Hyundai Repair: timing belt, service interval, drive belts

Question
I bought my car in for service and the tech  recomended that I think about having the timing belt changed soon. The milage on my 2003 Elantra is 54,000 miles. Sould it be done right now or can I wait yet. What is the recomended millage to have it done? The tech at dealer/service center quoted $800.00. Can it be done cheaper at a local repair place ?  Please answer as I am getting nervous thinking it.

Answer
The service interval for the timing belt is 4 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first.  Because it's made out of rubber, it will deteriorate over time as well as with flexing (engine operation).  Since you're now at about 7 years, I'd recommend having it done soon, but $800 sounds pricey, even for a dealer.  Shop around in your area, perhaps even calling a couple different dealers for estimates.  While doing this job, it may be a good idea to replace the drive belts as well-- it's necessary to remove them to do the job and the a/c belt is likely in poor condition if it hasn't yet been replaced, so you should only need to pay for the price of the belts themselves with no additional labor charges.

How long the timing belt will actually last is hard to say.  I've seen them strip on this enigne around 7 or 8 years of age, albeit with higher mileage.  On the other hand, if the belt fails, you're likely to incur engine damage which will run the repair bill into the thousands of dollars.