Hello,

First post. We have a 2018 1.0 Karoq with just over 73K on it, and the independent garage we've had it serviced with since buying it in 21 have advised it's due it's timing belt change. I've just seen one post on the forum where someone has advised a dealer has recently confirmed it's actually 140K. And another person who has chipped in has made reference to another dedicated thread. Would someone be able to advise us please, or perhaps point me in the direction of the other thread. If anyone can advise what sort of cost this should be again that would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

June 2023 Skoda / VW changed the Cambelt schedule for replacement to more like 180,000 miles and however many years, not 5 years / 50,000 miles. Let the Dealership that says a 1.0 TSI is @ 140,000 miles show you in writing. The Service Desk person can maybe go ask the Master Tech if he advises it then. Not the Service Manager, is is not a mechanical engineer. I hope the car had new spark plugs recently and at least once before that. Re Cambelt, be sure who does it knows the 1.0 TSI and has the locking tool. Too many have been messed up. the 1.0 TSI is nothing like as expensive to have done as a 1.5 TSI ACT.

Edited 15 December, 202515 Dec by Evolution13

My philosophy is that the car will be worth bog-all at the end of 15 years, and certainly not the cost of a belt replacement. Just make sure that you've got decent breakdown cover; if it 'goes bang' you can throw it away.

Edited 15 December, 202515 Dec by StEdmund

My independent garage, who has maintained all my cars for the last 20 years, looks at it this way based on his years of experience. An engine that is used every day for a regular 40 mile trip to work and back puts the cambelt through 10 heat cycles a week 5 per hundred miles. An engine that does 10 short 3-4 mile trips a week puts the cambelt through 15 heat cycles per 100 miles. That it is heat cycles which cause stretching and cracking of the cambelt rather than overall mileage. Both our Skodas do mostly short journeys so I replace the cambelt at 5 year intervals, as we keep our cars for 10-15 years. That’s only 2 cambelts per car which is considerably less than a new engine. I know this doesn’t specifically answer your question, how long you intend to keep your Karoq may be the deciding factor.

Thanks everyone for your very quick and informative replies. Thamestrader's philosophy does make a lot of sense. Before moving to Skoda I went through a lot of pain after buying a diesel Alfa which hadn't done that many miles, but those it had done were around the doors so it had rarely had the chance to regenerate, causing it to clog.

VW might have taken decades to get timing chains and tensioners sorted, still tensioners with chain or belt can be an issue. The Cambelts this decade are not as the ones last decade and before. & fortunately they are not Wet Belts.

Yes, also the tensioner, it seems like the bit VW Group supply is just the new belt, so there is no kits available from VW Group as this task is not a regular service item.

So, as well as getting the belt changed, you should also be making sure that your garage is "creating" a kit to do that job, ie add in a tensioner.

When I got the cambelt changed on my wife's 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI at a proper VAG Indie, the parts listed included a tensioner as a line item.

We tend to expect maybe 15 years out of a car, so I considered that at the 10 years and 55K miles point, now was the time to pay to get that job done to avoid worrying about "what if" or "if only I had".

The guy that takes the money said, as I left, "that will be you for another 5 years"!

Edited 16 December, 202516 Dec by rum4mo