In general, it's going to cost you between $450 and $650 to get the timing belt replaced in your Honda Accord. This can depend on the year of your vehicle, and of course where you take it to get done. The cost of repairs can change greatly from one mechanic to another even within the same town. If you don't have a mechanic that you know and trust already to give you a quality service at a good price, it's best to do some research to find out who in town has some good reviews that you may be able to trust with this kind of job.
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You can go to AutoZone and find timing belts for your Honda Accord there if you're interested in just getting the part. They range in price from $18 all the way up to about $215.You can also find timing chain sets for Honda Accords on AutoZone as well. Those are a little more expensive, and can get up to over $300 each.
Timing Belt vs Timing Chain
Depending on the model year of your Honda Accord, you may have either a timing belt or a timing chain. From 2008 until 2017 all four-cylinder Accords had timing chains and the V6 had timing belts. From the 2018 model year on every Honda Accord was equipped with a timing chain.
What Does a Timing Belt Do?
The timing belt or timing chain is essential for the operation of your engine. The crankshaft and the camshaft have to rotate in precision order in order for the valves and cylinders to open and close at the exact right time to allow for the combustion reaction to occur. The timing belt is what connects the camshaft and a crankshaft so that they are turning in conjunction with one another as you allow for that precision combustion reaction to occur
If something goes wrong with your timing belt or chain, if it slips off the gears for an instant, then the camshaft for the crankshaft will no longer be working in conjunction. That means that you could cause some serious damage to your valves and cylinders because they're not opening and closing at the right time and the crankshaft will continue spinning. This could cause a catastrophic failure in the engine if it happens while you're driving, and you could end up with repair bills that are in the neighbourhood of $3,000 to $4,000 or more.
Since the Accord has been in production for over 40 years it’s impractical to go back all that distance to review issues with the model timing belt. That said, we could go back as far as 2002 which may be as reasonable as it can get to review older models of the Accord.
Worst Model Years for the Honda Accord Timing Belt
2002 Honda Accord
The 2002 Honda Accord was part of a recall that has been issued for a problem with the timing belts. According to the recall if the timing belt broke, the engine could stall and increase the risk of a crash. This affected V6s, so the timing belt was the issue rather than a timing chain.
There was a problem with the timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump that could be misaligned and that would cause the timing belt to contact the bolts on the cylinder head. As the timing belt rotating between the camshaft and a crankshaft against that bolt it could we're out much faster than normal and eventually break. The recall affected just over 17,500 models.
2003 Honda Accord
This model year again had some problems with timing chains including sometimes getting stretched out which is quite unusual for a chain. The problems with the timing chain going off ended up leading to additional problems like engine damage and excess oil consumption.
2004 Honda Accord
There were some reports of drivers having problems with the timing chain breaking in their 2004 Honda Accord. This happened on average around 86,000 miles and the cost to repair it was upwards of $3,000. A timing chain is meant to last for many years and a vehicle, if not the entire life of a vehicle. That's the advantage of a timing chain or a timing belt. For a change of rake and under 100,000 miles demonstrates a significant flaw somewhere.
2008 Honda Accord
The 2008 model year of the Honda Accord was an especially bad year for a number of reasons. The timing chain was a problematic area for a number of drivers in this model year. Some drivers reported that the timing chain broke more than once even within the same month, definitely indicating that they would have some kind of manufacturing problem.
Numerous drivers reported rattling and ticking noises from the engine preceding the breaking of a timing chain. The timing chain is men's to ideally last the entire life of your vehicle so when it rakes it's a serious issue indicating something has definitely gone wrong.
Along with the problems with the chain other side effects include excessive oil consumption. For most drivers this problem happened at around 145,000 miles. The cost to repair it was in excess of $2,000.
2009 Honda Accord
In 2009 there were a number of complaints from drivers about grinding noises on Startup that were traced to problems with the timing belt and pulleys. And these instances having an adjustment from a mechanic was often enough to get the problem fixed. Of course, if this was let go for too long then the other symptoms of faulty timing belt would present themselves.
2010 Honda Accord
Engine problems persisted for the 2010 model year for the Honda Accord. Not all of these were traced to issues with the timing belt or timing chain, but it didn't come up for some drivers that the grinding sound in their vehicle and the excessive oil consumption was related to the belt.
Signs of a Bad Timing Chain
There are a few things you could be on the lookout for to let you know there's a problem with your Honda timing chain. Or, as we've mentioned, these are the kinds of things you could expect if you have one of the years, we mentioned that was known specifically to have problems with the timing belts or timing chains.
Engine Misfires: When the timing chain breaks in your Honda it will slide off the gears. That causes the valves and cylinders to be opening and closing at the wrong time, and that will in turn lead to serious engine misfires.
Engine Smoke: When your timing belt isn't working properly that affects how the exhaust leaves from your engine. When the gases can't leave through the openings in your cylinder due to a problem with synchronisation being off, they will build up and vent at the wrong times. That can cause excessive smoke from your exhaust.
Rough Idling: If your timing belt slips slightly or especially if the teeth on the rubber belt come off, they can jam up the gears which in turn causes your engine to vibrate And sputter and just generally have a rough time even when you're sitting idle. There are other things that could cause a rough idle in your vehicle, but problems with the timing chain in your Honda are definitely a place that you can start looking.
Damaged Pistons or Valves: When your timing chain or belt fails completely and comes right off you have the potential to have serious damage in your engine. This is because the crankshaft keeps spinning even though the camshaft is no longer lined up with it. The pistons will hit the valves in this case and that can cause serious warping and damage in the engine. If this is bad enough, it could potentially destroy your engine right away and me and you need to get it towed into the shop to have it either completely repaired or maybe even replaced.
Lack of Oil Pressure: This is less likely to happen with a timing chain because of how a timing chain or a timing belt work. The timing belt has rubber teeth on it that grip the gears. Over time these can wear down and come off. Not only will that cause your timing belt to slip every now and then, but those little teeth can end up falling into the oil pan. That intern interferes with your oil's ability to flow and circulate through the engine. The oil pressure will decrease as a result because the small rubber teeth have clogged the system, and you could end up causing some serious damage to your engine as a result of it not being properly lubricated and therefore not even able to cool any longer.
Can I Replace My Honda's Timing Belt?
Since the cost of repairing a timing belt or a timing chain is so steep, you may be tempted to handle the job yourself to save some money on labour. Unfortunately, in terms of do-it-yourself car repairs, replacing the timing belts in your Honda is not particularly easy. This is a more in-depth repair, which is why most people take it to a mechanic to get it done. You need to get in very deep in your engine to get this job done, and if you don't have a lot of experience doing car repairs it's probably best to leave this one to the professionals.
If you do want to try this job on your own and you feel comfortable with the challenge because you've had some experience handling car repairs on your own, there are a number of videos that you can check out online made by skilled mechanics that can walk you through the process step by step to get your timing belt or timing chain replaced in your Honda. Just make sure you have the exact right part you need, and you follow the instructions carefully because, as we said, this is a fairly advanced repair.
The Bottom Line
The Honda Accord is not just one of the most popular vehicle models that Honda makes, it's one of those popular models of all time. Honda has been producing the Accord since 1976 and it's been one of the best-selling models in the United States since all the way back in 1989. From 1982 until 1997 it was the best-selling Japanese car in America each and every year.
Well over 10 million Honda Accords have been sold in the vehicle's lifetime, thanks in no small part to the fact that Honda has made a name for itself as a maker of reliable vehicles. The Accord has appeared on Car and Driver’s 10 Best List 30 different times already, more than any other vehicle in the world. It's safe to say that the Honda Accord is not just well-known and a well-performing vehicle, but it's almost an automobile icon at this point.
Despite all the accolades that the Honda Accord has received over the years, and how affordable and reliable of you is, it's not without its problems. After all, no vehicle can be in production for this many years Without running into a few problems. In the lifetime of the Accord, there have been issues that have Arisen including problems with his timing belt.
The price of getting the timing belt changed in your Honda Accord may seem steep, but this is an expensive repair job regardless of the model of car you drive. every vehicle that requires a timing belt replacement is going to bring a fairly steep repair bill with it. Getting access to the timing belt in your engine is not an easy job and will take a couple hours of work which is where the high labor costs come in for a task like this. Unfortunately, you can't drive your car without the timing belt and when it's damaged you have the potential to cause some serious trouble with your engine if it doesn't get looked at immediately. In light of that, this is a repair job that you need to get done as soon as possible if it's something you require.