Does the 2010 Nissan Navara have a timing belt or chain?

The simple answer, Andrew, is that the 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine in your Navara has a timing chain rather than a timing belt. However, it’s not that simple, as the engine uses two chains, rather than a longer, single timing chain.

The primary timing chain on your engine is a single-row chain while the secondary chain is a duplex (or double-row) chain. The secondary chain doesn’t seem to give too many problems, but many owners have found that the lower, single-row chain seems a bit underdone and has been known to stretch in service. When that happens (if the stretching is enough) the pistons and valves inside the engine can collide with fairly devastating results. The chain guides can also show signs of premature wear in these engines.

The trade recommends that the primary timing chain in these engines is changed every 80,000km or so and inspected for wear and stretching every 40,000km. Which pretty neatly sidesteps all the advantages of a timing chain over a timing belt.