Anyway to tell if Timing Belt has been changed?

Smart to have it done.

I always figure (no matter what a seller tells me) that maintenance like that has not been done if they cannot provide receipt proof or I can't get the info from the shop that supposedly did the work.

Price to pay for piece of mind.

I typically try the online look up on a vehicle (as previously posted) and will also call the service department at the dealer and ask them to look up the vin and see what sort of service work has been done at the dealer. They can give out the info on the service the vehicle has had, but not previous owner info.

Was useful doing this while looking at Tacomas. Found one that had been to the dealer, got an estimate for high dollar repairs and declined to have them fixed just a day before they had it up for sale and I was there looking at it. Often, I find bigger dollar maintenance not done if the person is planning on selling it soon. They just don't want to put money into it if they don't have to. Understandable.

I got a quote in the $600 range for basic timing belt/water pump change. Keep in mind that the number can go up once they are in there if you have anything leaking or need pulley/tensioner stuff. That is where you pop up into the $1000 range.

When it comes to it, I'll probably end up buying the tools (crank one and that snap on one ) and doing the job myself with the complete kit. Dealer AND independent Toyota specialist shop costs just too much for me. Got quoted an average of $1100 to do the clutch and rear main while they were already in there! Needless to say I guess I'll be doing that job myself too.

 

When you buy a OEM timing belt from the dealer it comes with a sticker that you write the mileage and date that it was changed and I think it's supposed to placed on the timing belt cover.

 

^^^ This. I agree, price to pay for peace of mind. Hopefully the pulley/tensioner will not be an issue.
I am also going to have them fix some oil seal leaks at the front diff where the drive shaft comes in from the transfer case and also the oil seal at the rear of the transfer case. I was going to fix them myself, but the front diff has a crush nut that I was having troubles ordering and also you need to have some sort of puller to get the seal out once you get the companion flange off. So hopefully with the right tools they can replace each seal in about an hour each.
I really hate paying the dealer for the work, but I also have limited time to work on these with traveling for work often!

 

^Know how that can be. Used to make loads of money, but was on the road all the while and working insanely long hours. So, time to do things I maybe would have normally done was at a premium and ended up paying to have the work done. Totally understand that!

Now I'm at the opposite at more time than money lol, but much better health and we are a lot happier.

Hope all works out well on it for you. Either way you know it will be fixed and if not then you can take it back to them and have it done right.

Cheers

 

I was doing the traveling construction thing for about 4 years, moving from large project to large project with a company based out of Anchorage, AK. Now I have a new job that lets me spend some more time at home, but still travel about once a month. Hopefully in another year or so, it will be mostly just working from home!

The nice thing is that it allows me to live in a small mountain town in CO!!!

 

Lot to be said for quality of life!