Drivers must pay £800 to fix part in 'all' cars sold since 2017

Drivers face paying £800 over a problem with a part in ALL cars sold after 2017. Motorists and road users are being warned over the prospect of a three-figure penalty and charge for a part installed in all sold cars flogged in the past seven years.

The Express reports Dave Harrison of 911 Auto Repairs in Sheffield warned: "The next big scandal - wet belts. They replaced timing belts with wet belts on a lot of models after 2017, supposedly they’re more efficient. But the wet belt is a big problem because it only has a 10 year interval and then it breaks. It deteriorates and it can stop your brakes working.

"But if it breaks after nine years, they don’t want to know." He added: "And when it does [break], it’s very difficult to fix. It takes twice as long as a normal belt to fix and it costs more to replace." The timing belt exists in two variants: the dry timing belt, which is positioned outside the engine crankcase, and the wet timing belt or belt-in-oil when the timing belt is fully encased within the engine.

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Dave went on to say: "That’s one that makes your eyes roll when you see it - oh god, it’s got a wet belt. They say it's better but it ends up costing double to fix or it's unfixable and makes the car basically worthless."

In the UK, the average cost to replace a timing belt, also known as a cambelt, is between £300 and £800, including parts and labour. Halfords explains: "Typically, timing belts cost between £250-£1,000. How much you pay will depend on factors such as vehicle type and existing damage.

"The optimal time to change your timing belt depends on your manufacturer's recommendation. This could be anywhere between 40,000 to 100,000 miles. Timing belts come in all shapes and sizes. Use our free car part lookup tool to find the right timing belt for your car.

"If you don’t replace a faulty timing belt, it may snap, which can cause your car to come to a sudden halt and not function. Plus, it leads to further damage to your engine."