If you drive hard, you are living on borrowed time. On most Hondas, when the timing belt breaks, the engine is ruined

If you drive hard, you are living on borrowed time. On most Hondas, when the timing belt breaks, the engine is ruined

Not a question…

It doesn't even need driving hard. Timing belts can break at any time if not changed on schedule. It is true that most (maybe all?) Honda engines are interference. So are a great many makes of engines.

It is simple enough - neglect the timing belt and pay or change it on schedule and have no worries.

You can avoid trouble if you want to. They have interference engines which can suffer valve damage from slipped timing or broken timing belts. Change the belt before problems occur with it and don't worry for the next 90,000 miles. Most Toyotas are non-interference engines and Corollas from 1998 forward have a chain instead of a belt for the camshaft. Just don't drive hard if you don't want to kill yourself.

Of course, you could always CHANGE the timing belt, like you're supposed to anyway…

Honda's bend valves when the t-belt breaks and if it happens at speed usually wrecks the head. Replace the belt 10,000 miles before it's due date and you won't have to worry about it.

On just about every car engine made now if it has a timing belt the engine will be very badly damaged if the belt brakes. This is not specific to Hondas. It does apply to all Hondas. If the belt is replaced in line with the makers requirements, and not just forgotten about like many are, it will be replaced well before even hard driving will give it a problem.

You make a false assumption about "driving hard".
You're confusing spirited driving with being too stupid to maintain your vehicle.
The motor isn't "ruined" when you break a timing belt but it does take a good $1600 to have the valve job done to get the motor working again.
Speaking of valves. Have you been getting your valves adjusted every 60,000 miles? All Honda motors have a common problem with the exhaust valves getting tight causing a loss of power and rough idle.

Most 4 cylinder Hondas are timing chains, so they should last a lifetime. But the 6 cylinders are belts and interference motors, so they do require maintenance.

My Civic busted a belt while Idling. Broke a valve, the tech said it shouldn't be repaired, not cost effective.

Replace when you Buy it And every 50,000 mile. Or buy a Mazda.