Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
14 mpgcombined; city 12, highway 18; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$23,200U.S. average; Ohio $20,730 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Armada. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Structure
9
1
1
1
Suspension
4
1
0
5
Electrical system
3
0
0
0
Engine
3
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
3
1
0
5
Power train
3
1
0
5
Air bags
2
1
1
1
Seats
2
0
0
0
Unknown or other
2
1
1
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
1
0
0
0
Service brakes
1
0
0
0
4 more parts
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
1
0
2
Steering
1
1
0
5
Tires
1
1
0
5
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2009 Armada over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Risk: A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver’s airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2009 TITAN, ARMADA, AND INFINITI QX56 VEHICLES. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FUEL GAUGE MAY INACCURATELY DISPLAY THAT THE VEHICLE STILL HAS SOME FUEL, TYPICALLY ABOUT ONE QUARTER TANK, WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS EMPTY.
Risk: THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS AND STALL ON THE HIGHWAY, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL SENDER UNIT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WITH A NEW IMPROVED SENDER CARD. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 22, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 TITAN, ARMADA, AND INFINITI QX56, AND MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES. THE BRAKE PEDAL PIVOT PIN END WAS NOT SPIN-FORMED TO SPECIFICATION DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY. THE PIVOT PIN COULD SLIDE AND CAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PARTIALLY DISENGAGE FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL BRACKET.
Risk: THE DRIVER WILL EXPERIENCE UNUSUAL AND NOTICEABLE LOOSENESS IN THE PEDAL AND A REDUCTION IN BRAKING FORCE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO SEE IF THE PIVOT PIN HAD BEEN FORMED PROPERLY AND WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY IF NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 22, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 91 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Armada, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (23), electrical system (14), engine and engine cooling (11), service brakes (7), steering (7).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Armada.
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Armada Rear-Wheel Drive
5.6 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
12 / 18 / 14
Armada 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.6 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
12 / 18 / 14
Armada Rear-Wheel Drive
5.6 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
12 / 18 / 14
Armada 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.6 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
12 / 18 / 14
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data