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Toyota Land Cruiser 200: 3UR-FE Secondary Timing Chain Rattle

3UR-FE Secondary Timing Chain Rattle is a common engine fault on the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 on the 2008–2021 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $3,500 to $8,000 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 32 documented faults on the Toyota Land Cruiser 200.

Vehicle
Toyota Land Cruiser 200
Engine
3UR-FE
Years
2008–2021
Fuel
petrol
Gearbox
auto
System
Engine

This page covers the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Land Cruiser 200 faults32 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 5.7L 3UR-FE V8 petrol uses a multi-stage timing chain system with primary and secondary chains. The secondary chains (driving the balance shaft and oil pump) are known to develop slack and rattle, particularly at cold start, as the tensioners and guides wear. This fault pattern is well-documented across the Tundra, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser petrol platforms that share the 3UR-FE engine. Toyota issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB-0094-11) for the Tundra/Sequoia covering secondary chain rattle. Failure to address accelerates guide wear and can lead to chain failure requiring full engine disassembly.

What you would notice

  • Metallic rattling or slapping from the front of the engine on cold start
  • Noise may persist longer than expected before oil pressure builds
  • Rattle louder in cold weather
  • Check engine light with camshaft timing correlation codes in advanced cases

How to check it

Where to look. Front of the V8 engine, behind the timing cover; secondary chains located lower in the block near the balance shaft

  1. Cold-start the engine after it has sat overnight.

  2. Listen for rattle from the front of the engine in the first 30-60 seconds.

  3. Inspect service records for any Toyota TSB-related chain or tensioner work.

  4. Scan ECU for timing correlation codes.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

What it costs to put right

$3,500 to $8,000 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.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the secondary timing chain or tensioner been replaced or inspected?”
  • “Any rattle noises on cold start?”
  • “Has Toyota TSB-0094-11 or equivalent been applied?”

Now check the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 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.

Toyota Land Cruiser 200 buyer questions

Is 3ur-fe secondary timing chain rattle serious on a Toyota Land Cruiser 200?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Land Cruiser 200. The 5.7L 3UR-FE V8 petrol uses a multi-stage timing chain system with primary and secondary chains. The secondary chains (driving the balance shaft and oil pump) are known to develop slack and rattle, particularly at cold start, as the tensioners and guides wear. This fault pattern is well-documented across the Tundra, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser petrol platforms that share the 3UR-FE engine. Toyota issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB-0094-11) for the Tundra/Sequoia covering secondary chain rattle. Failure to address accelerates guide wear and can lead to chain failure requiring full engine disassembly.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Land Cruiser 200?

$3,500 to $8,000 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 Toyota Land Cruiser 200 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2008–2021 Toyota Land Cruiser 200. 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 after it has sat overnight. Listen for rattle from the front of the engine in the first 30-60 seconds. Inspect service records for any Toyota TSB-related chain or tensioner work. Scan ECU for timing correlation codes. Look here: Front of the V8 engine, behind the timing cover; secondary chains located lower in the block near the balance shaft