2004 Nissan Armada Tires & Wheels Problems

THREE MONTHS AGO, THE DIFFERENTIAL IN MY 2004 NISSAN ARMADA NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SAID THAT BOLTS WERE MISSING FROM THE AXLE AND HE WAS VERY PERPLEXED AS TO WHY THAT WOULD BE. THE DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPAIRED BUT 3 MONTHS LATER THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DIDN'T WORK AND THE AXLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. HE CALLED THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THIS WAS EXTREMELY COMMON IN ALL OF THE NISSAN ARMADAS. THEY EVEN STOCKED THE FRONT AXLES BECAUSE THEY GO THROUGH SO MANY OF THEM. *TR

ONE CONTINENTAL 265 70R18 HAD A TOTAL TIRE SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH. IT WAS ON THE LEFT REAR. THERE WAS ONLY 14627 MILES ON THE TIRE. I PURCHASED 5 OF THE SAME TIRES FROM METRO NISSAN IN REDLANDS, CA ON 7-14-07, SEE THEIR INVOICE BAR #AC238261. I HAD A FLAT TIRE (PUNCTURE) IN ANOTHER OF THE SAME TIRE ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO AND WAS PATCHED. *JB

OUR MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT HE BELIEVED THE TIRES ON OUR NISSAN ARMADA WERE NOT RATED HIGH ENOUGH TO TOW THE CAPACITY THAT NISSAN CLAIMS THEY WILL. STANDARD WITH THE ARMADA ARE P265 70 R18 "PASSENGER" TIRES THAT ARE 4 PLY. WE TOW A LARGE 3 HORSE TRAILER THAT WHEN LOADED TO CAPACITY IS AT THE LIMITS OF THE ARMADA, NOT TO MENTION THE INCREASED WEIGHT OF PASSENGERS AND LUGGAGE IN THE ARMADA. WE HAVE CONTACTED NUMEROUS TIRE COMPANIES ASKING ABOUT WHAT TIRES THEY WOULD RECOMMEND KNOWING THAT IT IS OUR INTENT TO TOW HEAVY LOADS, NOT TO EXCEED THE LIMITS OF THE VEHICLE. NO TIRE COMPANY (GOODYEAR, BF GOODRICH, LES SCHWAB) STATED THEY WOULD SELL US "P" RATED 4 PLY TIRES FOR OUR VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THE TIRES WERE NOT UP TO THE JOB OF HANDLING SUCH HEAVY WEIGHT CAPACITY. RENO NISSAN SAYS THERE IS "NO PROBLEM", HOWEVER, WHEN WE EXPLAINED TO THEM THE PROBLEM WITH THE ARMADA "BRAKE RECALL" AND THE "TRAILER WIRING" RECALL, WE TOLD THEM WE DIDN'T BELIEVE THEM. ALSO, THE XTERRA HAD A "TRAILER HITCH" RECALL BECAUSE THE HITCH SYSTEM WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE LOADS NISSAN SAID THEY WOULD. WE HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH SEVERAL REP'S FROM NHTSA WHO ASKED THAT WE FILE THIS FORMAL COMPLAINT ABOUT THE TOW CAPACITY RATING/TIRES OF THE ARMADA. FORTUNATELY, THERE HAVE BEEN NO FAILURES WITH REGARDS TO OUR TOWING, HOWEVER, THE ARMADA IS NEW AND FEW PEOPLE MAY HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS UNKNOWN HOW MANY OWNERS ACTUALLY USE THE ARMADA FOR THIS TYPE OF TOWING APPLICATION WHICH WOULD SKEW THE NUMBER OF REPORTED FAILURES AND/OR COMPLAINTS RELATING TO IMPROPER TIRES SUPPLIED BY NISSAN. WITH THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND THE TRAILER WIRING HARNESS ON THE ARMADA, IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE TO SUSPECT THAT NISSAN ENGINEERS SIMPLY MADE ANOTHER MISTAKE AS NISSAN WAS TRYING TO GET INTO THE LARGE SUV MARKET. *JB

DT: WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND HEARD A SOUND OF EXPLOSION AND IT WAS THE TIRE THAT EXPLODED ON THE FREEWAY. WAS DRIVING AT 70 MPH. THEN PULLED OVER TO CHANGE IT WITH THE SPARE. I SAW A HOLE ABOUT SIX INCHES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TIRE WALL NOT IN FRONT SIDE. THIS WAS THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. CALLED NISSAN DEALER. THEY SAID TO CONTACT THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. CONSUMER CALLED CONTINENTAL TIRES. AND THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY. THE ONLY OPTION WAS THAT CONSUMER PURCHASED A NEW TIRES WHICH COST $300.00. WENT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE CAR WAS CHECKED , AND HAD NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS . NISSAN DEALER SAID TO CALL BACK CONTINENTAL TIRES. CALLED THE AGAIN AND CONTINENTAL TIRES DID NOT WANTED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. AS OF NOW CONSUMER COULD NOT DRIVE WITH THE SPARE TIRE, AND COMPLAINED AGAINST CONTINENTAL TIRES.*AK

FRONT TIRES CUPPING ON OUTSIDE AND INSIDE OF TREAD AT 5919 MILES DEALER BALANCED ALL TIRES. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *NM