Bill:
Mine gave out at about 130,000 miles.? The service tech said they're
typically good for 75,000 to 100,000 miles.? I got a lot of life out
of mine, although if it breaks, your van requires a tow.? Plus, there
is a chance of some valve damage.? Mine was OK, but there have been
some others who have reported engine damage.? If I were you, I'd assume
the previous owner didn't want to fork over the $450-$500 the VW shop charges
to replace the belt.??? My opinion only, but this is a good
job for a neighborhood garage with European car experience.? Might
save you a few bucks.
The odd thing for me is that I specifically asked the service advisor
about the belt at the 60k, 90k and 120k maintenance intervals.? They
checked the belt each time and said it looked OK.? It's not part of
the scheduled maintenance, just "inspect and replace as needed".
Good luck,
David
