NHTSA Complaint #11204794 — 2006 NISSAN XTERRA

THIS VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITH PLASTIC TENSIONER GUIDES TO THE SECONDARY TIMING CHAINS. THE ENGINE IS DESIGNED WITH AN "INTERFERENCE" TIMING CHAIN WHICH MEANS THAT IF THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, IT RESULTS IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. ALTHOUGH NISSAN DID NOT DESIGN THE TIMING CHAIN AS A MAINTENANCE ITEM, THE PLASTIC GUIDES WEAR OUT LONG AFTER THE VEHICLE WARRANTY EXPIRES. ALTHOUGH THEY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM IN SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS, THEY NEVER CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED THE AFFECTED OWNERS OF THE PROBLEM THAT UNLESS THESE GUIDES ARE REPLACED THEY WILL EVENTUALLY RESULT IN THE SECONDARY TIMING CHAINS WEARING OUT THE GUIDES CAUSING THE SECONDARY CHAINS THEMSELVES TO RUN METAL ON METAL AGAINST THE TENSIONERS. BECAUSE OF THIS CONTINUED WEAR, THE SECONDARY TIMING CHAINS MAY FAIL AT ANY TIME THE ENGINE IS ON WITHOUT WARNING AND DESTROY THE ENGINE. NISSAN ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE PROBLEM BUT FAILED TO NOTIFY OWNERS THAT AS THE VEHICLES APPROACH APPROXIMATELY 100,000 MILES OR MORE, THE SECONDARY TIMING CHAINS MAY FAIL. I HAVE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS REMOVED FROM MY VEHICLE WHICH SHOW THE PLASTIC GUIDE ON ONE NEARLY COMPLETELY WORN THROUGH, AND THE OTHER ONE BROKEN WITH ONLY HALF OF THE PLASTIC GUIDE STILL IN PLACE ON THE TENSIONER. I ALSO INCLUDED MY REPAIR RECEIPT FOR THE $2,123.40 REPAIR. FINALLY, I INCLUDED THE NISSAN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THEY RECALLED THE V8 ENGINES WITH THIS TYPE OF ISSUE, BUT NOT THE V6 ENGINES (I HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THAT HOWEVER,) NISSAN SHOULD IMMEDIATELY ISSUE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES AND COVER THE COST OF REPAIRS ALREADY MADE BY CONSUMERS.