Hi Richard,

But to answer your question - timing belts are like any other component of any car; generally the best idea is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Sometimes, whether through manufacturing fault or poor maintenance, those belts may fail early, but the problem is that, by the time you know, it's usually too late. Keeping the car properly serviced, with a main dealer, can help to both minimise the chances of it happening and give you some leverage to negotiate out-of-warranty replacement if it does happen.