Timing belt replacement cost: recall hours, the kit and your state rate
Pick the type of vehicle and the state. The estimator takes the time Honda and Acura pay for the belt, applies the local shop rate and adds a belt kit with water pump.
Timing belt, SUV, national: typical cost
$611
Range $535 to $751 · belt kit with water pump · before sales tax
| Labor time, SUV | 3.1 h to 3.2 h |
| Shop rate, national | $114 to $159 per hour |
| Labor, typical | $423 |
| Parts, typical listing | $187 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How costs are estimated · automaker labor times, BLS technician wages, parts read October 20, 2026 · not a quote
A timing belt job on an SUV with a belt driven V6 comes to about $611 at the national median shop rate of $134 an hour, within a range of $535 to $751 for labor and a belt kit with water pump, before sales tax. A pickup lands near $644, a luxury car near $597 and a sedan near $611. All the labor times come from one recall: Honda and Acura bulletins pay 2.9 h to 3.4 h for the belt on their 3.5 liter V6, and that time also covers an inspection and a check of the valve timing. The kit was priced on a single vehicle with a timing belt, the 2016 Honda Pilot 3.5L V6, at a median listing of $187 on October 20, 2026, and the estimate uses that price for every type. Across the states, the SUV job runs from about $518 in West Virginia to $697 in the District of Columbia. Engines driven by a timing chain fall outside these figures.
Belt or chain: know what your engine has
The timing belt links the crankshaft to the camshafts so the valves open and close in step with the pistons. It is a toothed rubber belt hidden behind plastic covers at the front or side of the engine. Many engines do not have one at all. They use a timing chain instead, a metal chain that runs inside the engine and is not replaced on a schedule the way a belt is. A chain gets attention when a mechanic finds a fault, not because the odometer reached a set figure.
So the first step is simple: find out which design your engine uses. The owner's manual says so, and its maintenance schedule gives the replacement interval when there is a belt. That interval is set by the automaker for each engine, and this page does not give one. If the shop that services your car says the belt is due, it should be able to point to that line in the schedule.
Where the hours come from
A plain belt change is maintenance paid by the owner, so it seldom shows up in the warranty documents read for this site. The times used here come from a recall instead. Honda and Acura issued a recall on several 3.5 liter V6 models that calls for the timing belt to be inspected and replaced, and their dealer instructions, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pay a fixed time to inspect the engine, replace the belt and verify the valve timing. That operation includes a cylinder leak down test, so it is a bit more than a routine belt swap. It does not include a water pump.
| Type | Vehicle and engine | Bulletin filed with NHTSA | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury | 2019 Acura RLX, 3.5L V6 | Acura Service Bulletin 19-026 (version 2), April 12, 2019 (recall 19V-298) | 2.9 h |
| Luxury | 2019 Acura TLX V6, 3.5L V6 | Acura Service Bulletin 19-026 (version 2), April 12, 2019 (recall 19V-298) | 3.2 h |
| Pickup | 2019 Honda Ridgeline, 3.5L V6 | Honda Service Bulletin 19-045 (version 3), June 19, 2020 (recall 19V-298) | 3.4 h |
| SUV | 2019 Honda Odyssey, 3.5L V6 | Honda Service Bulletin 19-045 (version 3), June 19, 2020 (recall 19V-298) | 3.1 h |
| SUV | 2018-2019 Honda Pilot, 3.5L V6 | Honda Service Bulletin 19-045 (version 3), June 19, 2020 (recall 19V-298) | 3.2 h |
The 5 times read sit close together, from 2.9 h to 3.4 h, because every vehicle in the recall shares the same V6 engine family; only the body around it changes. The SUV band is 3.1 h to 3.2 h and the pickup time is 3.4 h. No sedan appears in the recall, so for that type the estimator uses every time read and says so on screen. A four cylinder engine with a belt, or a V6 from another maker, can take less or much more. Treat these figures as one well documented engine, not as a rule for all cars.
The kit, and why one price serves every type
Shops often fit the belt as a kit: the belt, a tensioner and idler pulleys, and on many engines a new water pump, since the pump sits behind the same covers. The contents differ from one listing to the next, so read what a kit includes before comparing prices. The prices below were read for the 2016 Honda Pilot 3.5L V6, the only vehicle in the catalog survey on which a timing belt kit was read.
| Type | Reference vehicle | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | 2016 Honda Pilot 3.5L V6 | $180 | $187 | $243 |
Because there was no other vehicle to price, the estimator applies this kit to every type, from $180 for the cheapest kit in stock to $243 for the dearest. That is a fallback, and the figure for your own engine may differ. If a quote names a kit price, type it in More options and the estimator keeps your figure.
Timing belt for your vehicle and state
Timing belt, SUV, national: typical cost
$611
| Labor time, SUV | 3.1 h to 3.2 h |
| Shop rate, national | $114 to $159 per hour |
| Labor, typical | $423 |
| Parts, typical listing | $187 |
The state rate on a long labor job
With 3.2 h of typical labor and a kit of under $243, labor is roughly 69 % of the typical SUV bill. That makes the shop rate the main thing that changes from place to place. The rate in each state is a national survey of posted shop rates scaled by the mean technician wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which runs from $21.19 an hour in West Virginia to $32.65 in the District of Columbia. On this job, that wage gap becomes a difference of about $179 between the cheapest and the dearest state. The state ranking shows where yours falls, and the labor rate page explains how a posted rate is set.
Lines a belt quote may add
A belt quote can carry more than the belt. Coolant is needed when the water pump comes out. Camshaft or crankshaft seals are sometimes renewed while the covers are off, and a drive belt or a thermostat may be offered at the same visit. None of that is in the figures above, which hold the recall time and the kit only. Each extra item should appear as its own line with its own hours, so you can ask why it is needed and approve it or not.
The water pump page prices the pump on engines where it is a separate job. To compare a written quote with the hours and the kit range shown here, enter it in the quote checker. A mechanic who has seen the car remains the one to say what your engine needs.