Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent shop (~$100/hr) $1,465–$2,930 · Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) $1,628–$3,256 (the headline above) · Dealership (~$175/hr) $2,198–$4,396. Each figure applies that shop type's hourly labor rate (market estimates, shown above) to the calculator's own hours and parts assumptions. It is modeled, not a quote.
Check a quote against these ranges
This sets your number beside published ranges and owner-written bills. It is not a verdict: ask the shop what the quote includes (parts grade, labor hours, fees, tax). It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How serious did it get for owners?
7% of the 640 complaints report a tow, the most common serious outcome; the other outcomes counted below are rarer, and an owner can file without mentioning one.
What it shows: Towed is the largest at 45, followed by Crash reported at 3; the smallest shown is Fire reported at 1.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 50,000-100,000 (44%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 50,000: 21% against 60%.
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 6-9 years (57%), against 23% for all complaints: the biggest difference between the two.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
640 owner complaints name this part.
What it shows: Warning light is the largest at 35%, followed by Recall mentioned at 26%; the smallest shown is Smoke or burning smell at 3%.
What do owners say it led to?
Among the 640 owner complaints naming this part, owners most often say engine damage followed.
What owners say happened after the problem. Engine damage: 68 (11%); Loss of power: 15 (2%).
If your car shows the signs above, get it checked before it gets as far as engine damage.
Which other parts do owners name in the same complaint?
Among the 640 owner complaints naming this part, water pump is named in 6% of them, more than any other part.
Other parts named in the same complaints. Water pump: 37 complaints (6%); Engine overhaul: 30 complaints (5%).
What did owners say they paid?
Half of the 20 owners who wrote a dollar amount gave $4,000 or less; one in ten wrote more than $9,600.
These are bills owners wrote down, often covering more than this one repair. They show how far a job can run; get written quotes for your own car.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster is the largest group at 37%, out of 253 complaints.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
2015 is the most common model year in 640 complaints naming this part (23%); 3 model years account for 60%.
What it shows: 2015 is the largest at 146 (23%), followed by 2016 at 95 (15%); the smallest shown is 2025 at 2 (0%).
Do timing chain replacement problems track registered cars and trucks per resident across states?
Registered cars and trucks per resident
Complaints against what the makes sold would predict (1.0× = expected)
left map: lower to higherright map: green fewer complaints than expected, red morefurthest from the pattern: CA, FL, OK, PA, SC, WIfewer than 10 complaints
This describes states, not any one car, and it does not show that the left measure produces the right one.
Every state with 10 or more complaints, most over-reported first: state, registered cars and trucks per resident, complaints against expected, complaints filed.
- WI 1 · 2.66× · 29
- MI 1 · 1.92× · 47
- OK 1 · 1.83× · 13
- OH 1 · 1.73× · 42
- MN 1 · 1.67× · 15
- TN 1 · 1.59× · 22
- PA 1 · 1.45× · 34
- NC 1 · 1.23× · 27
- KY 1 · 1.21× · 10
- MO 1 · 1.17× · 14
- IN 1 · 1.17× · 14
- VA 1 · 1.15× · 23
- NJ 1 · 1.08× · 19
- IL 1 · 1.05× · 24
- NY 0 · 1.00× · 29
- WA 1 · 0.98× · 13
- CO 1 · 0.96× · 11
- SC 1 · 0.93× · 11
- GA 1 · 0.89× · 22
- MA 1 · 0.76× · 10
- TX 1 · 0.68× · 40
- MD 1 · 0.65× · 10
- FL 1 · 0.56× · 29
- CA 1 · 0.51× · 35
What it shows: States with more registered cars and trucks per resident tend to sit higher on the chart across 24 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
- A moderate pattern, probably real but not certain: about 1 in 14 patterns this clear turn out to be false alarms. Weak spot: hold average one-way commute equal and the registered cars and trucks per resident pattern disappears, so it may be mostly that factor.
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 8 foreign recall campaigns that name timing chain with NHTSA since 2015; the latest, from Mercedes-Benz USA in 2022-03. These are recalls abroad, and they apply to U.S. cars only if the same model is sold here.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03 | Mercedes-Benz | 044 | E-Class Coupe/Convertible (238 platform) and CLS-Class (257 platform) vehicles with 4-cylinder Diesel engine OM654, individual bolts or chain links of the camshaft timing chain might wear over time under specific driving/idling conditions. |
| 2021-02 | General Motors | 040 | The engines in these vehicles contain a engine chain guide and guide bolt that were improperly tensioned during engine assembly. |
| 2017-12 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 220 | Ifthis were to occur, the timing chain could become worn and elongated, causing abnormal noise. |
Has the maker published a fix?
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep | Compass 2025–2027 | 09-021-26 | Aug 26, 2026 | Not applicable to vehicles built for US market. |
| GMC | Sierra 1500 2019–2025; Canyon 2023–2025 | 25-NA-076 | Mar 29, 2025 | This informational bulletin advises the technician that the gasket for the timing chain tensioner is not required. |
| Land Rover | Range Rover 2020–2022; Discovery Sport 2015–2022 and 4 more | SFCC_OCT2021_31 | Oct 15, 2021 | Timing chain replacement VVT service part incorrectly. |
| Chevrolet | Silverado 1500 2020–2021; Silverado 3500 2020–2021 and 3 more | PIP5806C | Aug 16, 2021 | This preliminary information bulletin instructs to technicians to check the trigger wheel for interfering with the timing chain, and adding a shim to the camshaft position sensor. |
| Chevrolet | Blazer 2019–2021; Malibu 2016–2021 and 5 more | PIP5803A | Apr 19, 2021 | This Preliminary information communicates to technician's if they remove the front timing cover when performing a repair, they should inspect the timing chain guide upper bolt for being loose. |
| Chevrolet | Traverse 2019–2020; Impala 2019–2020 | 20NA085 | Apr 8, 2020 | This technical bulletin provides a procedure to inspect the left side timing chain guide assembly for abnormal wear and to replace the guide if found the cause of the concern. |
20 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Manufacturer warranty extensions naming this part (4)
| Maker | Vehicles | Date | Notice number | What the maker extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land Rover | LR4 2012–2014 | Apr 6, 2022 | NAS22.02.002 | Engine timing chain and tensioner partial. |
| Audi | A6 2012 | Apr 1, 2019 | AWA 18-15-201902 | Timing chain and timing chain tensioner. |
| Volkswagen | Jetta 2008–2014; Passat 2008–2010; Tiguan 2009–2013 | Dec 3, 2018 | VWP-18 | Timing chain and timing chain tensioner. |
| BMW | 320i 2012–2015; 328i 2012–2015; 428i 2014–2015 | Jul 16, 2018 | B110317 | N20 and N26 engine timing chain and oil pump drive chain. |
What do owners say?
4 complaints quoted word for word, each with its NHTSA number.
Engine timing chains failed at 71,000 miles requiring a $9,700 repair.
I h e the P0016 code indicating the the timing chain that can cost up to $10k and sudden engine failure if not repaired.
The dealer diagnosed the problem as the timing chain, and replaced it and all related components at a cost of $4500.
What bothers me is I just spent $3000 less than 2 months ago to replace a cam actuator and timing chain and never once was a blown engine mentioned to me or that I should be concerned about one.
Check your car
Timing chain replacement costs $1,628–$3,256 for a V6 with two chains, with parts at $407–$1,018 and labor at $1,221–$2,239. Engine layout moves that range most, and shop type comes second.
What does timing chain replacement cost, and what does it cover?
The estimate is a V6 with a double chain, priced at the default shop setting. It covers the chain set, the labor to open the front of the engine, and a fresh seal at the timing cover.
Labor is the larger share. The chain sits behind the timing cover, so the shop has to pull belts, covers and often the front engine mount before it reaches anything. You're paying for hours, not for the part itself.
How much does engine layout change timing chain replacement?
Count the chains, not the cylinders. Each extra chain adds parts and adds hours to reach it. The table changes one setting at a time from the default.
| Setting | Parts | Labor | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-cam, four-cylinder, one chain | $204–$509 | $814–$1,425 | $1,018–$1,933 |
| Default: V6, two chains | $407–$1,018 | $1,221–$2,239 | $1,628–$3,256 |
| V8 or variable-timing, several chains | $814–$1,832 | $1,832–$3,663 | $2,646–$5,495 |
| Default job at an independent shop | $366–$916 | $1,099–$2,015 | $1,465–$2,930 |
Pick your engine in the calculator rather than guessing from the table. Two trims of one model can carry different engines.
What does the estimate leave out?
It doesn't include repairs for damage a failed chain has already done, such as bent valves or a scored cylinder. It doesn't include an oil change, coolant top-up or a new serpentine belt unless you ask for them. And it can't see corrosion or sludge on an older engine, which can add labor once the cover is off.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- FHWA Highway Statistics 2023 Table MV-1 with Census 2023 population, joined to NHTSA owner complaints downloaded 2026-10-12
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) downloaded 2026-10-05
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($2,120–$2,764) on 2026-10-10: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of that range. Price evidence grade C: one outside published range; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology