Timing chain
Toyota · 2009 onwards. Chain drive with a strong record. Spend the inspection time on rear-brake condition and the oil-service stamps rather than the timing drive.
Commonly Yaris, Auris, Aygo, Verso-S (2009 onwards). Engine codes changed through production, so confirm the code on the car in front of you before ordering parts or quoting the job.
The 1.33 / 1.5 Dual VVT-i used by Toyota (2009 onwards) runs a timing chain. Chain drive with a strong record. Spend the inspection time on rear-brake condition and the oil-service stamps rather than the timing drive.
There is no scheduled replacement interval for a chain. Judge it on cold-start noise, fault codes and oil-service history instead.
Expect roughly £600-£1,300 at a UK independent garage, depending on whether the water pump and tensioner go in at the same time and how much has to come off to reach the belt. Main-dealer quotes usually sit above that range.
On an interference engine the valves and pistons meet, which usually means a cylinder head at best and a replacement engine at worst. That is why an unproven timing history is a price conversation, not a detail.
Commonly Yaris, Auris, Aygo, Verso-S (2009 onwards). The list is not exhaustive and engine codes changed through production, so confirm the exact code on the car in front of you before ordering parts or quoting work.
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