NHTSA Complaint #10376530 — 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA

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 OCCURRING 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. *TR