I found some drive belts for my V6 VW in the basement, (still going through boxes after the move). I have no idea how old they are, but are new. Anybody have an idea about the shelf life of Gates belts? I never wondered before until I found them. They could be 7 years old like my VW.

My guess is that they last forever unused.

Depends how they were stored....if they were sealed or close to it they last a long time...if they were stored around UV or ozone ( sunlight, electric motor..Furnace etc) they will be not so good