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I have a Dodge Journey and I'm about to do a timing belt service which replaces the timing belt, water pump, and the hydraulic tensioners. Now this is preventive maintenance, there isn't anything wrong with my belt, I just know it is a good idea to get a timing belt service every so often. As you are aware, whenever mechanic shops, especially well known ones perform services on vehicles they warranty their work. I'm curious what exactly that covers.

For example, let's suppose I get the timing belt service and it was done wrong and three months later my belt breaks on the highway. Suppose again I have an interference engine, which I think I do and the cylinder heads get damaged as a result of bad timing belt mechanic work. Would the mechanic shop warranty cover that?

I realize that is too broad, as there are thousands of mechanic shops, I'm asking for those who worked for a shop and would they have covered something like that or is the warranty just for the timing belt even though the poor mechanic job caused the damaged heads?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
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Travis
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2 Answers2

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As you stated, it depends on the shop.

The way you remedy the situation is you ask the shop up front:

  • Do you warranty your work?
  • If the belt breaks and the engine lunches, will you replace/repair the engine?
  • Can you put that in writing, please?

If you have something in writing, you have legal standing. This will let you know one way or the other as to how they operate. If they won't give you such assurances, or if their warranty doesn't cover what you believe it should, take it somewhere else who will.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
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Thank you everyone for the answers. As I said I got my timing service done today. I asked the shop what the warranty covers. Of course he said "Well it covers the timing belt, water pump and hydraulic tensioners" I said "Yeah, I realize that, but let's say I were to drive the vehicle and three months later my timing belt snapped, which resulted in warping and bending my cylinder heads rendering my engine inoperable, would the warranty cover that?" He said "Yes, since it was caused by the timing belt." He said that "What happens, is I contact the company I bought the parts for and tell them they had a defective timing belt and at that point they will send me a new engine to install in your vehicle which of course we would do free of charge."

Now I purposely omitted the shop's name and the company they get the parts from so I modified the quote a bit. I'm posting this in case anyone else was curious as to shop warranty information. Obviously the usual disclaimer applies, not all shops are the same, so be sure to ask.

Travis
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