Your vehicleHome›Nissan›Armada› 2021

Nissan · Large SUV

2021 Nissan Armada

Gas

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

89 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints1 crash · 1 injured reported 13

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 16 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2021 Nissan Armada is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Armada 2WD, is EPA-rated at 16 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 13 complaints, most often about the forward collision avoidance.

Nissan Armada — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Nissan Armada · Photo: HJUdall · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Armada 2WD	Gas	RWD	5.6L 8-cyl	14	19	16	$5,150
Armada 4WD	Gas	4WD	5.6L 8-cyl	13	18	15	$5,500
Armada 4WD	Gas	4WD	5.6L 8-cyl	13	18	15	$5,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43692, 43695, 43696.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Armada 2WD, Armada 4WD	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 2F: 7,001 - 8,000 lb (3,175 - 3,629 kg)

Engine Basics

Displacement

5.6 L

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	3
Seating capacity	8 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	7

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Rear cross-traffic alert

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: PLATINUM, SL, SV). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	209.1 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	79.9 in
Height	76.0 in
Wheelbase	121.3 in
Track, front	67.7 in
Track, rear	68.1 in
Curb weight	5,917 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	52/48

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: 4-door SUV. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

○minor

Equipment

R26B1/2, P6A13/4

168,149 vehicles

Problem 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." Risk An overloaded vehicle can increase the risk of a crash. Fix 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 Ju

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Interim owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Dealer notice PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V455000 reported Jul 15, 2026 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

R21A2, R21A3

24,140 vehicles 94% reported repaired

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

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V373000 reported May 20, 2021 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Armada

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Nissan publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Nissan’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Nissan Armada, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

13complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

7.6 per 10,000 built · Nissan reported 17,210 Armada built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2022: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Forward Collision Avoidance 4

Fuel/Propulsion System 4

Engine 3

Electrical System 3

Unspecified 2

Power Train 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

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 a low-voltage battery. The battery was replaced.

Electrical System at 34,000 miles Apr 28, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11734259

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 Mar 30, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11728005

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.

Engine Dec 18, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11705865

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.

Power Train Sep 15, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11687438

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

Fuel/Propulsion System Jun 29, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11670051

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.

Air Bags Jan 12, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11447227

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★☆☆	22%
SUV RWD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★☆☆	24%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 86

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-04-13

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 86 service bulletins

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Forward Collision Avoidance, Visibility/Wiper, Engine.

NTB09-131C Service bulletin
2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
NTB09-131C Service bulletin
2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
NTB19-042F Service bulletin
2025-02-20 · Service Brakes
AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and there are no related DTCs, inspect the windshield. A blinking AEB warning light may occur under the following condit
NTB19-033G Service bulletin
2025-02-20 · Electrical System
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. You MUST closely follow the entire SERVICE PROCEDURE as it contains information that is essential to successfully completing this repair.
NTB19-071D Service bulletin
2024-09-19 · Air Bags
DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page)
NTB22-103B Service bulletin
2024-08-15 · Electrical System
INFOTAINMENT CONTROL UNIT REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION APPLIED VEHICLES: 2021-2024 Armada (Y62) 2022-2024 Frontier (D41) – Pro-X and Pro-4X 2022-2024 Pathfinder (R53) 2021-2023 Rogue (T33) 2020-2024 Titan (A61) 2023-2024 Z (Z34) SERVICE INFORMATION When replacing an AV Control Unit (Infotainment Control Unit), for any reason, all three steps below are required. If all three steps are not comple
NTB22-027B Service bulletin
2024-08-15 · Electrical System
DTC B2E01-96 (INTERNAL BATTERY) STORED AS CURRENT IN IVC This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. SERVICE INFORMATION The APPLIED VEHICLES that come equipped with a factory installed SOS switch, located near the overhead map lamp, also come equipped with a wireless communication device called a Telematics Communicati
NTB20-085C Service bulletin
2024-08-15 · Electrical System
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT RESET AFTER AUTOMATIC COLLISION NOTIFICATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. SERVICE INFORMATION The Telematics Control Unit (TCU) has the ability to send an automatic collision notification when the vehicle is involved in an accident. Once an automatic collision notification is perfo

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0456 P0456 on Nissan →	A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Engine · Gas cap →	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Armada by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 A 2 9 18 mpg 2025 A 2 21 18 mpg 2024 A 1 4 16 mpg 2023 A 1 5 16 mpg 2022 A 1 9 16 mpg 2021 this page B 2 13 16 mpg 2020 B 2 27 16 mpg 2019 A 1 79 16 mpg 2018 A 1 76 16 mpg 2017 A 0 81 16 mpg 2016 A 0 1 16 mpg

Common questions about the 2021 Armada

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2021 Nissan Armada have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2021 Nissan Armada. The most serious on file is 21V373000, covering Fuel System, Gasoline. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. The manufacturer's own estimate for when a fix would be ready: Fall 2026. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2021 Nissan Armada?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2021 Nissan Armada yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (89/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Nissan Armada?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 Nissan Armada, the best EPA combined figure is 16 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2021 Nissan Armada?

Transport Canada measured it at 209.1 in long, 79.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 76.0 in tall, on a 121.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 5,917 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2021 Nissan Armada?

Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Armada, most often about forward collision avoidance, fuel/propulsion system, engine. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2021 Nissan Armada?

The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Nissan Armada is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Nissan Armada?

The manufacturer has filed 86 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Nissan Armada, most often covering electrical system, equipment, forward collision avoidance. The most recent is dated 2026-04-13. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	3 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	3 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	13	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	86	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	10 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API