Here’s why the timing belt service is necessary:
The engine in your Accord is what’s known as an “interference” engine. This means that if the timing belt were to break (which they do) the pistons and valves inside the engine would collide at very high speed.
Disaster ensues. Very expensive disaster. It makes the cost of a timing belt replacement look like pocket change.
Besides that, the car stops running when the belt breaks, regardless of where you are or how fast you’re going, and it will NOT restart. You will be stranded if the timing belt breaks, and depending on traffic it can be dangerous.
This is why the owner’s manual recommends replacing the timing belt BEFORE it breaks.
This is normal maintenance on these cars, and should not be cause for alarm.
The good news is; after you replace the timing belt you can drive the car another 100K miles, which is a lot less expensive than trading it in three years.
You don’t have to go to a Honda dealer for this, but I recommend a mechanic who’s somewhat familiar with Honda engines. This is not a job for an amateur.