My roommate bought a 2006 Nissan Maxima 2 months ago, got his plates last week, and is now having a weird issue. I am unsure what this sound is and would like some advice. I will also need to know if it is safe to keep driving it. This sound happens every time it is started from cold and tends to go away after driving it for a while. It also, apparently, loses power when driving over 40 mph (dash lights and radio cut out for a few milliseconds)?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqmynwlz0jn7fqd/car.mp4?dl=0

 

I wish you would have walked around the engine and kept the video going a bit longer. Have you done a visual inspection? Sounds like the timing chain tensioners are shot.

 

Yeah. A friend of mine just left who used to work as a mechanic. After a little bit of an inspection, we found out the lower timing chain guide is completely missing and the timing chain is destroying the cover. So, since the car was sold without all of it's parts, it seems we might be going after a certain scummy dealership.

 

Did your roommate not test drove the car before he bought it? If the Timing chain guide was indeed missing when he bought it, I assume the car would have made the same noise then.

 

He didn't have his license (permit) just yet when he bought it. However, I did do a test drive myself and the sound was not present at the time. As I mentioned in the OP, the sound goes away when it heats up so there is a very good chance that it was test driven before us. Perhaps they heard the noise and walked away only for us to show up not long after.