NHTSA Complaint #10669426 — 2006 NISSAN XTERRA

THE INITIAL INCIDENT WAS FAILED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER GUIDES. AS INDICATED EARLIER NISSAN KNOWINGLY REDESIGNED THE PARTS SINCE THE ORIGINALS WERE FOUND TO WEAR THROUGH, CAUSING THE TIMING CHAIN TO RUB DIRECTLY ON THE METAL POST OF THE TENSIONER AND CONTACT THE HOUSING COVER. DURING THE REPAIR THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THE FAILED RADIATOR COOLANT CONTAMINATION ADDRESSED IN ODI NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP12004. THE TIMING CHAIN AND GUIDES WERE REPLACED; THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED; COOLANT WAS FLUSHED; TRANSMISSION WAS DRAINED, FLUSHED, AND FILLED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALSO CONFIRMED NISSAN, N.A. WOULD NOT OFFER ANY AMOUNT OF REPAIR ASSISTANCE. TOTAL COST WAS $2200. THE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IT SUDDENLY DECELERATED FROM 55MPH TO 30MPH AND THE RPM'S INCREASED TO 4K+ WHILE TRAVELING ON A MULTI LANE DARK COUNTRY HIGHWAY AT 11PM. THE SECTION OF HIGHWAY DID NOT HAVE AN EMERGENCY LANE OR SHOULDER. A VEHICLE WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND A SEMI-TRUCK WAS QUICKLY APPROACHING FROM THE REAR IN THE RIGHT LANE. ONCE CROSSING THE BRIDGE THE VEHICLE WAS JERKED TO THE SHOULDER, AVOIDING A REAR COLLISION FROM THE APPROACHING SEMI-TRUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE RPM'S RETURNED TO 1K, THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN NEUTRAL, AND THE CHECK ENGINE WAS ILLUMINATED. THE FOLLOWING DAY NISSAN SERVICE CONFIRMED IT WAS A FAILING VALVE BODY AS A RESULT OF THE COOLANT CONTAMINATION. THE WHOLESALE REPAIR COST WAS QUOTED AT $1400. AGAIN, NISSAN, N.A. WOULD NOT ADDRESS THE FAILURE. AT THIS TIME THE REPAIR HAS NOT, AND WILL NOT, BE COMPLETED. *JS