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Nissan Tiida: MR18DE Timing Chain Guide and Tensioner Wear

MR18DE Timing Chain Guide and Tensioner Wear is a common engine fault on the Nissan Tiida on the 2006–2013 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $1,400 to $3,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 20 documented faults on the Nissan Tiida.

Vehicle
Nissan Tiida
Engine
MR18-DE
Years
2006–2013
Fuel
petrol
System
Engine

This page covers the Nissan Tiida as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Nissan Tiida faults20 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

The front of a dual overhead camshaft engine with the timing cover removed, exposing the timing chain and sprockets.Example of the part — not this vehicle

The front of a twin-cam engine with the timing cover off — chain, sprockets and guides.

Logansenf · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What goes wrong

The MR18DE 1.8-litre engine uses a plastic-and-rubber timing chain guide system with a hydraulic tensioner. The plastic guide rails develop cracks and wear flats with age and oil contamination. A degraded tensioner allows chain slack, producing a characteristic rattle on cold start that typically clears within 30 seconds. Ignored, guide failure allows the chain to contact the cover or skip teeth, leading to bent valves and catastrophic engine damage. Documented in Nissan TSBs and widely reported by independent workshops on examples past 120,000 km.

What you would notice

  • Rattling or clattering noise from the front of the engine on cold start, lasting 5–30 seconds
  • Check Engine light with cam timing codes P0011 or P0021
  • Rough running or misfires after the chain has stretched and timing has shifted
  • Metallic debris visible in oil during a drain
  • Engine ticking that persists beyond warm-up in severe cases

How to check it

Where to look. Front of engine block, behind timing chain cover on driver's side

Cold-start the engine and listen immediately for chain rattle from the front of the engine lasting more than a few seconds. Check oil change history — sludged oil accelerates guide wear. Inspect for oil leaks at the cam cover and timing cover which may indicate high mileage neglect. If a workshop inspection is possible: A borescope inspection of the chain through the oil filler is possible on some examples.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

What it costs to put right

$1,400 to $3,200 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.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the timing chain or guides ever been inspected or replaced?”
  • “Does the engine make any rattling sound immediately on a cold start?”
  • “Can you show me the oil change service history for the past 50,000 km?”

Now check the Nissan Tiida you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

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.

Nissan Tiida buyer questions

Is mr18de timing chain guide and tensioner wear serious on a Nissan Tiida?

We rate it major and common on the Nissan Tiida. The MR18DE 1.8-litre engine uses a plastic-and-rubber timing chain guide system with a hydraulic tensioner. The plastic guide rails develop cracks and wear flats with age and oil contamination. A degraded tensioner allows chain slack, producing a characteristic rattle on cold start that typically clears within 30 seconds. Ignored, guide failure allows the chain to contact the cover or skip teeth, leading to bent valves and catastrophic engine damage. Documented in Nissan TSBs and widely reported by independent workshops on examples past 120,000 km.

How much does it cost to fix on a Nissan Tiida?

$1,400 to $3,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Nissan Tiida years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2006–2013 Nissan Tiida. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Cold-start the engine and listen immediately for chain rattle from the front of the engine lasting more than a few seconds. Check oil change history — sludged oil accelerates guide wear. Inspect for oil leaks at the cam cover and timing cover which may indicate high mileage neglect. If a workshop inspection is possible: A borescope inspection of the chain through the oil filler is possible on some examples. Look here: Front of engine block, behind timing chain cover on driver's side