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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.

A Toyota TRD V8 engine shown with timing belt exposed on the side
A timing belt-driven Toyota V8 engine | Joshua Naidoo via Unsplash

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:

ModelYearEngineBelt/Chain/Gear/
Neither (EV)
4Runner1990-2000, 20104-CylinderChain
1990-2002V6Belt
2003-2020V6Chain
2003-2009V8Belt
86/Scion FR-S2013-20204-CylinderChain
Avalon1995-2004 V6Belt 
2005-2020V6Chain
Avalon Hybrid2013-20204-Cylinder Chain
Camry1990-2001AllBelt
2002-20204-CylinderChain
1990-2006V6Belt
2007-2020V6Chain
Camry Hybrid2007-20204-CylinderChain
Celica1990-1999 4-CylinderBelt
2000-20054-CylinderChain
C-HR2018-20204-CylinderChain
Corolla1990-1997 4-CylinderBelt
1998-20204-CylinderChain
Corolla Hybrid20204-CylinderChain
Corolla iM/Scion iM2016-20184-CylinderChain
Cressida1990-1992 L6Belt
Echo2000-2005 4-CylinderChain
FJ Cruiser2007-2014V6Chain
Highlander2001-2007, 2009-20144-CylinderChain
2001-2007V6Belt
2008-2019V6Chain
Highlander Hybrid2006-2010 V6Belt
2011-2019V6Chain
Land Cruiser1990-1992 L6Gear
1993-1997L6Chain
1998-2007V8Belt
2008-2011, 2013-2020V8Chain
Matrix 2003-20134-CylinderChain
Mirai2016-2020ElectricNeither
MR21990-1995 4-CylinderBelt
MR2 Spyder2000-2005 4-CylinderChain
Paseo1992-1997 4-CylinderBelt
Previa1991-1997 4-CylinderChain
Prius2001-2020 4-CylinderChain
Prius c2012-20194-CylinderChain
Prius v2012-20194-CylinderChain
Prius Plug-in2012-20154-CylinderChain
Prius Prime2019-20204-CylinderChain
RAV41996-20004-CylinderBelt
2001-20194-CylinderChain
2006-2012V6Chain
RAV4 EV1998-2003, 2012-2014ElectricNeither
RAV4 Hybrid2016-20204-CylinderChain
Sequoia2001-20094.7 V8Belt
2010-20124.6 V8Chain
2008-20205.7 V8Chain
Sienna1998-2006 V6Belt
2007-2020V6Chain
2011-20124-CylinderChain
Solara1999-2001 4-CylinderBelt
1999-2009V6Belt
2002-20084-CylinderChain
Supra1990-1998 L6Belt
GR Supra2020V6Chain
T1001995-1998 4-CylinderChain
1993-1998V6Belt
Tacoma1995-20204-CylinderChain
1995-2004V6Belt
2005-2020V6Chain
Tercel1990-1998 4-CylinderBelt
Truck1990-19954-CylinderChain
1990-1995V6Belt
Tundra2000-2004 V6Belt
2000-20094.7 V8Belt
2005-2014V6Chain
2007-20205.7 V8 Chain 
2010-20194.6 V8Chain
Venza2009-2015AllChain
Yaris2007-20204-CylinderChain
Yaris iA/Yaris Hatchback/Scion iA2016-20204-CylinderChain

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

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