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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. 

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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.

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Hi Patrick,

That is very high mileage of course, but many diesels are quite capable of it so long as they're maintained properly. Look for a detailed service history covering oil changes in particular, and on-time timing belt changes as well. 

Even so, there's no doubt that a car with that mileage on it will require mechanical maintenance. I'd only consider such a car if the price was exceptionally low in comparison to other examples with lower mileages. 

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Hi Stephen,

Every 180,000km or 10 years, whichever comes first.

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Hi Nick,

Yeah, it's quite normal to do both together. The main reason is that, to do the water pump, it would require taking off the timing belt anyway, so it makes sense, as they don't last forever, to do it at the same time, as it costs no extra labour, just the parts.

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Hi Sandi,

If it has never been changed then you should get it done immediately, as it should be replaced every 200,000km or 10 years, whichever comes soonest.

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Hi Rebecca,

You've not given us the year or engine size, so here's a summary:

Kuga gen 1 (2008-2013): both engines (2.0 TDCi diesel and 2.5-litre petrol) use timing belts that must be changed every 200,000km or 10 years, whichever comes first.

Kuga gen 2 (2013-2020): the 1.5 and 1.6 EcoBoost petrol engines and the 2.0 TDCi diesel engine have timing belts that must be changed every 200,000km or 10 years, whichever comes first. The 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine uses a timing chain. 

Unusually, the schedule for the 1.5 TDCi diesel engine's timing belt replacement depends on the model year. Up to 2018 it's the same as the others above, but after 2018, the interval is reduced to 180,000km.

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Hi Michael,

Assuming that it’s the 105hp version of the Focus 1.6 TDCi, and uses a manual gearbox, then it has CO₂ emissions of 88g/km, which means tax of €180 per year.

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Hi Julian.

The Kuga's belt should be changed every 200,000km or every 10 years, whichever comes sooner, so, as your car is now 10 years old, it'd be wise to get the belt done when you can.

It wouldn't be helpful for us to give you a price for the work, as labour rates vary considerably from garage to garage. And the price of the parts will vary too, depending on where they are bought. It might help to know that the work should take no more than three hours, but don't forget that, as well as the timing belt itself, the auxiliary belts will need to be replaced, as will the water pump.