GREAT LITTLE CARS

Timing belt or timing chain?

By Great Little CarsUpdated October 6, 20263 min read

Inside every engine, a belt or a chain keeps the valves opening in step with the pistons. Which one a used car has can mean a big service bill or none at all.

Timing belt
A toothed rubber belt. It wears out, so it's replaced on a schedule set by the maker, often somewhere between 60,000 and 105,000 miles or after a number of years. If it breaks, the engine stops, and on many engines the valves and pistons then hit each other, an expensive repair.
Timing chain
A metal chain that runs in the engine oil, designed to last the life of the engine with no replacement schedule. The catch: it depends on clean oil. Skipped oil changes can stretch a chain, which shows up as a rattle on startup or a check-engine light.

Buying a used car with a belt

  • Ask whether it's been replaced, and at what mileage. A receipt, or a sticker under the hood, is the proof.
  • If it's due soon, budget for it. The water pump is often replaced at the same time, since it sits behind the belt.
  • Past due with no records? Treat it as due now.

Which cars have which

Each model guide says which one that generation uses, under Good to know. For the models we sell most:

Subaru ForesterBelt through 2010, and on every turbo XT through 2013. Chain on 2011–2013 non-turbo and every 2014 and newer.
Subaru OutbackBelt on the 2.5-liter four through 2012. Chains on the six-cylinders, and on every engine from 2013.
Subaru CrosstrekChain
Toyota RAV4Belt on 1996–2000; chain from 2001
Honda CR-VBelt on 1997–2001 (Honda says 105,000 miles or 7 years); chain from 2002

Manufacturers' maintenance schedules, as cited in each model guide.