Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Nissan Armada owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My breaking system has a malfunction that comes on and off. Sometimes the brakes automatically stop working and start grinding as if I have no brakes, but when I brought it to be looked at they couldn't find the problem. I notice that when you turn the car off and turn it back on the problems of sides for a little while will eventually come back later. For someone to detect it, they cannot shut the car off at the time that is presenting itself.
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. …
"Takata recall" I experience surprise excelleration three times, once resulting in a minor vehicle accident with minor body damage. All three occurred on a city street while in starting motion going straight ahead.
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.
I have a 2005 Nissan Armada for the past several months my brakes have been acting up. When I am driving my brake light comes on and I go to stop and the I can't stopmakeing a horrible noise. I have to stop my vehicle where ever I am driving and stop the car as soon as possible. I have to put it in park, shut the car off and then after a few seconds and then restart my car. This has happened several time since November and recently has happened twice in the same week . This is not safe and is an accident waiting to happen when you can't stop your car. I did take it to the dealership but since they could not find anyhting they sent me away saying that my rotors have dust on them and I can pay est $100 to pay to have them cleaned. …
I have had numerous issues starting in 13' with the ECM being replaced after 05' Armada stalled on highway traveling 70 miles/hour in heavy traffic. Recently in early 15' I ran out of gas when fuel gauge displayed a quarter tank of gas at a red light. Also in early 15' my A/C will only work when on high. Both of these issues are known & are listed as recalls that I will be making a service appointment with my local Nissan dealer to research, correct & fix. There are numerous reports of similar & exact known issues online. Most recently in November 15' I was picking my children up from school in the rain. I was traveling home when I had to apply my breaks, but they did not perform as they should. The breaks made a spring sound, the brake peddle had little to no resistance when I applied my foot to stop & the break light came on. …
Purchased vehicle used in May 2015, my trusted mechanic checked it out September 2015 and reported back it was in good condition with no issues. July 2016 experienced break failure at 15 miles an hour. Again my mechanic troubleshooted the issues and said the power break booster needed to be replaced. He then referred me to Nissan for possible replacement since it is a safety issue. I spoke with corporate Nissan who advised me to take it to our local Nissan dealership to prove the issue existed, for any potential compensation. After taking the vehicle to Nissan they concluded reprogramming the delta stroke sensor would resolve the problem; which I had to pay $300 to have this done. On October 2016 inoperable break failure occurred again at 65 miles an hour while on the interstate, as I was approaching an exit ramp. This same issue occurred twice in one day, just a week later. …
Break system failure has happened to me more than once. For some reason it sounds like they're are rocks in between my brakes and the rotors. I have to reset the system by shutting the car off and turning it back on. I almost had an accident on the freeway because of it and no indication other than the noise that it was happening. Also, when a passenger is in the seat the airbag light does not turn off. I and hasn't for over 5 years. The driver side and/or passenger side seat belts also do not get recognized as being used since the flash indicator on the dash keeps flashing. When I took t in to the dealer they said there are no recalls but it's a safety issue. The vehicle has less than 110000 miles on it and had less than 80000 when these issues started. I just want my vehicle to be safe and everyone else who has the same one. …
I was driving in light traffic, pushed on the brake pedal, the brake light (not ABS) illuminated on the instrument panel, I heard a grinding sound and almost pushed the pedal to the floor. I pulled over, turned the truck off, and restarted it. The brake light remained illuminated, but I was able to brake. After turning it off and letting it sit for about 30 minutes, I turned it on again. The brake light was no longer on and the brakes engaged. I took it to a brake shop on 3/27/15 and was told that my pads are fine. They also checked the fluid and the level was OK. I contacted a local Nissan dealer and was told that there aren't any recalls. They have not received any reports from consumers about this type of issue occurring, but could not provide an explanation as to why this happened and could be reset by turning the vehicle off. …
While attempting to stop, without warning the brake light comes on and the brake pedal basically goes to the floor and barely works to stop the truck. The brakes grind as it is pushed. If you turn the vehicle off it seems to reset itself. We almost hit someone today trying to stop at a red light. The vehicle was moving at roughly 15-20 MPH when the issue started (today). We were on a city street, braking to stop. It seems to be a consistent problem with these vehicles and I am boggled at the fact that no one is requiring Nissan to take any responsibility. Eventually someone is going to get very hurt. Having little to no control over your braking is very scary, especially with my little one in the truck with me . This is a large vehicle and would do a lot of damage if it were to hit someone the next time this happens. This seems to happen once every 2-4 weeks or so. …
Brake complaints in other Armada years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Nissan Armada?
NHTSA has 220 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Nissan Armada, 59% of the model year's 373 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Nissan Armada brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2005 Nissan Armada, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Nissan Armada brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.