Nissan – MR18DE & MR20DE Engine Issues (2007–Present)

The MR-series inline‑four engines (MR18DE 1.8L and MR20DE 2.0L) power many compact Nissan models including the Sentra, Rogue, and international variants. While generally efficient and smooth, these engines developed recurring issues involving oil consumption, timing chain stretch, and idle air control valve (IACV) failures. Early MR engines (2007–2012) show the highest concentration of complaints.

Year(s)	Make	Model	Should Purchase?	Notes
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012	Nissan	Sentra (1.8L)	Caution	Engine: 1.8L I4 – MR18DE Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, idle air control valve failures Notes: chain stretch can cause rough idle and poor cold starts; IACV failures may trigger stalling
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012	Nissan	Sentra (2.0L)	Caution	Engine: 2.0L I4 – MR20DE Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, IACV failures Notes: MR20DE shows similar wear patterns to MR18DE; chain stretch more common on high‑mileage units
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013	Nissan	Rogue 2.0L	Awareness	Engine: 2.0L I4 – MR20DE (market dependent) Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, idle instability Notes: North America primarily used QR25DE, but MR20DE appears in Canadian and global Rogue variants
2014 2015	Nissan	Rogue Select (Global MR20DE trims)	Awareness	Engine: 2.0L I4 – MR20DE Issues: oil consumption, chain stretch Notes: fewer complaints than early Sentra applications; still shares MR-series wear characteristics
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013	Nissan	Qashqai (MR engines)	Awareness	Engine: MR18DE Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, idle control issues Notes: included for completeness; global MR engines show similar failure patterns
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013	Nissan	Qashqai (MR engines)	Awareness	Engine: MR20DE Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, idle control issues Notes: included for completeness; global MR engines show similar failure patterns
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013	Nissan	Tiida (MR engines)	Awareness	Engine: MR18DE Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, idle control issues Notes: included for completeness; global MR engines show similar failure patterns
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013	Nissan	Tiida (MR engines)	Awareness	Engine: MR20DE Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, idle control issues Notes: included for completeness; global MR engines show similar failure patterns
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013	Nissan	Sylphy (MR engines)	Awareness	Engine: MR18DE Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, idle control issues Notes: included for completeness; global MR engines show similar failure patterns
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013	Nissan	Sylphy (MR engines)	Awareness	Engine: MR20DE Issues: oil consumption, timing chain stretch, idle control issues Notes: included for completeness; global MR engines show similar failure patterns

Summary of MR18DE / MR20DE Defect Patterns

Oil consumption: often tied to ring wear and PCV system inefficiency.
Timing chain stretch: causes rattling, poor idle, and delayed throttle response; most common in early MR engines.
Idle air control valve failures: can cause stalling, erratic idle, and hard starting.

Legal context

MR-series engines did not generate major class actions like Nissan’s CVT or VC‑Turbo issues, but Nissan issued multiple TSBs addressing timing chain noise, idle instability, and oil consumption. Many owners reported premature chain stretch and IACV failures requiring replacement.

References

Nissan TSB NTB09‑128 – Timing chain noise / stretch diagnosis (MR engines)
Nissan TSB NTB10‑121 – Idle air control valve failure symptoms and replacement
CarComplaints – MR18DE/MR20DE engine issues (Sentra)
NHTSA – Engine complaints for MR-series Nissan vehicles
NicoClub Technical Forums – MR18DE/MR20DE timing chain and idle issues