MajorCommonEngine

Toyota Chaser: Overdue timing belt on the 1JZ/2JZ engines of aged imports

Overdue timing belt on the 1JZ/2JZ engines of aged imports is a common engine fault on the Toyota Chaser on the 1996–2001 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $700 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 7 documented faults on the Toyota Chaser.

Vehicle: Toyota Chaser
Engine: 1JZ / 2JZ
Years: 1996–2001
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Toyota Chaser as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Chaser faults7 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Timing belt yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The 1JZ-GE, 1JZ-GTE and 2JZ-GE straight-sixes in the Chaser drive their camshafts with a rubber timing belt due for replacement roughly every 100,000 km or ten years. Because import history is often unknown, the belt fitted may be decades old and well past its life. A belt that snaps or jumps teeth causes a sudden loss of running, and combined with a worn water pump and tensioner the whole front-of-engine service is a known deferred cost on these cars.

What you would notice

No documented timing-belt change in the service history
Cracked, glazed or perished belt visible under the timing cover
Ticking, squealing or rattle from the front of the engine
Coolant weeping from the water pump behind the belt
Rough running or a no-start after the belt has jumped

How to check it

Where to look. Timing belt behind the cover on the front of the inline-six engine

Ask for a dated invoice proving the belt, tensioner, idlers and water pump were changed and at what odometer.
Remove the upper timing cover if possible and inspect the belt for cracks, glazing and fraying.
Check for coolant residue around the water pump area and listen for bearing noise from the tensioner and idler pulleys with the engine running.

Parts involved: Timing belt.

What it costs to put right

$700 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“When was the timing belt last replaced, with proof of odometer?”
“Were the tensioner, idlers and water pump done at the same time?”
“Do you know the real service history since import to NZ?”
“Is there any ticking or squeal from the front of the engine?”

Now check the Toyota Chaser you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Toyota Chaser buyer questions

Is overdue timing belt on the 1jz/2jz engines of aged imports serious on a Toyota Chaser?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Chaser. The 1JZ-GE, 1JZ-GTE and 2JZ-GE straight-sixes in the Chaser drive their camshafts with a rubber timing belt due for replacement roughly every 100,000 km or ten years. Because import history is often unknown, the belt fitted may be decades old and well past its life. A belt that snaps or jumps teeth causes a sudden loss of running, and combined with a worn water pump and tensioner the whole front-of-engine service is a known deferred cost on these cars.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Chaser?

$700 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Chaser years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1996–2001 Toyota Chaser. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Ask for a dated invoice proving the belt, tensioner, idlers and water pump were changed and at what odometer. Remove the upper timing cover if possible and inspect the belt for cracks, glazing and fraying. Check for coolant residue around the water pump area and listen for bearing noise from the tensioner and idler pulleys with the engine running. Look here: Timing belt behind the cover on the front of the inline-six engine