Reviews of OEM Mazda timing belt

160k kms mazda 3 1.6 owner. Aside from timing belt kit, shocks, tie rods, AC compressor, it’s just the usual spark plugs, filter and oil.

My Mazda 323 Astina 2001 is on 260k and hasn't had a timing belt replacement ever.

Had an MX-5 with 18k miles but it was 12 years old. Everyone told me “it was fine” but I decided to do a change any how. Once I put it all apart, I could see the original belt had the cams off my 1/2 tooth. My Lordy did it run better with the new belt. Smoothed out the idle which I didn’t even recognize as being bad, and felt like a 4-horsepower gain which is significant in a NA series!

I changed the belt on my "97 at 10 years and 60k, the old belt looked like it had lots of life left.

My NA had ~90,000 miles on the original almost 25 year old belt when I bought it. We actually did a couple of autocrosses and my girlfriend drove it on her 100 mile commute for a few weeks before we got all the parts and tools and time to do the job. The belt didn't even look like it was going to break any time soon. It was definitely overdue for changings, but it wasn't cracking or mission teeth.