Subaru Timing Belts

[Phishin]

My wife has a 2009 Forester. Only has 55k on the odometer. We got a few years before I spend the money and have the belt, tensioner, water pump, coolant, plugs and wires changed. But this won't be a cheap bill at the Subie dealer, I'm sure. I'm guessing around $1200. Right?

So my coworker has a 2000 Legacy with 220k miles on it. It has NEVER had the belt changed. He dad bought the car new. It's been in the family it's whole life. His dad knows the belt was never changed.

Of course, when she hits 100k on her Forester, I'm going to get all the service done on it. Or I won't be able to sleep until I do.....

But honestly, has anyone ever had a Subie belt break? Anyone know of them breaking? This is car has only been owned by two people. Both middle aged women. This isn't a WRX owned by a 22 year old. So, it hasn't been abused.

What do you think the chances are that her Forester could make it to 200-250k miles without a belt change?

 

[Quest]

Again, you trying to push your luck?

timing belt is timing belt is timing belt, period. It has a finite service life and the service interval is highly dependent on may factors.

Factory recommended service interval is based on the bell curve where the likeliness of failure is extremely low (other than failure due to other components,etc.), where liability also comes into play.

You push that boundary then you are risking your engine (for interference type engines) for the sake of saving a few dollars and pennies.

I personally do not push beyond the factory recommended service interval, period. I rigidly follow by the book and never have one single failure with T-belt servicing so far, including both interference and non-interfer engines.

It's your money (your engine), your call.

Q.

 

[IBelieveinlube]

We've owned Subys since 1990. First one was 2.0 L with 102,000 miles and never changed. Second one was a 2003 Forester & 2.5 L - had it changed at 90,000 just to be safe. The one we have now is a 2015 Forester - I think the book calls for replacement at 110,000 miles. I don't think the dealer cost is that high - you should call and get a price. They will have it at their fingertips. I didn't have a water pump and tensioner replaced on the 2003 - I did have the turpentine drive belt changed - total cost was about $400 several years ago. Most independent shops who work on Subys will be less, I think.

 

[rjundi]

That price is quite excessive.

belt, tensioner, water pump, coolant is more like $700 at dealer in New england. example http://www.exetersubaru.com/specials/service.htm

My Subie mechanic did my wife's timing belt only (pump not leaking and tensioners okay) for $300.(2hrs labor took him 1.5hrs and $150 timing belt). It got changed again along with the tensioners except maybe pump at 175k when I burned a valve and head was removed.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: IBelieveinlube
We've owned Subys since 1990. First one was 2.0 L with 102,000 miles and never changed. Second one was a 2003 Forester & 2.5 L - had it changed at 90,000 just to be safe. The one we have now is a 2015 Forester - I think the book calls for replacement at 110,000 miles. I don't think the dealer cost is that high - you should call and get a price. They will have it at their fingertips. I didn't have a water pump and tensioner replaced on the 2003 - I did have the turpentine drive belt changed - total cost was about $400 several years ago. Most independent shops who work on Subys will be less, I think.


I thought the newer Subaru's had a timing chain?

 

[sxg6]

I paid just under $1100 to have the dealer replace the timing belt in my 2009 Legacy.

Timing belt $98, Water pump $165, Water pump Gasket $6, Thermostat and gasket (at my request, not sure if they usually replace or not) $40, Super Coolant $33, Timing belt tensioner $176.

Labor $495.

 

[Bandito440]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: IBelieveinlube
We've owned Subys since 1990. First one was 2.0 L with 102,000 miles and never changed. Second one was a 2003 Forester & 2.5 L - had it changed at 90,000 just to be safe. The one we have now is a 2015 Forester - I think the book calls for replacement at 110,000 miles. I don't think the dealer cost is that high - you should call and get a price. They will have it at their fingertips. I didn't have a water pump and tensioner replaced on the 2003 - I did have the turpentine drive belt changed - total cost was about $400 several years ago. Most independent shops who work on Subys will be less, I think.


I thought the newer Subaru's had a timing chain?

They do.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

Worked at a subaru dealer for quite a while. We never did the water pumps till either they leaked or the customer wanted to because they rarely leaked. Belt tensioner was also next to never leaking so we reused them. We would recommend revealing the oil pump and doing cam seals as necessary but most customers would decline the service thinking we were ripping them off. We would recommend timing belts starting around 90k and customers would typically do them by 100k at the latest. Never saw one come in broken in my 11 years there surprisingly.

And as for spark plugs I thought they were due earlier than a timing belt, 60k if I remember right. Valve cover tube seals are likely leaking, seemed like every other car was, which turns your tune up into a valve cover gasket job too if that's the case.

 

[sicko]

I think spark plugs might be 30k now.

 

[Nate1979]

There are many expamples of broken belts on the Subie forums.

 

[Donald]

The Gates catalog online only seems to go to 2009, so I assume Subaru stopped using timing belts at that point. It was an interference engine.

 

[Wheel]

$1200 is excessive. Any reputable shop can do this.

I have seen belts go well over 120,000. I have also seen them break. Most likely, the tensioner or idler will give out first, but any of theses will wreck the valvetrain. Some models used phenolic cam gears which should be closely checked.

A friend of mine had her husband change the timing belt. As it turned out, he changed the accessory belts. The timing belt let go at about 160,000. Ooops. New heads aren't cheaper than replacing the belt.

Subaru got rid of the belts with the EJ engine. The newer FA models use a chain, as do their 6 cyl. engines. Different models cut over to the FA in different years, but I think 2010 was the first year for it in any model.

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: Quest
Again, you trying to push your luck?

Q.


Absolutely NOT!!! It really comes down to miles vs. when my wife wants a different vehicle.

If she decides she wants a new car and her Subie is at 100k, I'm trying to decide if the dealer will give her more or less for the car if this belt service is already done.

 

[Phishin]

There is a real "timing" issue here...literally. LOL!!

At 100k miles, should I get the service done? Or should I trade in the car? What if I need/want to keep the car to 120-130k?

Does a dealer care if the t-belt is changed or not on an older trade?

Obviously, if I sell the car private party, a keen used Subie buy will want to know if the belt has been recently serviced and the price would reflect that. But what about a dealer?

 

[Quest]

I'd do the T-belt service @ 100k, regardless of options if I were you.

One can always post on CL and try their luck to get a bit more money back RE: selling a used Subie that has been well-maintained, T-belt changed, good for another 100K or so...

(or simply cut a discount for the car to be sold to next owner if you do not want to bear the extra financial burden of T-belt servicing).

Either way, your call.

Me? I always absorb the cost of T-belt as part of the maintenance for the car, and since I typically keep my car for many hundreds of ks before I would consider selling them, so if my ownership is 20yrs and 2 T-belt changes, it still works out to my favour.

Ditto with suspension renewal, amongst a few other things.

Q.

 

[JTK]

I have never seen a timing belt fail all on it's own, with everything else being in perfect working order. It's pretty much always one of the other associated rotating elements that takes them out.

We've had many high mileage Subarus in the family. Some closing in on 300K miles with at least one T-belt change in their lifetime.

I wouldn't change it if the missus absolutely has to have another vehicle. Trade it or sell it outright as is.

 

[asand1]

I've seen one early 00's subie with a broken belt at a shop I worked at.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: asand1
I've seen one early 00's subie with a broken belt at a shop I worked at.


Still bet it was an idler, tensioner, worn sheave or oil leak that took it out.

 

[Hessam]

I have never replaced a timing belt or timing chain in my life...
I had a 1987 toyota FX16 GTS that i put 386k miles on, and never once replaced the timibg belt. I drove that car pretty hard...
Most timing belts are made of kevlar... they go way past 100k

I stopped doing preventative maintenance about 5 years ago. I just replace something when/if it actually breaks now. I still do oil changes, radiator flush every couple years, along with pcv valve...

 

[meep]

back in the day, 106,000 was the magic number for a subaru water pump. Lot of internet info claimed 106 to be the magic number. subaru back then also had a 60k belt interval. I decided to skip the WP at 60k and hope for 120.... Nope, pump started balking at 103,000, failed at 106,000, so it got it's 2nd belt at 106....

...which worked out to my advantage. seems the aftermarket TB I installed at 60k was the cause of this chronic lopey idle and misfire code that developed around 86k and nobody could diagnose. I by chance used a subaru oem belt the 2nd time around, and the idle was fixed. the 3rd party - think it was a gates... had stretched a bunch.

I'd evaluate at 100k, decide what you want to do then. If you keep it, get everything done you can while they are in there. IDK if they still need it, but the older models always benefited from oil pump removal and back-side screw tightening, and often front seal replacement, which takes all of 5 minutes once you're in there.