me, my passengers, and others on the road at serious risk of an accident. I contacted the dealership, but they refuse to service the vehicle due to the open lemon law case. I’ve also documented the issue with notes and photos to support this claim. Given the severity of this safety concern, I urgently request your guidance on: Seeking immediate relief from the court or expediting the trial process. Pressuring the manufacturer to address this safety hazard or provide a loaner vehicle. Exploring any additional legal remedies to resolve the immediate safety risk. Please let me know the next steps as soon as possible. This is a time-sensitive, life-threatening issue, and I’m very concerned about driving the vehicle any further. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Other🔵 Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I purchased this vehicle about a month ago and when trying to activate the Nissan Connect Services to get the advanced safety and convivence features I was told that I cannot do so because the Armada is a Canadian vehicle. The SUV I purchased in USA was built for Canada and the connect service that does some of the security and convenience features will not work because of the cell service built in to the SUV will not work in the USA and Nissan does not have a part replacement to make it work. I have contacted Nissan USA and Nissan Canada and keep getting the run around and each pointing at the other to try to get it resolved. I was finally told that there is not option to replace parts to make the features work in the US. If a car is built for one country and the safety features will not work in another country then it should be illegal to sell those cars across boarders. I now have a $70k that does not give me the advanced safety and convenience services that is advertised to have. I have looked any many Nissan websites and do not find anywhere that these features will not work and I do not know anyone that when buying a car asks where it was manufactured. I am also told that since this is a Canada VIN I could have issues getting recall notifications in the US. I am not sure if that is true as I don't think that I have any recalls open.

Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
ENGINE

Loud engine noise like military tank. RPM rapidly up and down between 1000 and 3000 with noise.

Brakes🔶 Medium
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

I was driving a RENTED 2021 Nissan Armada. The brakes of this vehicle locked up when I was trying to avoid rear ending a car that had suddenly jumped in front of me. Instead of being able to control the braking, once I put the brake on, I tried to let up a little to see if I could stop the vehicle from skidding. However once I put my foot down on the brake it continued to stay depressed. I noticed that the vehicle was sliding and the steering wheel was also locked. I couldn't swerve to the left or right. I hit the van in front of me, the air bags deployed--driver's side air bag broke open and let out noxious gas. I have never driven a vehicle with such AEB troubles. If this is how the 2021 Nissan Armada acts, then other will find themselves not being able to avoid an accident as well. - Cheryl D., Frederick, MD, US

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any recalls for the 2021 NISSAN Armada?

Yes, the 2021 NISSAN Armada has 1 recorded recall from NHTSA. These recalls cover various components including FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE.

Is the 2021 NISSAN Armada safe to drive?

The 2021 NISSAN Armada has 1 recall. If you own this vehicle, check with your dealer to ensure all recall repairs have been completed. Most recalls have free remedies available.

Where can I check if my 2021 NISSAN Armada has open recalls?

You can check for open recalls by visiting NHTSA.gov and entering your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), or by contacting your local NISSAN dealer.

📊Year-over-Year Context

➡️Stable Pattern

Compared to earlier years, the 2021 model shows stable reliability patterns. No meaningful structural change detected in recall frequency between adjacent model years.

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Fuel system, gasoline

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm fuel system, gasoline recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

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If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all fuel system, gasoline recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:21V373000
💡Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your NISSAN dealer to verify recall completion status.

🧭What This Means for You

This information is especially relevant for drivers who rely on stop-and-go traffic or frequently use auto start-stop systems.

If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.

🔑

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Verify all 1 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your NISSAN dealer.
  • If any recalls are open, schedule service immediately—recall repairs are always free.
  • Consider setting up VIN-specific alerts to receive notification of future recalls.
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If You're Buying Used

  • Request the VIN before purchase and verify recall status at NHTSA.gov.
  • This model year shows favorable reliability metrics compared to alternatives.

This page is designed to help you decide, not alarm you.

Compare with Similar Vehicles

Data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Last updated: January 10, 2026.