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 2006 Nissan Armada owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Armada. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brakes warning light illuminated. The brake pedal was depressed and made an abnormal metal-on-metal sound. The contact slowed down, veered to the side of the road, and restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved a delta stroke error code however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,815.
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. …
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. …
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. …
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 contact owns a 2006 Nissan Armada. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the contact 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 airbag light has been on for a while indicating that there is a defect in the airbags . The brakes light comes on randomly and the car brakes on its own without me applying the brakes and that is very dangerous especially on the highway and the transmission light comes on showing the 4x4 light as on for no reason and I would have it on just the 2 wheels
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. …
Original odi #10745373 - 11/19/2010 still unresolved. Review of nc dmv - 340 (rev.3/2001) with insurance company, insurance affiliated collision repair shop and Nissan of north America confirmed acknowledgment of rotor/ brake damage during repairs. The collision repair shop and (Nissan)modern service mgr. Both internally notated the issue until the claim was confirmed by a Nissan service tech (5936) on 12/21/2010 during a collision re-inspection. Front/ rear brake pad replacement has not resolved the rotor issue confirmed during 2010 repairs. Brake pads were not worn to require replacement during inspections to address concerns. The Nissan edr issue has remained unaddressed by the insurance company while Nissan has provided all warranty/ recall services for the vehicle from 2006 to the present. Geico has provided a guarantee of all losses related to collision on 12/07/2010.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 Nissan Armada. While driving approximately 35 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal fractured while being depressed and caused the contact's vehicle to crash into the rear of a second vehicle. During the crash, the vehicle was destroyed and the front end was severely damaged; however, the air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed. The driver sustained a concussion and the front passenger sustained a neck abrasion. Medical attention was required. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 175,000. ....updated 06/21/17 ...updated 08/02/17 updated 10/06/17 ..updated 10/11/17 updated 10/23/17 updated 11/2/2017
Brake complaints in other Armada years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2006 Nissan Armada?
NHTSA has 192 complaints about the brakes of the 2006 Nissan Armada, 72% of the model year's 266 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Nissan Armada brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2006 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 2006 Nissan Armada brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 2 fires and 10 injuries 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.