I was at the dealership today and they recommended I change the timing belt on my car it has 53,500 miles on it for $450.00 is that pricey for that job and should I do it?

 

Shop a few other dealers in your state and then a few great repair shops in your area and see how they all compare to each other:

WheelBroker1

 

That sounds pretty ridiculous to me.

 

The belt need to be replaced at 60K miles. If you choose not to do it and the belt breaks then the pistons will hit the valves requiring at the very minimum new heads if not a whole new engine.

So your choice is $450 for a belt replacement or$2500+ for a new engine.

 

And $450 is about right for a dealer. I think that is typical for that job.

 

I think $450 is a very good price. There is alot more to the 60K service than just the belt. Is that $450 for the whole thing or just the belt?

 

Considering that its over $180 for just the parts, thats not a bad price.
Many dealerships (including where I work) run specials on t-belt changes. (our current special is $200 4banger, $280 v6, $380 V8... yes, the 4.7ltr V8 is a timing belt... and a PITA).
The dealer actually takes a small loss on it after paying out the tech's labor.
In most cases, a t-belt pays anywhere from 2.5-4.5hrs depending on the car.
So, say the shops labor rate is $80 an hour, hypothetically.

80 x 4.5 + 180 = $540

Then add tax and your at a $600 maintainence. $450 is a steal.
And that 60k Hyundai maintenance package, thats an even bigger steal. (Reason they add $159 for V6 spark plugs is on the 2.7 fwd you have to pull the intake manifold to replace the back #1, 3, & 5 plugs. Its... fun.