MajorCommonEngine

Toyota Crown: Timing belt stretch / overdue replacement (1JZ / 2JZ six-cylinder, S170)

Timing belt stretch / overdue replacement (1JZ / 2JZ six-cylinder, S170) is a common engine fault on the Toyota Crown on the 2000–2003 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $800 to $1,600 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 24 documented faults on the Toyota Crown.

Vehicle: Toyota Crown
Engine: 1JZ / 2JZ
Years: 2000–2003
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Toyota Crown 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 Crown faults24 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 S170 Crown's 1JZ and 2JZ inline-six engines use a timing belt, and import buyer's guides warn these belts stretch and can snap well before the 100,000 km replacement interval suggests, especially on cars that sat unused in Japan before export. Many NZ imports arrive with no verifiable belt-change history because Japanese service stickers are missed or removed at compliance. These are interference-adjacent designs where a snapped belt at minimum strands the car and can mean a costly engine rebuild. Budget for an immediate belt and water pump change on any S170 without paperwork.

What you would notice

No timing belt service sticker under the bonnet
Faint rattly or slapping noise from the front of the engine at idle
Seller cannot produce any Japanese service history

How to check it

Where to look. Front of the engine, behind the plastic timing cover on the cam belt end

Open the bonnet and look for a Japanese timing belt service sticker (usually on the cam cover or radiator support) showing date and km.
If the odometer reads over 100,000 km, or the car sat in Japan for years, assume the belt is original.
Listen at the front of the engine at idle for slapping or rattling.
Ask the dealer for auction sheet and any service records from Japan.

Parts involved: Timing belt.

What it costs to put right

$800 to $1,600 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

“Has the timing belt and water pump been replaced since the car landed in NZ?”
“Can you show me the auction sheet or any Japanese service records?”
“Will you discount the price if I have to do the belt straight away?”

Now check the Toyota Crown 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.

JDMbuysell Toyota Crown buyer's guide (timing belt warning for 1JZ/2JZ)
JDMbuysell Toyota Crown S170 buyer's guide
Garage Dreams Toyota Crown S180 buyer's guide

Toyota Crown buyer questions

Is timing belt stretch / overdue replacement (1jz / 2jz six-cylinder, s170) serious on a Toyota Crown?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Crown. The S170 Crown's 1JZ and 2JZ inline-six engines use a timing belt, and import buyer's guides warn these belts stretch and can snap well before the 100,000 km replacement interval suggests, especially on cars that sat unused in Japan before export. Many NZ imports arrive with no verifiable belt-change history because Japanese service stickers are missed or removed at compliance. These are interference-adjacent designs where a snapped belt at minimum strands the car and can mean a costly engine rebuild. Budget for an immediate belt and water pump change on any S170 without paperwork.

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

$800 to $1,600 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 Crown years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2000–2003 Toyota Crown. 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?

Open the bonnet and look for a Japanese timing belt service sticker (usually on the cam cover or radiator support) showing date and km. If the odometer reads over 100,000 km, or the car sat in Japan for years, assume the belt is original. Listen at the front of the engine at idle for slapping or rattling. Ask the dealer for auction sheet and any service records from Japan. Look here: Front of the engine, behind the plastic timing cover on the cam belt end