The maker has the timing belt replaced at 120 000 kilometres or at six years, and whichever of the two comes first is what counts. On a car that has covered little but is six years old, the mileage is therefore not enough. Workshops are stricter than this: they recommend it at 100 000 kilometres, and they replace the belt together with the tensioners and the water pump.

This is an interference engine: if the belt snaps, the pistons reach the open valves. The consequence is bent valves, and from then on the repair is a full cylinder head rebuild.

The belt can also snap before its time, and there are two known reasons for that: incorrect tensioning and a high pressure pump that is not accurately aligned. Both depend on the quality of the belt change, which means it is also of interest on the invoice where the work was done.