Ntb07-042 Vq Engine; Buzzing / Whining Noise

[cooter32]

I had a similar problem when I got my 06 Xterra back from this repair. It ended up being the plastic cowling that goes around the cooling fan was not properly replaced after the job.

[mchee15]

Got any pictures for me to look at because i have no idea where to start :(

[jackp]

'07 Xterra developed the whining noise at 38K.Decided to research a little on web before taking to dealer. Fortunate to come across this site,printed out the service bulletin and brought to dealer yesterday. They agreed the problem was addressed by the bulletin and are putting me in a loaner for 2 days while repairs are completed. No charge-covered by the powertrain warranty.Terrific service dept. at Woodfield Nissan in Illinois. Bought my X somewhere else but always take it there for service.Thanks to everyone here for the info.

[PlasmaGeorge]

So what do those of us out of warranty do ?
I'm at 90,000 on my '05 Altima SE.

Do we ride it out and hope it never causes a failure, at which point we fix it then ?
Is there any advantage to fix it now ?

[iwanttoride]

I’ve had this truck from new, and at about 40,000 miles I started hearing a buzzing/whining sound from the engine. At 50,000 miles, I mentioned it to the dealer and he said it was normal wear and tear. Of course, there was no mention of this conversation on the service report. Now the truck has 61,000 and I was in (again) for the poorly designed windows and check engine light, and he mentions that the timing chain tension is off and could jeopardize the engine. Are you kidding me! He estimates the cost to be $3,000+. And oh, by the way, you're not covered becasue you're now out of warranty! Now I have to put my maintenance records together and submit a case to Nissan. I hope they cover the work, but they most likely won’t. I'm just ready to sell and buy a used Toyota, Chevy, MBZ...anything! Any advice would be helpful. Is there a notice I can get my hands to add to my case.

[Dlgriffin]

I just had the tsb done on my truck. Here is what it sounded like:
YouTube - Frontier chain tensioner whine

[jostel]

Is it just a matter of time and its going to happen to all these engins, or is it limited to vin numbers to tell which ones are going to have it. I only have 18000 miles on it, bought it new. Is there anyway for me to find out?

[LDuff]

Brought my Altima in today to the dealers, and explained noise. They checked it out and mentioned this bulletin, and said they had to order the parts, but that it was covered under warranty. So very glad I brought it in when I did, as I have 59,000 km's on it. No hassle from dealer, so that was good! Will update when the work is done.

[jmdavisiv]

My 2005 Frontier with 76K miles began making the same noise. Dealer quoted $1800.00 to repair, which included replacing the primary timing chain, tensioners, guides, water pump, etc. while they were in there. Called Nissan Good Will Line (1-800-Nissan1) and will have the word as far as assistance on the repair by 5:00 tomorrow. I believe they know this is an obvious design flaw and should hopefully provide some assistance. Nissans are unfortunately not the quality vehicles they used to be. After 2 defective crankshaft position sensors (which left me on the side of the road), a defective fuel sending unit and now this, I believe my Nissan days are over. I will update when my "ruling" from Nissan is in. Good luck.......

[David Harpe]

Hey guys,

I just had this done on my car, a 2007 XTerra with 30,000 miles. After a long holiday trip I noticed a whine I hadn't heard before. Sounded just like a power steering pump that is low on fluid except this whine didn't change as you turned the steering wheel. The service guys initially thought it as a fan belt tensioner but after they got into it they figured out it was this timing tensioner problem. Set me up in a rental car for 2 days, covered under warranty. Total repair cost (covered by warranty) was just under $1,500.

Highlights from the parts list:

• 13070-ZK01A/B tensioners
• 11955-EA20A tensioner
• 13028-ZK00B Chain cams
• 7 different items marked "Seal O Rin"
• 3 different "Gasket" items
• A belt, 11720-EA200, (this might have been the belt they replaced when they thought it was the fan belt tensioner)
• A "freight" charge to overnight the parts

Picked it up and everything sounds great...no more noise.

I can't say enough about the service guys at my dealer (Neil Huffman in Louisville, KY). They did an awesome job with as little hassle to me as could be expected with a repair of this type. Excellent service department there.

[jmdavisiv]

Originally Posted by jmdavisiv

My 2005 Frontier with 76K miles began making the same noise. Dealer quoted $1800.00 to repair, which included replacing the primary timing chain, tensioners, guides, water pump, etc. while they were in there. Called Nissan Good Will Line (1-800-Nissan1) and will have the word as far as assistance on the repair by 5:00 tomorrow. I believe they know this is an obvious design flaw and should hopefully provide some assistance. Nissans are unfortunately not the quality vehicles they used to be. After 2 defective crankshaft position sensors (which left me on the side of the road), a defective fuel sending unit and now this, I believe my Nissan days are over. I will update when my "ruling" from Nissan is in. Good luck.......

Update: Nissan NA came through on the parts with a decision in <24 hrs.(including extra timing parts and water pump not covered in the TSB), I had to pay for the labor. The dealership showed me the defective part(s). Apparently the nylon tensioner was cast improperly resulting in a hollow center rather than a solid piece. The chain would wear down to the hollow portion and then begin grinding on the metal "rivet" which attached the nylon to the metal. That’s where the noise is coming from. The problem is now fixed. Dealership was great as they gave me a loaner to drive and had it fixed in two days. Don't look for a recall. Apparently Nissan for the most part only issues those when there is a safety issue. Phone call saved me over $800, so it was worth it.

[mllertime12]

My 2007 had a whining sound. We took it to the dealer and they diagnosed it was an after market oil filter. They changed the filter, whining was gone and none since.

[Altima SSS]

Just bought a 2004 Altima 3.5 with 18,500 miles on it. Of course with that low mileage it's super quiet, but I see in the Service Bulletin that it's listed as possibly affected. I see the 2002 and 2003 3.5L V6 Altimas were not on the bulletin’s list.

So what's the cause of the tensioner problem? Was it a redesign or was it inferior materials or manufacturing that causes this problem? Seems like not every car in the affected list will experience the issue.

My 2004 was built in Oct 2003, so maybe it's possible that it has the better parts used in the 2002 and 2003 model years?

[iowastate21]

We just had the timing chain in our 05' Altima fixed under warranty. We also own a 05' Pathfinder and the timing chain is now going out on it! Unfortunately, it is no longer under warranty. How were you able to get Nissan to pay for part of the bill? Can you advise how much they paid? Any tips? You have inspired us to fight for Nissan to help pay for this repair.

BTW - Do not let your Nissan dealer convince you that they can "fix" the noise by draining the oil and performing a chemical flush. It does not work! Do not fall for it.

[jmdavisiv]

I explained the issue to Nissan and gave them a history of my excellent Nissan ownership over the years. They asked for a compilation of my service records, which I did not have as I do all of my maintenance. I had to be somewhat hard nosed regarding Nissan's apparent declining reliability as my truck has had two crankshaft sensors and a fuel sending unit replaced before the timing chain issue. They know there is a problem and will more than likely offer assistance. My dealer was also very helpful in getting the parts paid for as they were doing two - three replacements per week. Nissan foot the parts bill to the tune of approximately $800. I had to pay only labor which was $1200. Just be respectfully firm and don't be afraid to ask for someone up the ladder if you are not satisfied. Keep your records of the repair just in case Nissan decides to call in the affected vehicles for free repairs. Good luck!

[JohnnyTitan]

I am having the NTB07-042 (timing belt ---tensioner) problem with a 2005 Max. This is the 2nd one in 63,000 miles. (first one at 30K) The dealership is giving me some flack over this. how do these NTBs apply to the dealerships. Are they identifing a known faulty part or are these simply maintenance guidelines for them to follow. I guess I'm asking if I can take this to the service department and get any farther pleading my case. Thanks for any assistance in the fight against the dealership highway robbery.

[massnissan06]

Nissan is not covering any of the cost on mine, 65k is too soon to have a replace a timing chain. My next car will be a Jeep.

[RJU3]

This information has been very helpful. I have this problem on an '06 Pathfinder with 90,000 miles. The problem started about two months back and was initially diagnosed as the torque converter, then the transmission. The noise did not stop after replacing the original t'mission with a used one. The dealer put the original one back in at no cost and told me about the timing chain issue. They quoted me $2,700 to do the work, parts and labor. I'll definitely call Nissan Consumer Affairs to see if they will help with the costs.

[jeff024]

Well its been awhile since my motor was replaced 43000 miles and the truck now has 78k on it and the new motor has the same problem all over again.Once the trucks at the dealer Nissan will decide if its the same and who gets to pay,as much as I love this truck I dont think I will buy a nissan again I want to drive something thats worry free for atleast 100k.

[adamsfam9494]

My tensioner and guides just failed on our 04 quest v028 model how is this different from the 042? 6000k out of warrenty


Just to follow up>>>> nissan took over 2- 1/2 week to tell me they would not cover the repair. the new tensioner is different design than the old ones (pre 2007) I went to my trusted mechanic and he said it should last longer than the origional ones. Also his bill came to $1400. $600 bucks less than the dealer quote for the same work. I can say I am very disssapointed in the Nissan help on this one especially with all the bad experiences I have read about the cheap plastic tensioners. Nissan has no way except by mail to appeal past the 1800nissan number, they wont give you a copy of any records they have on your case to send along, I asked. I wont be back.

I had a similar experience with a jeep wrangler that leaked water from almost day one. the front cowl cracked away from the wind sheild assembly, during the "repair" the dealer tore the gasket sealing the folding windsheild. I delt with this dealer over 30 separate visits over 5 years to resolve this problem. I wasn't until I went to a body shop to replace the rusted assembly where the copius amount of silicon they put every where to stop the leak they couldn't find, had rusted and eaten away the paint. That they found the 12 dollar gasket was torn and was the source of all the leaks after the initial repair the dealer made and also assured me they checked the gasket on several occasions. I had everything doccumented from the inital body shop repair for the cracked cowl to the final independant body shop, submitted everything and appealed even to people in corperate and got zip!!