Rep Power: 142

A couple of weeks back I was returning home from my brothers house about a ½ hour away on a cold rainy day, about a ½ mile away from my house the car started to make a terrible racket like the motor was about to blow. I limped it home and into the garage. It appeared that the serpentine belt was badly frayed on one side. Upon closer investigation the belt tensioner mounting bolt broke off in the block, the belt then became a band saw and cut the tensioner in half. This was a difficult costly repair, but at least I was able to get the car home and repair it with the help of my brother saving significant repair labor costs. The water pump was replaced as well since I was this far into that area of the engine.

 
Rep Power: 243

Man that's crazy!! How many miles were on the tensioner?

 
Rep Power: 518

It happens, it's a known issue, and there were various "product updates" on some of the early cars for the water pump pulley, flange, bolts, belt and routing, and tensioner bolt.

It's imperative that you follow torque specs on that Allen bolt.

 
Rep Power: 142

The belt slipping part way off the pulleys also damaged the water pump pulley which I replaced as well. About only 58K miles.

 
Rep Power: 187

58k miles for an '06?

Nice.

My 2006 is closing in on 120k.
Still runs perfect; and the only major repair was a new starter.

 
Rep Power: 142

Living close to work has that advantage, still think it's pretty sorry that the tensioner assembly bolt broke at all, but especially after so few miles.