How concerned do I have to be about these? Many new and used cars have interference engines that I can see and to discount something because of this really brings down how may cars I can shop for. The thing is, I can keep track of the miles of a timing belt and get it changed in the miles it needs, but what I don’t want to happened is to have the timing belt break right away and destroy the engine. Any suggestions or advice here? Thanks.
Timing belts are pretty tough and have a good safety margin in them. When buying a car, if the belt has not been changed or you can’t find out, it’s fair to knock $800 off the price. A friend of mine did just that when buying a Honda Odessey minivan, which was other wise perfect.
Cars without timing belts are not “better” than ones with them; they just do not need that extra $700-$800 every 60,000- 90,000 miles or so depending on the vehicle.
The probability of a timing belt breaking during the operating interval is pretty slim; it did on Volkswagens years ago because of a faulty tensioner.
I’m not sure I answered your question, but don’t worry about a timing belt breaking before its time, if it has been installed by a qualified mechanic. Don’t buy a car where the owner (unless he is a mechanic) has changed the belt himself.
keep up with the maintenance schedule. There are things in life that cant be controlled. So enjoy life and don’t worry so much.