Nissan Navara: Single-row timing chain stretch and guide wear (2.5 YD25DDTi diesel)

The 2.5 YD25DDTi diesel in the D40 Navara is known for its single-row timing chain stretching early, often before 80,000 km, along with wear in the guides and tensioner. A stretched chain upsets cam timing, which shows up as a rattle from the front of the engine, rough running, fault codes and on some engines stalling a few seconds after a cold start. Left alone, the chain can jump a tooth or break and the engine is badly damaged. Specialists advise inspecting the chain every 40,000 km and replacing the chain, guides and tensioner before about 80,000 km, so a car past that with no record of the job should be priced for it.

• Loud rattle from the rear of the engine on cold start
• Check engine light with camshaft timing fault codes (P0016, P0340)
• Sudden engine knock followed by loss of power
• Engine will not restart after stalling
• Metal debris visible in oil on drain or in oil filter element

1. 1

   Check oil level and condition before anything else – this failure is strongly correlated with low or degraded oil.

2. 2

   Ask for a documented oil service history; any gap beyond 10,000 km is a serious risk indicator.

3. 3

   Cold-start the engine and listen for rattle from the rear of the engine bay.

4. 4

   Request pre-purchase inspection by a Nissan-familiar diesel mechanic to check tensioner oil feed passages.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

$5,000 to $14,000 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.

• “Has the rear timing chain tensioner been inspected or replaced?”
• “What is the documented oil change interval and oil specification used?”
• “Has the oil pressure warning light ever illuminated?”
• “Is there evidence of Australian recall compliance for the YD25 tensioner campaign?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.