Should I worry about a used car without a timing belt receipt?

[Timothy_M]

I’m looking at a used car and the seller says the timing belt was done, but there’s no receipt or record in the service book. How much should I worry about this? I’ve heard it’s a critical service item that can cause major engine damage if it fails, but I don’t know if I should just take their word for it or walk away.

[Emma.P]

I chased down proof—called a couple of shops to see if the belt change was logged to the VIN; nothing matched, no receipts, no service book.

[JackWL]

I asked the seller for receipts or a shop contact who did the belt; if they can't prove it, should you walk away? For me, yes, I walked away.

[AnthonyS]

My take is that timing belts are a big deal but the rest of the picture matters too; a belt can be done recently and the tensioner or water pump could still fail soon after.

[JonathanT]

In the end I started looking at the car as a whole: last oil change, wheel bearings, leaks, tires. The lack of records made me doubt the story more than the belt itself.