Nissan Navara: D40 4.0 V6 petrol (VQ40DE) timing chain guide and tensioner wear

This one is only for the 4.0-litre VQ40DE V6 petrol D40, not the four-cylinder diesels. The VQ40DE runs three chains, and the links on the upper chains were stamped in a way that left sharp edges, which then cut into the plastic faces of the chain guides and tensioners. As the plastic wears away the chain goes slack, and the first sign is a metallic rattle from the front of the engine for a few seconds on a cold start that quietens as oil pressure builds. Because the fault came down to how worn the stamping die was on a given day, some engines never do it and others start at low kilometres. Left alone the chain can jump a tooth or let go, and this is not an engine you want to find that out on - the fix is the full kit, chains, guides, tensioners and covers, which is a long job on a V6.

• Metallic rattle or clatter from the front of the engine for the first few seconds after a cold start
• Rattle that fades as the engine warms up and oil pressure comes up
• Rattle that returns briefly when you blip the throttle and let the revs drop back to idle
• Check-engine light with camshaft or crankshaft position complaints
• Rough running or a noticeable loss of power once the chain has stretched

Insist on a genuinely cold start - if the seller has warmed the car up before you arrive, come back another day, because a warm engine hides this completely. Stand at the front of the car with the bonnet up, have the seller turn the key, and listen hard for the first five to ten seconds for a metallic rattle or clatter from the front of the engine that then goes quiet. Once it is idling, blip the throttle up and let it fall back to idle a few times and listen for the rattle returning as the revs drop. Ask for the service history and check how regularly the oil has been changed and with what, because the chain tensioner runs on oil pressure and starved or dirty oil brings this on early. Ask outright whether the timing chains have ever been replaced, and if the answer is yes, ask for the invoice showing chains, guides and tensioners were all done together rather than just the noisy part.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

$2,200 to $5,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Can I hear it start from stone cold, without it being warmed up first?”
• “Has it ever rattled on start-up, even briefly?”
• “Have the timing chains, guides or tensioners ever been replaced, and can I see the invoice?”
• “How often has the oil been changed, and what oil is used?”

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

• EngineExplained 'Nissan VQ40DE 4.0 L Reliability and Common Problems'
• ClubFrontier forum thread 'Navara D40 timing chain issues'
• RevHigh Australia parts listing 'Timing Chain Kit Set Gears Complete Nissan Navara D40 VQ40DE V6 4.0L'
• Nissan Navara Truck Forum thread 'Timing Chain Noise' (navaraforum.com)