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as others mentioned, you are way overdue for the timing belt @ 125k and lucky it didn't break! $850 is a fair price if it includes other belts, water pump, etc.
A timing belt kit will include a new tensioner and pulleys like this - i would make sure this stuff is replaced:
850 is a damn good price, considering parts be about 250, labor 100 dollars a hour, yes in a heartbeat. you could do it yourself in a whole weekend for about 200, but its not fun
Did Subaru ever change over to a chain instead of a timing belt in their engines? We had one in the late 80's and the timing belt broke several times on it. Fortunately, the engine was not an interference engine and we would just tow it and replace the belt. Also had the head gaskets fail and a lot of oil leaks. Maybe they have improved all of that by now. Very expensive break downs.
Did Subaru ever change over to a chain instead of a timing belt in their engines? We had one in the late 80's and the timing belt broke several times on it. Fortunately, the engine was not an interference engine and we would just tow it and replace the belt. Also had the head gaskets fail and a lot of oil leaks. Maybe they have improved all of that by now. Very expensive break downs.
The Outback's six cylinder engines have always been equipped with timing chains, which is one of the reasons why I bought a six cylinder model in 2002, and again in 2011. Additionally, their sixes don't suffer from head gasket problems, and the only oil leak that I ever had was on the '02 Outback, and that was cured by simply snugging-down the valve covers more tightly.
Subsequently--I think in 2013--they redesigned the four cylinder models so that they also utilize timing chains, instead of belts.
At this point, all Subaru engines use timing chains.
Did Subaru ever change over to a chain instead of a timing belt in their engines? We had one in the late 80's and the timing belt broke several times on it. Fortunately, the engine was not an interference engine and we would just tow it and replace the belt. Also had the head gaskets fail and a lot of oil leaks. Maybe they have improved all of that by now. Very expensive break downs.
Pretty sure all new Subaru engines are chain driven today.
Thanks all, son is heading down to pick-up daughters car with a U-Haul auto transport and a come along since he won't be starting it. Getting a screaming deal from the dealership (better than what the local shop quoted me) on fixing her car so it's worth the hassle of towing it 100 miles.
Getting a screaming deal from the dealership (better than what the local shop quoted me) on fixing her car so it's worth the hassle of towing it 100 miles.
I'm really not surprised, as many dealerships (particularly Honda and Subaru dealers) will charge less for timing belt replacements than independent shops. Yes, they do tend to charge more for most types of service and repairs, but for some reason, they seem to be very competitive in regard to timing belt jobs. So much for the folks who claim that an indy shop is always cheaper than a dealer's service department...
And, since incorrect installation (being "off" by a cog or two) of a timing belt is a possibility when a mechanic isn't very familiar with a particular type of engine, you are much more likely to have it done right the first time at the dealership, where they do this type of work several times each week, as compared to an indy shop that might not do a timing belt job on the same make of car for...months at a time.
I'm really not surprised, as many dealerships (particularly Honda and Subaru dealers) will charge less for timing belt replacements than independent shops. Yes, they do tend to charge more for most types of service and repairs, but for some reason, they seem to be very competitive in regard to timing belt jobs. So much for the folks who claim that an indy shop is always cheaper than a dealer's service department...
And, since incorrect installation (being "off" by a cog or two) of a timing belt is a possibility when a mechanic isn't very familiar with a particular type of engine, you are much more likely to have it done right the first time at the dealership, where they do this type of work several times each week, as compared to an indy shop that might not do a timing belt job on the same make of car for...months at a time.
Thank you SO much for this advice-- as it turns out my '04 Toyota Sequoia needs a new timing belt within the next 5K miles and I just called my local Toyota dealership and it was less HALF the price of my local (and usually reasonably priced!) mechanic. $429 vs $950-- thanks, again!
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