OEM Timing Belts - do they really break?

My daughter was driving her friend's VW when the timing belt broke. I understood it was a non interference engine so it just needed to be retimed and of course a new belt. No idea of the mileage.
 
Does anyone have any first hand information on what a shop, (or dealership), would approximately charge to preemptively change one out?
Cost me about $800 to change the timing belt and replace a tensioner on my Honda Accord V6 (at 100,000 Km) at the Honda dealership. But that was at least 5 years ago.

It had a few really cold starts so I changed it on the "severe cold" mileage recommendation. But probably not necessary. That belt looked really good.
 
Is anyone aware of any genuine OEM Toyota timing belt that ever failed, whether it was the result of high mileage or old age? I have heard stories of aftermarket timing belts that broke, but not OEM. Of course, I don't know everything that's going on out there, so that's why I'm asking.
Over on a Toyota Tundra forum I'm a member of, I've read a few stories from folks who neglected their Tundra timing belts. Those need service around year 8 or 80,000 miles. Those members who had their break essentially destroyed their engines. There are a handful of folks. Like everything on the internet, I take it at face value that they aren't fabricating their experiences and they were looking for advice. So, yes, they do break. Given the cost of repairs it's smart to keep them serviced timely.
 
Did the manual call for changing it sooner if the vehicle was operated in extremely cold weather?
Yes. As I recall the recommendation was for replacement at 160,000 km (100,000 miles) for normal use but 100,000 km (62,500) for cold weather use. I assume the issue would be the cold starts as the engine would be warm when running for any length of time irrespective of the outside temperature.

It was usually kept in a garage where the temp would never have been much below freezing, but it had a couple of very cold starts ( -40 or thereabouts) when parked outside overnight and considering the consequences of a broken belt I didn't want to take a chance.

But the belt looked really good (like new actually) and that change may not have been necessary.
 
I believe in Chicago at one of the museums there, they have an old car on display, (or else did have), that was parked in a garage when a meteor went through the roof of the garage, and continued on through the roof of the car. It was a very old model. 1930's perhaps.
 
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This is it. It is on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. The meteor crashed through a planked garage roof, through the roof of the car, through the seat and floorboards, and finally stopped when it hit the muffler!

 
The belts do not break on their own, they break because something else failed.
Water pump seized, belt tensioner failed, idler pulley failed...
The belts have cords inside of them like a tire.
They are made of a synthetic rubber that is designed for high heat and contamination. The engine bay is a very very not friendly place for fragile things.
Do I have proof of them not failing on their own? Nope. Nothing other than experience.

Why replace the TB at all, Just replace what makes the belt fail?

Most, If not all manufacturers warn against contaminating timing belts with coolant & petroleum.
 
Why replace the TB at all, Just replace what makes the belt fail?

Most, If not all manufacturers warn against contaminating timing belts with coolant & petroleum.

For the same reason everyone replaces everything in there when they replace the timing belt, because you're already there.
Why go through all the work of tearing the front of the engine off and not replace everything?
A properly cared for water pump will last 200k or more. But they still replace it every 90k with the timing belt.
Why use coolant rated for 150k when you're going to change the water pump with the timing belt at 90k?
Why did my Mitsubishi Montero with the 3.5L V6 say California cars timing belt was good for 120k but everyone else was 60k?

SKF say's timing belts are good for 150-200,000 miles.
https://vehicleaftermarket.skf.com/mt/en/blog/skf-mechanic/timing-belt-vs-timing-chain

"If the timing belt is contaminated with dirt or oil, clean it and reinstall"
https://gmb.net/blog/timing-belt-squeak-check-this/

https://www.ntn-snr.com/sites/default/files/2017-03/defaillances_possibles_des_courroies_en.pdf

5 year unlimited mile guarantee, I don't know about you, but I drive a lot. 50k a year.
https://www.continental-engineparts.com/eu/en-GB/Aftermarket/Products/Belts/Timing-Belts

Better pulley and water pump designs are allowing manufactures to extend timing belt change intervals to over 100k
https://gmb.net/blog/stretching-timing-belt-replacement/

The majority of car owners do not service their cars on time, if timing belts were are delicate as the sales people told you, there would be broken down cars everywhere.
https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/si...ng-majority-of-car-owners-put-off-maintenance

I'm not saying don't change your timing belt, what I am saying is, it will last longer than you think, the belt is not as fragile as you have been told and car manufactures do not actually expect you to replace it every 60k.
 
She bought that Malibu for $400 before the meteor strike? You just don't get used car deals like that any more, that car looks clean (except for the meteor damage :ROFLMAO: ) And it has the coolest NY plates ever! Second only to the ASSMAN NY plates Kramer got.
I bought a few 1980s Caprices and a 1983 Delta 88 for $200-400. I got a few years out of each. This was between 2003 and 2010 or so. Then I went wild and paid $1500 for an 83 Caprice in really nice shape and drove that as my winter beater for over 10 years and sold it for $1500.
 
For the same reason everyone replaces everything in there when they replace the timing belt, because you're already there.
Why go through all the work of tearing the front of the engine off and not replace everything?
A properly cared for water pump will last 200k or more. But they still replace it every 90k with the timing belt.
Why use coolant rated for 150k when you're going to change the water pump with the timing belt at 90k?
Why did my Mitsubishi Montero with the 3.5L V6 say California cars timing belt was good for 120k but everyone else was 60k?

SKF say's timing belts are good for 150-200,000 miles.
https://vehicleaftermarket.skf.com/mt/en/blog/skf-mechanic/timing-belt-vs-timing-chain

"If the timing belt is contaminated with dirt or oil, clean it and reinstall"
https://gmb.net/blog/timing-belt-squeak-check-this/

https://www.ntn-snr.com/sites/default/files/2017-03/defaillances_possibles_des_courroies_en.pdf

5 year unlimited mile guarantee, I don't know about you, but I drive a lot. 50k a year.
https://www.continental-engineparts.com/eu/en-GB/Aftermarket/Products/Belts/Timing-Belts

Better pulley and water pump designs are allowing manufactures to extend timing belt change intervals to over 100k
https://gmb.net/blog/stretching-timing-belt-replacement/

The majority of car owners do not service their cars on time, if timing belts were are delicate as the sales people told you, there would be broken down cars everywhere.
https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/si...ng-majority-of-car-owners-put-off-maintenance

I'm not saying don't change your timing belt, what I am saying is, it will last longer than you think, the belt is not as fragile as you have been told and car manufactures do not actually expect you to replace it every 60k.
They often last way longer than expected but they also sometimes fail before the manufacturers recommended change interval. I think if nothing else fails that affects it, the timing belt itself is most likely to make it way longer than the recommended interval, but it's a huge risk to try it.
 
Is anyone aware of any genuine OEM Toyota timing belt that ever failed, whether it was the result of high mileage or old age? I have heard stories of aftermarket timing belts that broke, but not OEM. Of course, I don't know everything that's going on out there, so that's why I'm asking.
No. It is Toyota. After car ends up on junkyard, people from Toyota come and take off timing belt and put on new vehicles.
 
We had an '04 Audi A4 that called for timing belt replacement at, I think, 90K miles. A local indy mechanic told us to change it earlier, like before 60K, I dismissed him since surely the belt would last at least as long as the maintenance interval in the manual. At nearly 60K miles we had a chain tensioner fail at the back of the head that had to be addressed before bad things happened. When I pulled off the top belt cover, the belt was in tatters and everything was covered in rubber dust, but there was still enough meat to hold the ribs and keep time. So if we hadn't caught it, it might have made it to 6 years and 65K miles.

The only one that I actually had break on me was on an old 2.3 Pinto.
 
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