Hey, Fred. I'm going to reply to your post and a few others in this space in the interest of keeping my post count down.
First, if you check your owner's manual, you'll see that the maintenance interval for the timing belt is 4 years/60,000 miles, whichever comes first. (You're welcome to verify this. I haven't looked in every manual for every Hyundai model, but I don't recall anyting prior to 2006 which had a different recommendation. Edit: during my typing this tome, I see Fred did indeed verify the interval.) The time due, in your case, would be four years from the in-service date of the vehicle. Also, if you're not the original owner-- buying a 2004 vehicle in 10/05 makes me suspect this-- you don't have the 10/100 powertrain warranty unless you purchased one. Second and subsequent owners only get 5/60 powertrain.
Second, failure to replace the belt doesn't void any part of the warranty. If you look at your warranty, you'll see that it specifically excludes items which that failed due to not having the recommended preventive maintenance done. So, if the belt fails beyond the maintenance interval, Hyundai isn't responsible for repairing any damage caused by that failure. On the other hand, if you have some componet that fails and has nothing to do with the fact you haven't replaced the belt, that's still covered.
The reliability of the timing belt on this engine is very good. There's a near zero probability it'll fail anywhere near the 4 year/60k mile interval, and in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted twice that long. Don't construe this, however, to be the same thing as a recommendation to not replace the belt. Take the information I'm giving you and make up your own mind. The longer you go, the greater the chance of a problem.
$800 is far too high for replacing this timing belt. My eployer charges $490, and I think we're too high. Shop around. If you are indeed the original owner, though, insist on a factory belt even if you don't use a dealer to do the work, keeping in mind that this may increase the cost at nondealers. This way, the belt will continue to be covered under the powertrain warranty until the next scheduled replacement or until the warranty expires, whichever comes first.
Hyundai still uses timing belts on the 1.6, 2.0, and 2.7 engines. I haven't been inspecting the owner's manuals of the newer products (since the belt won't need servicing quite yet), but I believe all the current models with timing belts have an interval in the neighborhood of 6 years/90k miles.
Grant, the reason Edwin suggests Fred hasn't read the owner's manual is that the manual indeed specifies 4 years or 60k miles as the service interval on the belt. I agree that 14k is not very many miles, and that this isn't an easy expense to stomach. But, by the same token, Edwin is correct that the rubber will deteriorate both with age and flexing (running the engine).
Razz, I'd recommend being careful with what you say. While I agree Fred's timing belt is probably nowhere near failure, saying point blank that he doesn't need one is a bit negligent. We cannot see his car, and the fact remains that Hyundai recommends replacing the belt at 4 years. Would you be willing to pay to repair his car if the timing belt failed? If not, you shouldn't make this statement. His dealer has done nothing wrong by recommending he comply with the maintenance schedule laid out in his owner's manual. The voiding warranty talk is another matter. Also, it seems you have a bit of a grudge against Hyundai, which from reading your post, appears to have stemmed from Hyundai not fixing a problem which you agree they have no obligation to fix.
Steve: Hyundai factory warranties do not pro-rate (with the exception of the battery warranty). The warranty either covers a repair or it does not. If an original owner's engine fails due to manufacturing defect at 9 years and 99,000 miles, it's still covered 100%. If your dealer has been charging you for warranty repairs, you should investigate this.
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