Expert answer

Hi Julie.

First up, you've not told us which engine your Kuga has, and that's a key detail. We'll have to assume it has one of the most common units, which is the 2.0 TDCi diesel.

Secondly, a "wet belt" is a type of timing belt. When someone says "timing belt" they generally mean a "dry" belt that does not run in oil - like a wet belt does.

Anyway, the 2.0-litre diesel engine in the 2015 Kuga has a dry timing belt, not a wet one. It also has a small timing chain in the cylinder head joining the camshafts.

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Hi Callum,

That engine has a timing belt, but it is in fact a "dry" belt, not a wet one. It does not run in oil. For your information, there is an additional (small) timing chain in the cylinder head linking the camshafts, but that's essentially maintenance free and it's only the belt you need to think about changing. 

Come back to us with the engine code or power output and we can look up the replacement schedule for you.

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Hi Chevalier,

We have no way of knowing which setup your car's engine has remotely, but you are correct in that some of the engines from that year use a chain for the high-pressure fuel pump drive while others use a belt - alongside the main timing belt.

It doesn't really matter which your engine has, unfortunately, as the chain must be replaced just as often as the timing belt - at least every 200,000km or 10 years, whichever comes first.

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Hi David,

Unless the timing belt broke, leading to you getting this work done, then I see no reason why the garage would have removed the cylinder head while replacing it. That is not routine.

It also is not possible to skim a head gasket, so presumably the mechanic said he skimmed the cylinder head itself. If they removed the cylinder head to do that as well as replace all the parts associated with the timing belt then the price doesn't sound unreasonable, but I'd question why the cylinder head was removed if this was supposed to be a regular timing belt change.

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Hi Aubril,

The Focus estate in general is pretty decent, but the 1.8-litre diesel engine was not Ford's finest hour and unless it has verified low mileage and/or a detailed service history showing regular oil changes, it's best to look for an alternative. The 1.6-litre diesel is a far superior engine from Ford, for example.

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Hi Alex,

That engine has a cambelt.

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Hi Nicholas,

It depends on which version it is and which gearbox it has. It will be either €390 or €570 per year according to our data. If you have the registration we should be able to check for sure. 

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Hi Marie,

I can confirm that those cars' engines do not have wet timing belts - they are traditional 'dry' belts instead. I believe the issues you mentioned relate to Ford's EcoBoost petrol engines only. 

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Hi Roy,

As labour and parts prices can vary considerably depending on where you get the work done, we don't like to give people estimates of costs. We can tell you that the work should take about five solid hours.

I suggest you ring around a few garages to get estimates. 

Expert answer

Hi Aidan,

Unless the engine has been modified, the best thing to do is go to a Ford dealer parts department and give them your car’s chassis code. They can then look up the correct part for you. Most large motor factors should be able to do the same.