Engine in my 2006 Xterra has high- pitched whine at all RPM's. Two Nissan dealers indicated a timing chain problem with a cost to repair estimate over $3,000 . Engine has only 67,000 miles and I was told by my mechanic that this is much too early for this problem to occur. I have read several blogs stating that Nissan has refused to pay for this repair. Some owners had under 50,000 miles on their vehicles. There seems to be several active class action suits ongoing, but none filed in Connecticut where I live. I like this vehicle but I don't like the way Nissan is treating it's customers SHAME ON YOU, NISSAN.

Hello.... I bought my 2006 Nissan Xterra (S) 6 speed manual 4.0L V6 December 5th, 2015 used, had 108,374.. It currently has 164,600...

on Monday, early morning, August 21, 2017 I was Heading to Airport at 0200 a.m. to pick up my friend who flew in from Australia, all of a sudden i heard this noise coming from front of engine.. Sounds like my fan is hitting the shroud....

pulled over and checked to see if it was, and wasn't... had to pick her up so i continued on and the noise stayed at the same constant level....

got her picked up and on the way back, it got louder and my X decided it would stop running... 75-80 mph and it turned off... well, you can guess what happened.. went for one hell of f*cking ride...

slammed into concrete barrier(s) multiple times, and came to rest in ditch....

had it towed to shop and they found out that my timing chain tensioner and guide were broke and caused the crash.....

So, Nissan Engineers and others from Nissan I want to thank you for building Timing Chain Tensioners and guides out of plastic you cheap worthless piece of sh*ts.... Just so you can make more profits and get richer... f*ck you Nissan.....

I bought a timing chain kit and replaced everything myself... replaced water pump, oil pump since i cracked my X open, might as well you're right there...

no noise at all coming from her now...

Oh, and i had to basically replace front end of my X too after crash...

she runs like a champ....

Nissan Engineers and profit holders, pay attention you worthless f*cks....

do not, i repeat, do not make any parts out of plastic that have to do with anything critical for engines... Timing chain tensioners and guides fall under that category you stupid morons....

f*cking idiots.. you will be sued for this too... mark my words...

My friend and I didn't get too seriously injured thank god...

The incorporation of plastic guides into the timing chain system vehicles equipped with Nissan's VQ40 engine poses a deep threat to drivers alike, whether it be used for family or recreational purposes. Defective timing chain tensioners and plastic guides were likewise prone to premature failure in an appalling attempt to increase Nissan's profit margin.

In proposing such a preposterous solution to keeping the primary and second timing chains in line, engineers of the VQ40 engine should take great shame in installing such a weak part in a vehicle built for wear and tear. The grinding of the timing chain against the compression piston produces an ear-piercing whine that masks an otherwise-perfect growl. Yet this issue is liable to evolve into more than simply a nuisance; should the primary or secondary timing chains cease, the lives of drivers (as well as their passengers) could potentially be at risk while traveling.

Moreover, it has been said that Nissan, in 2004, issued a Technical Service Bulletin with regards to this issue, thereby confirming their awareness prior to release of the vehicle. Should engine damage occur (be it to the timing chain or other critical parts), consumers receive a hefty invoice from local and dealership mechanics demanding thousands of dollars in exchange for a few new parts that are liable to face the same fate as the originals in 5-10 years' time.

The fact that Nissan has acknowledged this issue while assuming that unaware consumers would face it after their warranty expires simply displays the lengths that automotive corporations are willing to reach in order to profit. Nissan was willing to risk the lives, financial well being, and sanity of its consumers merely to increase their profit margin

Here is the letter I sent Nissan...

Dear Sir/Madam:   As the original owners of a 2006 Nissan Xterra 4WD with 89,000 miles, we are writing you to ask for assistance in resolving an issue we have been dealing with for quite some time. Please know we are also a current owner of a Nissan Titan and are loyal to the Nissan brand.   In 2011 the original transmission with roughly 50,000 miles failed due to a faulty design associated with a cooler assembly. This transmission was replaced at no cost to us by Liberty Nissan located in Hanover, Pennsylvania.   After said transmission was replaced, we started to notice a constant whining that we thought was somehow attributed to the new transmission. We returned to Liberty Nissan to have them investigate the source of the noise and it was their determination that the noise was due to wore out timing belt sprockets. We explained to the dealership that this anomaly had not existed prior to the installation of the new transmission as it was and remains quite noticeable. However, this explanation seemed to fall upon deaf ears.

Subsequently Liberty Nissan informed us that if we would like to address this issue the costs would be roughly $1,200.00 dollars. This was something that we could not afford at the time and furthermore felt this was not something that would occur under normal wear and tear for a vehicle with only 50,000 miles. To this day we remain skeptical of this diagnosis. We are now left with a vehicle that lost its appeal due to this constant, aggressive whining instead of one that in the past drew positive attention from onlookers and passersby’s for its appearance.   We hope Nissan stands behind its product and repairs issue that occur prematurely at no cost. We thank you in advance for your time and consideration on this matter and look forward to your response.     Sincerely,

Scott & Diana Barnhart

I have seen that there has been a class action lawsuit certified for this exact issue in other states, but it does not include Idaho. Why the heck is that?? I have been to three different mechanics, one was clueless about what the problem was but gave me a printout, a PRINTOUT of issues that Nissan is aware of and timing chain was right there at the top of the list. The second one was super knowledgeable but wanted 500.00 more than the third who was the one that eventually fixed the problem. This is very frustrating because if I had even suspected this could be an issue before then I would either have reconsidered the purchase of the vehicle or squirreled away more money for repairs. Almost $2000 is super tough for most people to just be able to throw down, and I am one of those people!

The vehicle only had 37913 miles on it, it was driven to and from work about 3 miles away and on weekends. The dealership said it was the timing belt retainer mechanism that had to be replaced and it would cost $2030 to replace. I sold the Xterra and bought another vehicle. I was afraid if the took the vehicle apart it would never be the same. I still have the estimate from the dealer.

Update from Sep 8, 2016:

I live in Arizona, but four other states have fled class-action has been filed for New York, Florida, Maryland and New Jersey

Low mileage (45000 miles) 2006 Xterra has high frequency whine from front of engine. I am told by 2 garages that it is the timing chain problem. I am told by Nissan dealer service rep to have it fixed as soon as possible. "If it goes, it could take out the engine, cost $1722 now to repair faulty timing chain issue." quoted about 1400 at an independent shop. Does this really need immediate attention? I can't hear the sound due to high frequency hearing loss, but my daughter can hear it.

Update from Mar 1, 2016: Asked Nissan to extend warranty due to low mileage. Nissan would not extend warranty because I had a lot of routine maintenance done at nearby garage - Oil Changes, all fluid changes. The Xterra never needed anything else. Nissan said since they could not review maintenance records at a Nissan facility, they could not extend warranty. Cost to fix is $1722.