The 3.5 V6 in the Pilot, Odyssey, Ridgeline, Accord, MDX and others uses a timing belt. When to change it, what the job should include and eight owner prices.
Honda's J-series V6 (the 3.5 in the Pilot, Odyssey, Ridgeline, Accord V6, Acura MDX, TL and others) runs a timing belt. It's an interference engine, so this isn't a job to "see how long it goes."
When
Most of these cars use the Maintenance Minder, and the timing belt shows up as its own item. Honda's general guidance is around 105,000 miles, sooner under severe conditions. Towing, lots of heat, and mountain driving all count, so Colorado owners who tow up to the hills shouldn't push it. There's an age limit too, so check your manual if the car's old and low-mile.
A proper job includes
- Timing belt
- Tensioner (often the hydraulic auto-tensioner) and idler pulley
- Water pump, because it's belt driven and hiding behind the cover
- Usually the cam and crank seals if needed
- Fresh coolant
Some shops quote the belt, pump and tensioner as one line. Others list everything separately. Both are fine, as long as you know what's in it.
Why there's a spread
We've got eight reports. The lowest paid was a 2017 Ridgeline at an independent, where the dealer had quoted noticeably more. The 2023 quotes are higher across the board, which lines up with labor rates going up. One non-Honda shop came in lower than the Honda specialist. Cheaper isn't automatically worse, but ask about the parts brand.
Ask about
- Parts brand for the belt kit and pump (Aisin is common and good)
- Is the serpentine belt included? One of our reports bundled it
- Any valve adjustment due? Some owners do it at the same time