NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 130 complaints against the 2018 Nissan Armada. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2018 Nissan Armada complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2018 Nissan Armada has generated 140 NHTSA complaints and has 1 active recall. If your 2018 Nissan Armada has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Nissan pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2018 Nissan Armada include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 34 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “My 2018 Nissan Armada (VIN: [XXX] ) has been experiencing no-start issues consistently for the past three years. Two years ago, I purchased a new battery from a Nissan dealership after being told the existing one had failed. Despite that replacement, the problem persisted and continues to this day. The vehicle intermittently fails to start, often producing only a click sound even though the battery, alternator, and starter test as functional. I now have to jump my car at least five times a week just to drive it. Through research and online forums, I’ve found that many other owners of this model report identical issues, which appear linked to the brake lamp switch or Body Control Module (BCM). While Nissan has issued Technical Service Bulletins for these concerns, no formal recall has been offered. This ongoing electrical malfunction is a serious reliability and safety issue—especially if the vehicle fails to start during a critical situation—and I urge NHTSA to investigate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)” (NHTSA Complaint #11673811)
Powertrain and transmission defects directly impair the vehicle’s core function and are generally considered substantial defects under California lemon law. Owners of the 2018 Nissan Armada have reported harsh shifting, shuddering, slipping, and transmission warning lights. 10 NHTSA complaints have been submitted for this defect category. Owner reports include: “TCC slips, RPMs are all over the place at light throttle between 15-40mph. Believed to be an issue with the torque converter, known to Nissan.” (NHTSA Complaint #11705694)
Brake defects affecting safety may qualify for California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, which applies to defects likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. The 2018 Nissan Armada has generated 8 NHTSA complaints related to braking, including ABS failures, grinding, reduced stopping power, and warning lights. Owner reports include: “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.” (NHTSA Complaint #11682708)
The 2018 Nissan Armada has generated 8 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “The dashboard instrument panel lighting has begun to go dark. It started with a section of the odometer going dark and has since spread to a lot of the instrument panel. After researching it further it is a known issue among other Armada owners. It poses a safety risk as you can no longer glance at the panel to get information, but instead must look for a longer period of time to see the gauges. Below is a link to others who have experienced the same issue. I wrote Nissan about the issue and have not received a response. Thanks for your time and attention. Sincerely, [XXX] https://www.clubarmada.com/threads/speedometer-lights-from-0-20mph-out.86969/page-2 INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).” (NHTSA Complaint #11530872)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2018 Nissan Armada include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 8 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “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.” (NHTSA Complaint #11493213)
The following 1 recall has been issued for the 2018 Nissan Armada by the NHTSA or Nissan. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2018 Nissan Armada:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Nissan to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Nissan must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2018 Nissan Armada qualifies as a lemon under California law, Nissan may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Nissan a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Nissan dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Nissan pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Nissan a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Nissan is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2018 Nissan Armada has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
Get a free case evaluation. Nissan pays our fees if you win — you pay nothing upfront.
Check My Refund Amount →