Does That Toyota Have a Timing Belt or Chain? A Handy Chart Going Back to 1990 Will Tell You
If you have an aging Toyota and are wondering if the engine has a serviceable timing belt, look no further. Otherwise, if you’re into fun facts about Toyotas, well, you’re in the right place, too. First, let’s review what Toyota has preferred over the years to drive its engines.
While rare to spot, Toyota once used timing gear. These were chainless and beltless sets of components secured to the side of the engine block. You’ll find them in older Land Cruisers (think pre-1993), for instance.
Many Toyota models, from sedans to SUVs and trucks, carried a timing belt at some point. This is where the chart below comes in handy.
These days, the latest gas-powered models are all chain-driven, even in vehicles that Toyota had previously released with a timing belt. You’ll see those models migrating to chains in the early 2000s.
Any Toyota hybrid engine will be chain-driven, aside from the 2006-2010 Highlander Hybrid, which had a belt.
Of course, EVs don’t have belts or chains. Those rely on a magnetic field to spin the motor and propel the vehicle.
Courtesy of the automaker, here’s a chart listing every familiar model since 1990 and the primary internal drive component of each one’s available engines. Check if yours has a timing belt, chain, or neither:
Model | Year | Engine | Belt/Chain/Gear/ Neither (EV) |
4Runner | 1990-2000, 2010 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
1990-2002 | V6 | Belt | |
2003-2020 | V6 | Chain | |
2003-2009 | V8 | Belt | |
86/Scion FR-S | 2013-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Avalon | 1995-2004 | V6 | Belt |
2005-2020 | V6 | Chain | |
Avalon Hybrid | 2013-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Camry | 1990-2001 | All | Belt |
2002-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain | |
1990-2006 | V6 | Belt | |
2007-2020 | V6 | Chain | |
Camry Hybrid | 2007-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Celica | 1990-1999 | 4-Cylinder | Belt |
2000-2005 | 4-Cylinder | Chain | |
C-HR | 2018-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Corolla | 1990-1997 | 4-Cylinder | Belt |
1998-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain | |
Corolla Hybrid | 2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Corolla iM/Scion iM | 2016-2018 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Cressida | 1990-1992 | L6 | Belt |
Echo | 2000-2005 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
FJ Cruiser | 2007-2014 | V6 | Chain |
Highlander | 2001-2007, 2009-2014 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
2001-2007 | V6 | Belt | |
2008-2019 | V6 | Chain | |
Highlander Hybrid | 2006-2010 | V6 | Belt |
2011-2019 | V6 | Chain | |
Land Cruiser | 1990-1992 | L6 | Gear |
1993-1997 | L6 | Chain | |
1998-2007 | V8 | Belt | |
2008-2011, 2013-2020 | V8 | Chain | |
Matrix | 2003-2013 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Mirai | 2016-2020 | Electric | Neither |
MR2 | 1990-1995 | 4-Cylinder | Belt |
MR2 Spyder | 2000-2005 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Paseo | 1992-1997 | 4-Cylinder | Belt |
Previa | 1991-1997 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Prius | 2001-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Prius c | 2012-2019 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Prius v | 2012-2019 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Prius Plug-in | 2012-2015 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Prius Prime | 2019-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
RAV4 | 1996-2000 | 4-Cylinder | Belt |
2001-2019 | 4-Cylinder | Chain | |
2006-2012 | V6 | Chain | |
RAV4 EV | 1998-2003, 2012-2014 | Electric | Neither |
RAV4 Hybrid | 2016-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Sequoia | 2001-2009 | 4.7 V8 | Belt |
2010-2012 | 4.6 V8 | Chain | |
2008-2020 | 5.7 V8 | Chain | |
Sienna | 1998-2006 | V6 | Belt |
2007-2020 | V6 | Chain | |
2011-2012 | 4-Cylinder | Chain | |
Solara | 1999-2001 | 4-Cylinder | Belt |
1999-2009 | V6 | Belt | |
2002-2008 | 4-Cylinder | Chain | |
Supra | 1990-1998 | L6 | Belt |
GR Supra | 2020 | V6 | Chain |
T100 | 1995-1998 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
1993-1998 | V6 | Belt | |
Tacoma | 1995-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
1995-2004 | V6 | Belt | |
2005-2020 | V6 | Chain | |
Tercel | 1990-1998 | 4-Cylinder | Belt |
Truck | 1990-1995 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
1990-1995 | V6 | Belt | |
Tundra | 2000-2004 | V6 | Belt |
2000-2009 | 4.7 V8 | Belt | |
2005-2014 | V6 | Chain | |
2007-2020 | 5.7 V8 | Chain | |
2010-2019 | 4.6 V8 | Chain | |
Venza | 2009-2015 | All | Chain |
Yaris | 2007-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
Yaris iA/Yaris Hatchback/Scion iA | 2016-2020 | 4-Cylinder | Chain |
If your Toyota is belt-driven, keep in mind that these timing belts have a replacement interval of 90,000 or 100,000 miles.
Chart source: Toyota