33%???  that's b.s.

honda belt technical specs are very tight.  correct belt with correct
installation has less than 0.000001% chance of failure within the
service interval stated in the manual.  yes, that chance of failure
increases once time/mileage are exceeded, but even if it goes up 10-fold
in the next 12 months, that's still only 0.00001% chance of failure.

it's your call.  presumably the real decision is whether the car's worth
spending money on before the old timer kicks his clogs off for the last
time.  if the plan is to sell the vehicle in that event, then doing the
belt will help enhance the resale value.  if it's staying in the family,
i'd leave it for a while longer.

My father-in-law (88 years old) is in a quandry re: whether to change
his timing belt on a 1999 Honda Accord V-6.  The car only has 53K
miles on it and has been serviced regularly, but the service manual
recommends a change at 7 years.  The car is driven on a regualr basis
but not too far and is kept in a heated garage.

When asked about the longevity of the belt basis on age rather than
mileage, the dealer kind of hem & hawed saying that there was about a
33% chance the belt would break if not changed now.

I wanted to survey this group for your recommendations based on your
experience.  Also, I have heard that when a belt breaks on a Honda
while being driven, engine damage is likely.  Is this true?  Finally,
the dealer has quoted $850 to change this belt.  Is this a fair price?

TIA - Tom