My 2001 Honda Civic's manual indicates that my timing belt should be replaced every 110,000 miles or 84 months. I bought the car in July 2001 and have around 49,000 miles on it. A dealer mechanic said (when fixing a seat belt recall) that it is time to be replaced, but two local mechanics strongly suggested I wait due to the low mileage. I haven't had the best of luck with the dealer and am unfamiliar with the local mechanics outside of positive yelp reviews.
Does a timing belt wear more by mileage or time? I use the car for commuting and the climate here in northern California (Bay Area) is mild. I'm looking at about $800 parts/labor for the timing belt, tensioner, and water pump. Can mechanics inspect the timing belt to see if it actually needs replacing?