Timing Tensioner Problems of Nissan Maxima

The timing chain tensioners prematurely wear, causing a whining noise as the chain rubs against the tensioner while the vehicle is turned on. This wear eventually grinds through the tensioner resulting in complete engine failure which can lead to a crash or injury. This began to happen for me just outside of the manufacturer warranty, and is a costly repair for a part of the engine that should not have to be maintained within the engines expected lifetime.

See all problems of the 2008 Nissan Maxima 🔎.

The timing chain tensioner that is made from plastic came apart and has caused my cars engine to fail. This is clearly a defective designed part . It will cost around $2000. 00 parts and labor for the repair from the Nissan dealership. Nissan should step up and correct this design flaw for me and many others with this same problem .

See all problems of the 2004 Nissan Maxima 🔎.

Timing chain tensioner and guide is defective. It is a known issue (since 2004) but Nissan refuses to pay for it and pass the costly repairs onto the consumer.

See all problems of the 2007 Nissan Maxima 🔎.

My 2004 Maxima was 'missing' during freeway driving and 'died' as I turned in my driveway. Nissan did some miscellaneous repairs but told me that there was 'secondary timing chain noise due to worn guides. ' I was told by the service representative that if this isn't fixed the engine could be destroyed. The estimated cost is $1,700. I am afraid to drive my car because if this breaks on the freeway I and others could be in jeopardy. There are class action suits against Nissan regarding a design flaw in the 'timing chain tensioner and guide' assembly. I feel it incumbent on Nissan to issue a recall but I am unaware that one has been issued. I feel betrayed that I was sold a potentially dangerous automobile with no remedy other than an expensive repair.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph and approaching a stop, transmission shifted hard. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the timing belt and the tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,800.

See all problems of the 2006 Nissan Maxima 🔎.

The car makes a knocking sound when the engine is running. I took the car to the dealer and they stated it was the timing chain and tensioner. The cost for repair is 2500. This is the first time I have ever heard of a timing chain going bad with a car with this mileage. I am very upset looked the problem up on the internet and noticed alot of people are having a problem with this on their cars. I feel Nissan should replace this at their cost.

It has been proven and reported many times on the internet of the poor design of the secondary timing chains, tensioners, and guides for this particular model of Nissan. Owners of these vehicles have had to pay huge repair bills due to the defective timing chain tensioners that were placed in this vehicle when it was manufactured. They wear out prematurely and the engine has to be taken out of the car to replace the defective parts. This is inexcusable on the part of Nissan and the owners shouldn't have to pay these huge repair costs to replace a part that was defective in the first place.

See all problems of the 2005 Nissan Maxima 🔎.

I recently purchased an 05 Maxima with 107,000 miles on it. The next day I heard a loud ticking from engine. My tensioners are failing an estimated $2000 repair. In the same day upon acceleration my wheel jerked violently, a sign of a failing transmission. $3000+ this is ridiculous. This is absolutely criminal that a recall has not been initiated by Nissan. This is a problem for thousands of people, and a severe risk to the safety of the driver. I will be contacting every available newspaper and news agency in my area and will try to contact national news agencies this is absolutely atrocious. I beg other Nissan owners to make this a problem for Nissan that wont go away until proper actions are taken.

Car began making a chattering sound and I had oil checked immediately. Full, but it was suggested to me at gas station that I might have a sticking valve. I had an appointment for an oil change on Monday, November 7th but on Sunday, 11/6/11 as I was going up a slight hill chattering got louder and engine stopped. I'm told the car "jumped timing" due to the failure of the tensioner which holds the timing chain. It's likely the heads were damaged in the process but I have not yet had the engine pulled apart. From on line research this seems to be a common problem with the Maxima models 2004-08. Called Nissan but they insist that I have it towed to dealership and pay a large sum of money to have it diagnosed and then they "might" pay for the parts (job is labor intensive!) for their "flagship" engine, it was probably not a good idea to use a plastic part in it! I will be contacting Nissan again soon. Thank you.

Took the car to dealership and they detected that the timing chain tensioners have worn out and will need replacement. The part is made of cheap plastic and fails in 2005 Maxima cars after about 65000 miles. The part cost is about $50 but the labor cost is about $1500. The process of replacing the part requires taking out the engine. This is an expensive car and a poorly designed plastic part is installed which helps control the timing chain of the engine. If the part fails eventually the engine will fail. I am disappointed that this problem showed up after my warrantly has expired. This repair should be paid for by Nissan and not by the customers.

My car started with a rattling noise heard from inside the cabin at 56,000 miles,, the noise would come and go. Then at 77,000 miles shortly after the warranty goes out, it starts making a whining noise,, similar to power steering when fluid is low,, well it turns out its the timing chain tensioner,, made up of plastic and the cost of repair is 1200. 00 dollars!!, I have done some research online and im not the only one that has gone thru this on Nissan vehicles, even cars from 1997 to present have had this problem related to the timing chain tensioners going bad right after warranty expires,, this has to be a recall but Nissan wont admit it, im starting to get very disappointed in Nissan, hopefully other Nissan owners with this problem complain here,, very disappointed in Nissan.

2004 Nissan Maxima se with vq35 3. 5l v6 engine - timing chain tensioners my Maxima timing chain tensioners need to be replaced due to a faulty design in the secondary timing chains wearing the tensioners out faster than they should. Nissan quotes anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 dollars to complete repair which usually consists of removing the engine from the vehicle! many complaints on multiple forums online from many different owners complain of this same issue, normally occuring around 60,000 mile mark. It is only a matter of time before all of these vehicles are affected. The cost for the repair of the vehicle I am still financing is catastrophic! Nissan would have to have the car for 3 days to complete the repair. This is not a problem I should be having with a vehicle that is still being financed for a few more years. Timing chains were designed to allow customers the security of not messing with them for way more than 100k miles, or 60k miles rather! I am so lucky mine has even lasted this long and Nissan refuses customers regularly who ask for assistance. Nissan needs to be held accountable for this repair since they know about the issue, released a technical service bulletin (ntb07-042c) highlighting the issue, and notify their technicians of the faulty secondary timing chain design.

'04 Maxima, maintained regularly, original owner, purchased in summer of '03(first batch of assy. Line); noise coming from right side of engine. Noise was loud when engine was cold and would go away after engine had warmed up. Eventually started to still hear the noise (not as loud) after engine was warm. Local repair shop said the noise was coming from the timing chain and most likely the guide had broken and was rubbing the chain and stated both would need to be replaced. This shop had never done one of these repairs on a Nissan because "this never happens to a Nissan motor". Yet they found many tsbs and internet search results about my particular model car having this same issue. They suggested I have the dealership take a look. I contacted the dealership service center and without telling them what the local repair shop said, only summarizing the explanation of the noise when engine was cold and then goes away after warm up, the service advisor interrupted me and said, "it's the timing chain guide". He barely let me finish the story before he knew exactly what it was. He said that was because he (his service center) has done this repair on 04 Maxima's so many times it's ridiculous. He also stated that it has been recognized by Nissan as a common problem with the 04 model engines but yet will not cover the repairs. Nissan boasts that the timing chains in these engines are maintenance free or at least worth 300k+ miles (since by that time most owners would have got 15 years+ out of the car), but yet the parts to hold the chain on break down way before that. The labor to repair the surrounding parts is the same to replace the chain since the tech has to reach to the same spot of the engine for repairs. I was originally quoted $1500. + for the repairs but was able to strike a small discount and paid $1133. 55 for "2 tensioner chains", "chain guide", "tensioner assembly", and some other seals & gaskets. Labor alone was $787. 50. Which was discounted from $1100. +. Outrageous.

Failure of timing chain & tensioners. Upon hearing whining noise took 2005 Maxima to dealer who verified noise was due to an impending failure of the timing chains and tensioners. Researched problem & discover that this manufacturing defect involved engines made from 2004 to 2007 affecting Maxima's, quest's, altima's, pathfinder's, &xterrra's. We contacted Nissan USA & were informed that Nissan had no responsibility for this problem and since our 36,000 miles had expired we were on our own. (case #6392191) no choices left we paid this replacement of defective parts to the price tag of $2800. 93. Appealed to Nissan USA again but was treated like the proverbial red-headed son even though we have purchased 3 new Nissan Maxima's in the last 10 years. There is no way that we did anything to make this problem occur. It is a case of manufacturing defective parts!!!.

Car started making a whining sound similar to a turbo whine under acceleration, this got progressively worse with time and mileage. Turned out to be upper cam chain tensioners resulting in the engine having to be removed from the car to repair. Replacement parts are redesigned and dealer said most vq35 and vq40 engines are effected. Problem is the symptom's don't show up until 50-75k miles and will not be covered by Nissan.