Thinking of buying a Ford Puma. Any wet-belt problems?

Hi John,

You're right to be wary, as wet timing belts running in oil can cause major issues at times.

However, not all 1.0-litre engines in the Ford Puma have wet timing belts. From 2019 on, Ford changed the cam drive system to a timing chain, though it retained a rubber belt running in oil to drive the oil pump itself within the engine. This isn't subject to as much stress as a wet timing belt, but still could degrade if the oil is not of the right standard and kept clean.

Get the VIN of the car you're thinking of buying and ask a Ford dealer to confirm if it has a wet timing belt or a timing chain so you know what you're dealing with. In either case, look for a detailed service history, in particular oil changes, and do not buy a car without that.