Any way to tell if a timing belt has been changed recently?

Is there anyway to tell if a timing belt has been changed on these cars or not? You would think since its such a critical maintenance item that they would stamp the cover or something. I'm looking to buy an 06 Jetta and it seems most private owners I come across are all sure the belt has been changed by the previous owner but don't have the paperwork- which is a rather scary proposal when the car has 165-175,000 miles on it.

No paperwork = NO PROOF = discount price of purchase to cover NEW TB. That's it, period.

Yup. Without paperwork or a trusted source I would just assume they are overdue.

Almost every VW for sale has a "recently changed timing belt and waterpump". Unless you have ironclad stellar documentation as to when/who/what and the parts source, as the others have said, do it ASAP.

OP, here, read my story on the daughter's wagon:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=5096559&postcount=20

Yeah, new TB and new water pump. And the seller even flashed some receipts at me: but he didn't give them to me- something about needing for taxes, COUGH! When I let go of a vehicle I hand over ALL records (and I do retain ALL records); I just think that this is what should be done.

Wife's car had receipts from the dealer. Seller was on the up-and-up. Later on I realized after really looking closely at the receipts that the water pump hadn't been replaced! Part of me thinks that it could have been because the seller was a tight-wad, but I'd think that if the dealership was instructed not to change the water pump despite that being routine for them then they should have made a note about this on the paperwork- there was no such note. So, even though the work that was done seems to have been good (car now has 56k miles since the TB was done) it really wasn't done as well as it should have. I'm rolling the dice here, hoping that the WP holds on for another 40k miles.

How lucky do you feel? It's a $3k gamble.

Remeciis said:

Is there anyway to tell if a timing belt has been changed on these cars or not?

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I wish there was a way to tell.

I bought a 2006 Jetta last Sept with 118k miles on it, and I'm pretty sure the timing belt has not been changed. The seller told me that it was done, but could offer no proof other than saying the previous (original) owner had had it done on time. I asked how he confirmed it, and he said that he spoke to the mechanic that did the work. When I asked who the mechanic was and what his number was, he could not tell me.

That's all well and good...I knew what I was buying and expected to be changing the belt anyway, so that's fine. Point is, unless you have documentation/work order/invoice from a reputable VW shop indicating that the belt was changed, you really have to assume it was not done imho.

My 2000 blue golf had the timing belt "changed recently" when I bought it. No paper work, no proof. Popped the covers when I got it home at 149k miles and Oh my....I really wondered if it had ever been changed. Intake clogged to a dime sized hole too. Lots of work ahead of me, but she turned out to be a really nice car.
Bought a 2001 bug in 2012 with 56k miles. Had a new IP just installed and timing belt kit by Chaplin's Bellevue VW. I inspected it when I got home and yup, everything looked new. Invoice parts listed were all correct and complete. They darn near stripped the water pump bolts by over tightening them as I discovered at the next change. I took the dealer installed TB to 100k miles.
Bought a 2002 bug also with recent timing belt changed. No paper work, no proof. Got home and inspected. Timing belt looked like it was recently changed, but the water pump and other bearings clearly not.
Bottom line, as others have said, unless you have proof, or know the seller or guru that did the work and can verify, err on the side of caution and proceed as if the timing belt is now due to be changed.

I get that asked all the time from new TDI customer.
If the water pump looks like it just came out of the box then it is a good chance it was done! But over the years I have had some come in the shop with paper work of it being done only to find they did it wrong!! and a wrongly installed adjuster now with bent valves!

I changed my own timing belt using the proper tools and all necessary components. I'm not sure how I would pursued a potential buyer. I would have to find the receipts if I saved them, but my Golf is not for sale. Before I did all the work I stopped at a dealer for an estimate and all I saw was a $1500 receipt for a Passat and no tensioner or TTY bolts were listed.

The dealership where I bought my car has been known to employ the mark and pray technique. Ugh. Doing it myself was very rewarding.

jettawreck said:

Almost every VW for sale has a "recently changed timing belt and waterpump". Unless you have ironclad stellar documentation as to when/who/what and the parts source, as the others have said, do it ASAP.

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UGH. Even with recipients, there is no way to tell if it was done correctly with quality parts. People selling cars can be incompetent or just straight out lairs. For piece of mind just change the belt and timing components to make sure you can sleep at night.

Ol'Rattler said:

UGH. Even with recipients, there is no way to tell if it was done correctly with quality parts. People selling cars can be incompetent or just straight out lairs. For piece of mind just change the belt and timing components to make sure you can sleep at night.

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That's why I include "who" in the short list. Unless it's a well known competent and trusted mechanic (or you do it yourself) I consider it needing done again/correctly. It's really the only way to know positively.

Me, I do my own. Had the best teacher too. Oldpoopie! There are only two people that will touch my car. Me or oldpoopie.

There should be a date on the tensioner. I also recently purchased a tdi with unknown history and was happy to see that it had a Gates belt and tensioner with 2014 date. With a carfax report I have the average annual mileage and could estimate that the it had a timing belt job about 15K-20K ago.