NHTSA Complaint #10508083 — 2010 NISSAN ARMADA

THE VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL (VDC; AKA STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM), ABS, BRAKE, AND 4X4 LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE. AT TIMES, THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY FAILURE OF THE SPEEDOMETER. WHEN ILLUMINATED, THE VDC IS SWITCHED OFF FOR CERTAIN, THE 4X4 WILL NOT ENGAGE, AND MOST LIKELY THE ABS WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. A SEARCH ONLINE (JUST LOOK FOR NISSAN ABS/VDC LIGHTS) REVEALS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ACROSS VIRTUALLY ALL NISSAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THESE SYSTEMS, AND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE CAUSES OF THIS FAILURE. SOME SOLUTIONS HAVE RANGED FROM RECALIBARATION OF VARIOUS SENSORS TO REPLACEMENT OF ABS ACTUATION MODULES ($1,000+ PART). MANY EVEN REPORT THE PROBLEM OCCURING VERY SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE (I.E. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH ONLY 15 MILES ON THE VEHICLE), OR WITHIN THE FIRST 30,000 MILES. IF THE AFFLICTED SYSTEMS WERE TO FAIL DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, OR EVEN SIMPLY IN POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS, IT COULD EASILY RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. IT APPEARS TO BE A SYSTEMIC ISSUE WITH MULTIPLE VEHICLE COMPONENTS BEING POORLY MANUFACTURED, OR POORLY INSTALLED (SOME HAVE REPORTED LOOSE GROUND SCREWS FROM THE FACTORY AS A ROOT CAUSE, OR VARIOUS SPEED/ABS SENSORS INSTALLED ON EACH WIELD BEING INSTALLED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE WIRES BECOME CHAFED OR DAMAGED). I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANY TSB OR RECALL DATA ON THIS ISSUE, BUT CONSIDERING THE COSTS FOR REPAIRS THAT SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED, WIDE-SPREAD FREQUENCY OF THIS ISSUE, AND ABOVE ALL, THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS DAMAGE OR INJURY, THERE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE. *TR