The Lemon Index$2,500 middle bill · most between $1,800 and $3,800
347 owner reports on 63 models
Mini Cooper, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford F-Series
Owners reported paying a median of $2,500 for a timing chain replacement, with the middle half of bills between $1,800 and $3,800. That's 347 owner reports on 63 models (339 complaints to NHTSA and 8 YouTube videos). Costs vary by shop and region.
What owners paid
- Under $5001%
- $500–$1,0003%
- $1,000–$2,50044%
- $2,500–$5,00035%
- $5,000 and up17%
Share of the 347 owner reports in each price band.
Cars where it comes up most
Owner reports per model. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more reports.
Every model, what owners paid
| Model | Reports | Middle bill | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Cooper | 37 | $2,300 | $2,000–$3,500 |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 27 | $2,500 | $2,000–$4,000 |
| Ford F-Series | 20 | $3,400 | $2,900–$4,200 |
| GMC Terrain | 19 | $1,800 | $1,500–$2,300 |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 18 | $2,600 | $2,200–$3,200 |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 16 | $1,900 | $1,500–$3,000 |
| Nissan Maxima | 12 | $2,000 | $1,900–$2,600 |
| Nissan Quest | 12 | $2,000 | $1,800–$2,800 |
| Honda CR-V | 11 | $2,000 | $1,400–$2,200 |
| Nissan Frontier | 10 | $1,600 | $1,500–$1,900 |
| Buick Enclave | 9 | $2,800 | $2,000–$3,300 |
| BMW 3 Series | 8 | $5,900 | $5,200–$7,900 |
| Cadillac CTS | 8 | $2,100 | $1,800–$2,200 |
| GMC Acadia | 8 | $2,800 | $2,000–$3,400 |
| Mazda CX-7 | 8 | $1,400 | $1,300–$4,000 |
| Nissan Xterra | 8 | $2,500 | $1,700–$2,700 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 8 | $2,800 | $2,600–$4,000 |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 7 | $2,000 | $1,800–$2,500 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 7 | $4,500 | $4,100–$5,000 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 6 | $3,800 | $2,900–$4,800 |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 6 | $6,800 | $6,200–$8,100 |
| BMW X3 | 5 | $3,700 | $3,600–$3,800 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 5 | $3,700 | $2,200–$7,000 |
| Audi Q5 | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Buick Regal | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Cadillac SRX | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Ford Explorer | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 4 | too few for a range | |
| Hyundai Sonata | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Toyota Corolla | 3 | too few for a range | |
| Volkswagen CC | 3 | too few for a range | |
Models with 3+ reports. A model gets its own page and a range at 5+ reports. 32 more models with 1–2 reports count in the totals above.
Engine codes that can lead here: P0016 P0017 P0008 P0018 P0019. A code is where a shop starts, not proof the part failed.
Related repairs
Engine replacement $8,000 · Fuel pump replacement $915 · Throttle body replacement $600 · Fuel injector replacement $1,700 · Spark plug replacement $865 · Head gasket replacement $3,000 · Ignition coil replacement $715 · Engine mount replacement $900
The details
How we count
Every number here is a repair bill an owner reported, never a shop's price list. Two sources: the bills owners wrote in their own complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), and the dollar amounts owners said out loud in YouTube repair and ownership videos. A figure counts for a repair when that repair is the part named nearest to it. Left out: purchase prices, payments, rentals, towing, warranties and deductibles, amounts under $50 or over $15,000, parts-only prices ("the part was $80 on Amazon"), bills for two different repairs named together, and money someone else paid. One number per complaint (or video) and repair: the biggest, so it's the bill, not the diagnosis fee.
The range is the middle half of the bills (the 25th to the 75th percentile), so one wild number can't swing it. Owners who complain to the government often had expensive repairs, so a typical bill can be lower. Costs vary by shop and region, by dealer vs independent shop, by parts and by miles. This is what owners reported, not a quote for your car.
Check the bills yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11754687, 11751136, 11741874, 11741411, 11730393, 11723612, 11718924, 11714285, 11710650, 11700732, 11695436, 11689351 and more.
Said out loud on YouTube: $300 ▶ · $500 ▶ · $700 ▶ · $1,500 ▶ · $1,800 ▶ · $3,000 ▶ · $3,500 ▶ · $10,000 ▶
Quick answers
How much does a timing chain replacement cost?
Owners reported a median of $2,500, and the middle half paid $1,800 to $3,800, from 347 owner reports on 63 models. Costs vary by shop and region.
Which cars need a timing chain replacement most?
The most owner reports come from the Mini Cooper, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford F-Series. These are raw counts: popular models get more reports, so this isn't a failure rate.
Why do timing chain replacement costs vary so much?
Shop labor rates differ by region, dealers usually charge more than independent shops, new, used and rebuilt parts cost different amounts, and some bills include other work done at the same time.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 339 complaints to NHTSA and 8 YouTube videos: the repair bills owners themselves reported. Owner reports, not a price quote.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints and YouTube videos (amounts said out loud), sorted by The Lemon Index. Owner reports, not a price quote. Costs vary by shop and region.