The timing belt on my Mazda 626 2

The 2.2L is an interference engine so you can expect to find bent valves. A cylinder leakage test will confirm that.

My daily driver is a rusty trusty '88 Grand Caravan with 401,000 miles that has been so uncommonly reliable I will be putting a second replacement timing belt on it when it's needed. While it is not an interference engine, I would do a valve job on it if I had to. The money I would spend would be less than two or three monthly car payments on a new vehicle.

Also, most people look at cost of repair in relation to value of the car. The car's value is only a factor if you're trying to sell it. It doesn't matter if you spend $500.00 on a one-year-old car or 21-year-old car. You're spending the same amount. If your car has been as reliable as mine, fix it. If you've been sticking a lot into it for repairs and expect that to continue, think long and hard before spending more money on it.