That ring of belt material on the idler *implies* an anti-skip plate was installed too tight and rubbing on the belt, but I don't see one over the crank. The DOHC engines have them in the corners of the timing guide. SOHC manual trans engines had one over the crank but auto trans had none. Never reuse an unknown mileage/history belt... And even then, if you've already got in apart, just replace it. (For what it's worth Subarus service interval is 105k miles or 105 months.)
Did you use a high quality timing belt? We had a 98 impreza 2.2 and put an aftermarket timing belt kit on it and the belt broke in 30k miles for no reason. Tensioner and pulleys were all fine.
I actually ordered an oem sti timing belt and have had no issues.
Just for reference, I just had timing belt done on my daughter’s 2011 legacy at our indy mechanic:Labor: $531 replace timing belt with front engine oil seals and water pump, idlers, tension, upper radiator hose, l inner timing coverParts: approximately $800Total approximately $1350
Just had the same work done. Same car. I paid more, and I felt like I got a good deal.
crack is already visible in the first picture.. Heard it's best replace every 60K KM.. Also, there's a belt made by contitech that design specifically for peugeot/citron to withstand oil, and like what others have mention. Use the right and good quality oil.
New Contitech T-Belt and tensioner
Man i had some foo change my timing belt in my subaru and the timing belt broke less than a month after the warranty ended. So I had to get it done again. Super important thing to do with interference engine though
I just did this. Most of the items Subaru said were "broken" were in fact, not broken. Some were just worn but still in good condition. They also wanted to replace my timing belt, the same one THEY REPLACED LAST YEAR.
They want to charge me $2600 for a new timing belt, and they will also replace other belt and water pump. But $2600?! What the….
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If choosing timing belt across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare timing belt across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, timing belt Contitech were overall better than OEM Subaru.
In March 2026 on PartReview, timing belt Contitech were overall more popular than OEM Subaru.
By vote balance, timing belt Contitech surpassed OEM Subaru:
By number of reviews, timing belt Contitech surpassed OEM Subaru:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, timing belt OEM Subaru led more car-specific ratings than Contitech:
OEM Subaru are chosen by owners of cars such as: Subaru Impreza, and others.
Timing belt Contitech have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of timing belt OEM Subaru with: Gates, AISIN, OEM Volkswagen, OEM Honda, OEM Toyota, Continental, OEM FORD, Mitsuboshi, DAYCO, OEM Volvo.
Also available: comparisons of timing belt Contitech with: Gates, AISIN, OEM Volkswagen, OEM Honda, OEM Toyota, Continental, OEM FORD, Mitsuboshi, DAYCO, OEM Volvo.
You can also see who is better among other timing belt manufacturers: AISIN or Gates, Gates or OEM Volkswagen, Gates or OEM Honda, OEM Toyota or Gates, Continental or Gates.
