Diydoidothis

I am preparing to replace the timing belt on my parents rdx but with my busy schedule I can't get to it until a bit later. The vehicle has 106,700 miles on it currently and they will probably be putting another 500 to 600 miles on it before I can change it. My question is am I okay to wait those 500 to 600 miles or should I tell them to just have it done. And does anyone know when other rdx's timing belts broke.

Alex Medeiros

It's hard to tell the condition of the belt without opening everything up. It's recommended to change the timing belt every 7 years/105k miles, whichever comes first. These engines are interference ridden if the belt were to snap. It's all up to you with taking that chance, but going an extra 500-600 miles doesn't sound like too much of a risk at this point.

kaehlin

Timing belt failure is rarely reported here. Based on that, I don't think it's a common failure mode, so not much risk extending a few hundred miles.

kipsy

no magic answer. my 2016 has 76k miles on it and i had it done october of 2023. i canceled my new audi q3 deposit and decided to maintain the RDX and keep for a while. i like the 6 cylinder over the 4 with turbo engines. its 7 years or 105k miles. you can roll the dice and win or lose.

had it done by a local mechanic and was charged $900 including parts (full aisin kit) including water pump, coolant change, and tensioners. dealer was around 2300.

TheSauceBoss

I did our '16 RDX at like 112k miles I believe. The belt itself was in pristine condition. Everything looked new, minus the tb tensioner itself - just a singular drop of oil leaking from that piston. Which is still in better shape than literally every other J series tensioner I've seen to date. The tb tensioner is typically the point of failure in the system - and severe neglect goes hand in hand with ignoring the racket associated with a tensioner going bad. You'll be fine.

Alex Medeiros

Don't even bother with getting an Audi. It's just a rebadged Volkswagen with some nicer looking materials. You'll be relly unhappy with the reliability versus the Acura...

emry

I work for VW and had a VW for 20 years which it didn't let me down a single time. But it is true that it demanded frequent and expensive maintenance to keep it in shape.

But Audi is definitely not a rebadged VW. They may share some engine parts which has declined on percentage in recent years. Audi's technology is certainly way different than VW so that it is a serious content against BMW. But it is true that in terms of reliability Acura is better but when it comes to quality and driving experience Acura is not a match at all.

Clickit02

I had 2011 Audi A4, purchased with extended warranty. Without this warranty it would cost me in repairs 50% over purchased price. Infamous VW/Audi 2L turbo engine is total garbage, drinking oil like gasoline. The list of failed components would be arm long. Eventually, chain tensioner failed, causing $4200 in repair - another infamous weak point that led to lawsuit and settlement, and unfortunately my car mileage-wise was just over agreed in lawsuit. Talking about Audi-VW quality and reliability. Yea. Stay with Acura!

emry

You are talking about the older models which had different technology. The newer models are by far better and more reliable. They are competing with BMW and Mercedes although almost all German made cars suffer some degree of reliability due to the very complex engineering compared to the Japanese ones. Quality and reliability are two different concepts. German cars have the highest quality but not so much reliability which for Japanese cars is the reverse. Japanese cars are made out of cheap plastics and do not drive sporty but due to simpler engines they are more reliable.
To me, reliability is more important than quality that's why I chose Acura after my old VW.

Alex Medeiros

You can't have reliability without quality. There are tons of sporty japanese vehicles (i.e. Miata, NSX, RX-7, Skyline, WRX, EVO, LFA, BRZ, 350z & 370z, etc.)

Clickit02

“Japanese cars are made out of cheap plastics” and this is why you chose Acura. Right?

The reason for low reliability of German cars (European and US-made cars in general) and high for Japanese is in differences in mentality. Western mentality is all about innovation and discovery vs Japanese mentality is about observation and perfection. High-end German cars implemented most innovative solutions, but typically they aren’t well proven and troubleshooted. Japanese will not release car into manufacturing unless everything is proven really well. The drawback is that Japanese cars typically lugging behind in implementing advanced features – it takes time to perfect things, especially learning mistakes made by their Western competition.

emry

yes you can. BMW and Mercedes have a heck of quality in their engine and interior quality but they are not reliable in terms some parts and components.

emry

Yes I agree. The German engineering mentality is alienated with simplicity. I had studied in Germany back in 80s where simple designs are mostly ridiculed.
The Japanese knew this and used the simplicity and thus reliability as a marketing weapon to launch their assault on the Europeans and American manufacturers and they succeeded. But in order to keep the cost down and be competitive they had no choice than compromising on the body and interior quality hence using cheap plastics in most their cars.

Alex Medeiros

I'm sure BMW owners love their engines getting hit by this sound lmao.

Clickit02

Sorry, I have to disagree with you. There is no compromise in Japanese design and manufacturing. There is streamlining and optimization there, leading to cost reduction. BTW, built-in profit margin in German cars is much higher vs other brands, thus the MSRP is high, and therefore a lot of room for price negotiations while buying the car.

wallmike

It can last quite a bit longer than 100k miles. I just realized my last timing belt service was at 224K miles. I am now at 383K.
Hurrying up to get it done.
Has something happened recently with pricing? The dealers are quoting me 1895, 2125...wth?
Local repair shop quoted me 1284 to do it with the Aisin TKH-002 kit + camshaft + crankshaft seals.

emry

But I said the Japs compromise in quality of the body and interior not the manufacturing. Even the most expensive Japanese cars like Lexus use cheap plastics in their interior design.

emry

Apparently we were talking about engine technology here. If you are suggesting BMW suffers from unreliable engines you should refer to Toyota recalls of millions of their models.
Of course the German cars have very complex and complicated engines compared to Japanese cars. The simple law of entropy suggests more disorder with increased complexity.
Again, BMW and Audi may suffer from some degrees of unreliability in their engine parts but there is no comparison in quality of their cars. Have you ever heard of a luxury Japanese cars? Even their most trimmed brand/model doesn't come close to a Maybach.

Alex Medeiros

My private mechanic would do the job for like $600 tops. Those prices are absurd...

Alex Medeiros

Yah because spending $200k-$230k means the car is better .

emry

Didn't know BMW X5 or Audi Q7 or Mercedes S series cost that much.

Alex Medeiros

You said a Maybach which is as much as a home for many people...