Service Brakes Problems of Nissan Armada - part 1

Earlier in the year the brake light (some times with slip and abs) came on the dash and suddenly braking was diminished. There was a horrid grinding sound plus vibration under the pedal. I was on highway 17 (a dangerous mountain freeway in CA) going downhill and it was extremely scary as has a car full of friends kids and hardly any brakes. I braked as much as it would allow, down shifted and pulled to the side (which again if you google that highway people die all the time from idiot drivers/speeders/tight corners). I instinctively turned off the car and got out to check off something had gotten caught in my wheel but nothing. I turned the car on and the problem had gone so drove to the nearest garage but he couldn't find anything wrong. I called Nissan but they said they knew of no problems with breaking systems on the Armada and said to bring it in and pay for an expensive diagnosis. When I got home I googled it and found 100s of similar experiences with all sorts of repairs at Nissan that hadn't worked. Some say brake booster, others sensor, other reset or upgrade hardware. Not one actually fix so far but I did find a couple of lawsuits for the same reason so don't understand how this is not a recall. The second time I was in town so it wasn't too bad but hard to stop at the crossing for a pedestrian and today it went again going back up the mountain but luckily don't need to brake much going in that direction. If it can't be fixed and it involves brakes then surely this is a serious safety violation. I also noticed that others are having a similar problem with newer Armadas with a newly upgraded braking system from Nissan and another lawsuit is on file. How is this being ignored? my car is 20 and I was looking into another Nissan but if they don't stand by and honor their mistakes then I really have no faith in them.

See all problems of the 2006 Nissan Armada 🔎.

There is a common known issue with the Armadas that Nissan has not addressed, where you will randomly get a "bci malfunction" warning, sometimes corresponding to a warning about the abs system. The car will not shift out of the current gear when this happens, until you turn it off and back on again. If you are really unlucky, like I am, this will progress to the car randomly applying the brakes and initiating hard stops, in traffic. This happened to me two days ago in traffic and I narrowly escaped an accident. I had to get the car towed home and it still intermittently does this. The brakes locked up so badly that the car was covered in smoke and appeared to be on fire. This is terribly unsafe, and Nissan needs to fix it, because it is more likely that an Armada owner will encounter this, than that they won't, and people are going to be injured and/or killed, if they have not already. This is very serious. Please help.

See all problems of the 2018 Nissan Armada 🔎.

On July 29, 2025, while pulling into the driveway, my 2023 Nissan Armada experienced a complete electrical and brake failure. I put the vehicle in park, and the entire dash and infotainment screen went black while the engine was still running. The vehicle began rolling forward even though it was in park and bumped into the house. (minimal damage thankfully) when I tried to stop it, the brake pedal went completely to the floor with no braking power at all. The shifter was locked in park, and I could not put it into reverse or neutral. I had to press and hold the start/stop button to turn the vehicle off. After restarting, everything returned to normal and I was able to then shift into reverse, but this is a major safety issue there was a total loss of braking and transmission control. Currently Nissan is telling me that it could have been because the car needed a “software update” and also can be caused by a “bad battery” and they have had several customers with similar break issues and electronic failure due to the battery. This is completely unacceptable and dangerous. My babies were in the car we were terrified!! currently I just have a tow receipt as Nissan of boerne still has the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2023 Nissan Armada 🔎.

No start, no codes. Have replaced brake switch several times and it fixes it for a bit and then happens again. I have read several forums and it seems to be a commen issue but no recalls for fault. 2018 Nissan Armada platinum. Shouldn't have to keep replacing switch.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 Nissan Armada 🔎.

Break pressure sensor is bad, the car will intermittently not crank. If car is in park it will not go into gear. It’s as if the break system can not build up enough pressure for the car to register the breaks are being pressed.

Bci message appears on dash. Then a number of other dash lights (see picture attached).

See all problems of the 2019 Nissan Armada 🔎.

Bci malfunction message, sudden braking, mulitple dashboard warnings lights.

The vehicle won't start all the dashboard lights come on but the truck will not start I got a warning alarm message that the cbi has a malfunction .

Once in awhile when the brakes are applied there is a loud sound that sounds like ache large can being crushed, and the brakes don't work properly. The car sort of lurches to a stop rather than coming to a smooth stop. If the engine is shut off and turned back on nine times out of 10 the brakes will begin to work again but occasionally it takes a few times of restarting the vehicle. I contacted Nissan and they said that they would contact me back and they had a lawyer call me who really just wanted to interrogate me more than offer any kind of solutions or answers. I was able to look up online and see that there is or was a class action lawsuit and that it's a known problem with many Nissan Armadas being the master solenoid. This seems to be a continuing safety issue and if someone were to have to come to a quick stop there's no warning that this is going to happen beforehand and would negate any kind of safety stop. This has been going on for many years and is extremely expensive to fix. Which puts it right out for most families to be able to afford fixing this and just having to lope along hoping that it isn't one of those times when the brakes are going to give out in an emergency. Given that Nissan contacted me with a lawyer shows me that they are afraid of what could happen but not yet concerned enough that enough people have died for it to be worth their while cost-wise.

You have to press the brakes really hard and they are loose.

See all problems of the 2013 Nissan Armada 🔎.

My vehicle was having intermitten bci (backup collision intervention) malfunction lights on the dash. On one occurrence it caused my vehicle to slam on the brakes suddenly at 20mph, it is definitely a safety issue. I replaced both brake switches which solved it temporarily but now it is on constantly. It has been scanned with various Nissan scan tools and no errors are found. I have read endless forum posts of Armada owners having this problem and the dealerships are giving them the run around with no clear solution.

See all problems of the 2017 Nissan Armada 🔎.

We bought this Armada used about two years ago and it had about 85,000 miles on it then. On Monday August 26th 2024 my wife came home and as she pulled in to park the brake pedal went to the floor. The passenger side front steer tire inside was covered in brake fluid. I pulled it in to our garage and removed the tire and had her pump the brake pedal to find the fluid loss spot. Upon inspection I discovered the steer tire had rubbed through the brake hose causing brake fluid loss. I replaced the hose and inspected the driver side to discover it was almost rubbed through to the cords inside the hose. It will be replaced too. I have saved the passenger side hose and will save the driver hose after I replace it. My pictures are of the passenger side front brake hose.

See all problems of the 2010 Nissan Armada 🔎.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? brakes and front sensor. Yes how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? collisions has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? yes were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? yes’ , front sensor failure light appeared and brakes failed. On two occasions, the brakes have failed when we are in the drive-through, causing us to rear end the vehicle in front of us. We had the car towed to a Nissan dealer. They were unable to re-create the problem as they did not take it through a drive-through or where they would be in close proximity of another car. After bringing it home, we drove it again no issues until we were in a drive through where the brakes failed as we were pushing on them. The light came on saying front sensor failure again we rear ended another vehicle.

I have had to replace the brake switch twice in this vehicle and it is under 35k miles. Other Nissan models have had this recalled. Once it begins to fail, the car will not start because it doesn't detect the brake is depressed. It also sets off the bci malfunction warning randomly and while driving, which impacts cruise control and brake safety. I can send invoices of repairs from dealership if helpful.

Brakes. Went out with no warning for second time.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, he heard an abnormal sound emanating from the brake pads, requiring increased effort to slow the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The abs warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The vehicle displays a bci malfunction, aeb braking warning, and traction control indicator light is on. Vehicle does not recognize that the brake pedal is being depressed when trying to start the car. Pushing the start button only cycles the ignition through the on and acc options. Rear suspension suddenly low.

Car will not start it says push brake even when brake pedal is pressed. It will not start. However, it does start with remote starter.

On a continuing basis, while vehicle is in motion, applying the brakes causes brake pedal to sink to the floorboard with loss of braking power and with loud grinding noise coming from front of vehicle. Turning vehicle off then back on temporarily fixes the issue.

See all problems of the 2007 Nissan Armada 🔎.

This vehicle has less than 24k miles, and just surpassed the warranty period and suddenly with no explanation, it won't start due to a faulty start switch in the brake pedal which must be depressed to start the vehicle or shift into drive. 90% of the time the vehicle will not start. Only after spending 10-20 fidgeting with the break pedal while simultaneously pushing the start button and moving the gear knob will the vehicle start if you are lucky. Then you can spend another 20 minutes trying to get the vehicle to go into gear. The dealer and Nissan refuse to recall this item despite over one million complaints on the issue, and a history or recalls on other models with the same switch. But the dealer is happy to charge over $1500 to replace it. After spending nearly 70,000 on these cars new, few people are willing to throw $1500 at it with so few miles. Now the vehicle has serious problems. While driving down the road, the car will suddenly and instantly lock the brakes with no warning. This happened twice. Once in the street and one on the highway. In addition, the bci malfunction and several other lights come on and many of the main funtions of the car just shut down while driving.

While driving the brake light came on and when I attempted to stop pedal goes almost to the floor and loud grinding noise is heard. I was able to barely stop the vehicle, I then shut off the vehicle, checked around the vehicle as well as engine compartment not finding any noticeable issue. Restarted the vehicle and brake light was off able to stop with no issue and no grinding noise was heard. Mentioned this to dealer when it was brought in for oil change and they indicated that there was no notice of a recall for this issue. They checked the vehicle and could not find any issues. This has happened several more times where brake light goes on, issue with trying to stop and loud grinding noise. The remedy seems to be to get the vehicle stopped, barely, shut off the vehicle, wait for a short moment and then restart the vehicle. This is very concerning if this happens when needing to make an immediate stop as it takes a bit to get the vehicle to stop when this occurs. Nothing in particular is being done while driving to cause this to happen and I have not been able to replicate.

On a short drive back home on a sunny warm day and was going relatively slow (~20 mph) and tried to slow down to make a turn. The pedal went to the ground and braking was ineffective (slowed down 2 or 3 mph every time I hit the brakes). Seems like the abs was kicking in, even though we were not sliding. I was just trying to slow down. I was finally able to slow down and stop the vehicle and I pulled off the side of the road to inspect. The "brake" light was illuminated even though the parking brake was off, so I thought there must be a trouble code. I had my code reader with me. I read the code reported from the vehicle. Which was c1179, a malfunction with the delta sensor. I looked over the vehicle and brake fluid looked good. Brakes were not hot, no signs of any brake problems. I did not clear any codes or reset anything but the car drove normally the rest of the way home. No problems the next day either. This issue must be intermittent but it is scary. If these brakes had failed at a higher speed or on a mountain pass it could have been much worse!.

See all problems of the 2011 Nissan Armada 🔎.

Bci malfunction out of nowhere on a newly dealer-purchased 2020 Nissan Armada with less than 80,000 miles, which is a known and frequent issue on Nissan Armadas. . . And causes unsafe conditions such as random braking, failure to start, rough engine, rough shifting. . . And lights up the dashboard with bci malfunction light, intelligent key warning light, vehicle dynamic control indicator light, bsi light, forward emergency braking warning light.

My car has had to be repaired three times because of a bci malfunction. This is a part the is controlled by the brake pedal. The car will not crank and the acc issues occur. When the bci malfunction occurs, the car will refuse to start, will malfunction while you are driving and the car loses the ability to break and/or control the speed. I have had the part replaced three times and it continues to act up. Nissan is aware of this issue because I had a 2019 Armada that did the same thing. I have had the vehicle repaired three times. The part/repair will last 12-13 months or 18-20,000 miles before malfunctioning again. I have multiple videos of the car doing this. I have serviced at the dealership. I spoke with two different dealerships and the service managers both stated that they have never seen this part have to be repaired so much and don't know why it is not lasting. This vehicle has become a safety hazard to me, my children, and others on the road. I have contacted Nissan about repurchasing this vehicle. They said I do not meet the GA lemon laws and in fact, I do meet the requirements. At this point, I have started making videos of the malfunctions in the hope that if/when something happens to me, my family has the documentation needed to show that Nissan is at fault for this safety concern and they are aware of this because it also happened on my 2019 Armada.

Bci (back-up collision intervention) malfunction. It's random when this comes up on the dashboard warning lights. It lights up several other things as well. It doesn't allow you to use the cruise control, or the 4-wheel drive. It disables the abs and traction control. I don't know how this is not a recall, because I see several forums talking about this issue for this vehicle specifically in this year. We took it to the dealership, and they brushed it off, and claimed they didn't know how to fix it. It has caused multiple problems and has put my family at harms risk due to it disabling the safety features.

Car is has been having bci malfunction warning come up. This has happened numerous times since purchasing. It has been taken to the dealership multiple times for this issue. They have replaced brake switch sensors and even the battery and calibrated everything and the problem continues to persist. This has left us stranded on the side the road with the car not starting. It has caused sudden braking while driving on interstate with no warning and nothing to cause this reaction… two Nissan dealerships that have looked it it play it off as nothing meanwhile I keep reading of more people having similar issues with this vehicle. This needs to be further investigated before someone is out in a deadly situation.

There many times eather one backing up that breaks come on or if I driveing and something just slightly in my lane brakes come on this can cause huge probems. 1) it cause car to wreck 2) it wares breaks down faster as it applying brakes when not neeeded note in curse control going down a hill car is unable to keep it speed the same no programing for this was done, two cruse control has be on for any of safty feachers work 3 if u comeing up on car fast breaks will not come on in short u will hit car in front u there is huge programing probem with this u would think that the programeing would not be so badly made I notace these probems but they cant find any codes wich would cause it and u have recreat what made it happen first time car will slow down if in cruse control but I dont get why wont stop the car if car in front is stop and u comeing up on it to fast the programing is all over internet that there huge probem I ask that they be force to fix the breaks, also this is a 6000 ib car front brakes on my Dodge charger was twice as big why to stop it why are breaks in front and rotor so small this might not be spots car but ways more then h1 hummer.

I own a 2018 Nissan Armada that is getting ready to have its 4th brake switch replaced in this vehicle. This car is completely unsafe and an accident waiting to happen! this is a known problem in the 2018 Nissan Armada and it is a huge safety concern.

Bci malfunction - caused brakes to seize up while driving. The first time I received this warning, in August 2022, it only caused my car not to start. After multiple attempts to start the vehicle, I finally was able to get it started and I scheduled repair at Nissan. When I took it in for repair, the service advisor said since the warning light was not actively illuminating, they were not able to pull codes and therefore not able to diagnose or repair. They sent me on my way and instructed me to return when the warning was displayed again. During this visit, my car was still under the mfg. Warranty. Last week, while driving 50 mph and about to enter the freeway in southern CA with 75+ speeds, the bci malfunction light came on and my brakes immediately seized causing me to stop abruptly. I was able to move to the side of the road and call a tow truck. The vehicle was towed to Nissan who had it for 3 days and said they were unable to duplicate the issue and felt the brake switch was just out of adjustment. I'm not sure how a brake switch could become out of adjustment and it does not sound like a reasonable answer to me. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle. If you look up Nissan Armada bci malfunction on an internet search, you will find several complaints with owners having the same issue. Why is this not a recall?! this is a major safety issue if the brakes are seizing up while driving! I was getting ready to enter the freeway and in southern CA, freeway speed is 75+ mph! is it going to take someone dying before Nissan handles this problem???.

Several times when driving, my brake light will come on and when pressing the brake, it does not engage. When you press on the pedal you hear a loud grinding sound. It does not slow down the vehicle at all and the grinding is loud and seems to be damaging internal parts. When you turn the engine off, and restart it the problem goes away. I have read so many similar issues with 2006 Nissan Armada about the brake light. How is this not a safety recall especially when I’m on the freeway driving 65 mph and all of a sudden brake light comes on! I have to pull over safely and hard to do especially when the brake does not engage at all when the light is on. This is a huge safety concern for me due to the fact that I never know when this is going to happen again. What if it happens while I need to come to a quick emergency stop?! this is a major safety concern that needs to be looked into!!.

The brakes light comes on frequently and brakes stop working properly when going over a bump in the road decrease speed then engine fails. Has to be turned off then on to start engine.

See all problems of the 2005 Nissan Armada 🔎.

I have a 2005 Nissan Armada that has a known problem with its brakes. It has a faulty delta brake sensor and brake booster. What happens is that the brake light comeson, the vehicle losses its braking ability and sounds like metal scraping when you apply the brakes. The issue will reset if you turn off the car. Nissan knows about this issue but has failed to send 2004-2006 Armada owners of information on how to get this fixed at a local dealer. Here is a link to the class action settlement: https://topclassactions. Com/lawsuit-settlements/closed-settlements/Nissan-brake-defect-class-action-settlement/ my complaint is this, there were 350,000 affected vehicles and mine was one of them. I was never notified by Nissan of this faulty part and did not know that Nissan would reimburse me for the repair. The settlement date is now closed but the problem still exists in many Nissan affected vehicles. I called Nissan USA and they said Nissan could do nothing for me. I called my local Nissan dealer and described the problem and they said they could do nothing for me but that I could pay out of pocket to have the brake booster replaced at qa cost of $1500f or parts and labor. The error code associated with this problem is c1179. This issue is a safety issue and it affects the vehicles ability to stop. If you do not see the brake warning light on you do not know that the issue is happening. This could result in a dangerous situation at highway speeds. I would like the NHTSA to get involved and to demand that Nissan repair this known problem free of charge. Scott chase 1601 53rd street, sacramento, CA 95819 916-731-5272.

I was driving on the road and my brake light came on and my brakes failed. As I tried to stop my brakes made a grinding spring noise. I turned the car off and after about 3 minutes I restarted and everything was fine. I continue to drive and less than 10 minutes later it did it again. I have went online to look for information and I see that there was a lawsuit about the booster delta sensor. I called Nissan and they denied this, and I went to the Nissan dealership and they will check it out because they have not seen any recalls on my vehicle for this problem yet online there's a whole lot of customer complaints about this model doing the exact same thing. Here is the case# 46966578 Nissan gave me to document the call. . Read more...

I was driving in traffic and my breaks went out and I almost got in a collision. The breaks at first didn't work and then were bouncing and grinding to stop and the break warning light came on. I swerved and barely missed another car. I pulled over in a parking lot there was a burning smell and let it sit for 4hr. I took it to get the breaks fixed an they couldn't find any issues with the breaking system except for the delta stroke sensor failure. I understand this has a been an ongoing issue with cars. One situation killed 3 people and Nissan lost a $25m lawsuit on this. I can't understand why this wouldn't be on a recall as issues with the breaking system is life threatening. My car is now at Nissan getting fixed, has been there for 2 weeks, they still can't figure out the issue with the delta sensor breaking system. This is very serious and no matter what age of the car, should be covered under a recall. You can find hundreds of articles online to understand how many cars are affected. Please look into this and issue a recall.