NHTSA Complaint #10594288 — 2005 NISSAN QUEST

I PURCHASED THIS VAN BRAND NEW AND AFTER A COUPLE YEARS BEGAN TO HEAR A SUBTLE TAPPING NOISE EVERY SO OFTEN COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD ITS A LIFTER TAPPING AND MAY COME AND GO BUT NOT WORTH REPAIRING BECAUSE IT WILL COST A LOT OF MONEY AND IT REALLY DOESN'T EFFECT PERFORMANCE. AFTER ANOTHER YEAR OR 2 THE NOISE GOT REALLY LOUD AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ONLINE I FOUND HUNDREDS/THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING. COME TO FIND OUT WE ALL HAD THE SAME ISSUE, THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WAS NOT APPLYING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO THE GUIDE DUE TO A DEFECT IN ENGINE DESIGN THAT CAUSES THE PLASTIC ON THE GUIDE TO BREAK AND SLIP DOWN. THIS CAUSES SLACK IN THE TIMING CHAIN WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE RAPID TAPPING NOISE AS IT STRUCK THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE. AT THIS POINT MY ENGINE WILL NOT START DUE TO THE CHAIN JUMPING TEETH AND THE TIMING THROWN OFF. I AM NOW WITHOUT A VEHICLE. I CONTACTED NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY SO TOO BAD. THIS IS A KNOWN SERIOUS DEFECT WITH THE ENGINE THAT WAS ALSO INSTALLED IN MAXIMA, ALTIMA, AND X-TERRA. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL BUT MOST LIKELY DEEMED TOO EXPENSIVE TO PERFORM. ALSO THE ISSUE HAPPENS OVER TIME TYPICALLY BETWEEN 70K-120K MILES THEREFORE MOST VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WILL BE OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY WON'T COVER IT. THEY DID REDESIGN THE REPLACEMENT PART GUIDE, WHICH TO ME SHOWS THEY KNEW IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW BUT ITS MINIMUM $2000 TO HAVE REPAIRED. VERY POOR WAY TO DO BUSINESS BUT THEY GOT WHAT THEY WANTED I SUPPOSE. *TR