Sounds like she is buying vehicles she can't afford to procure, let alone keep and operate.
You didnt state in OP what the cause of the CEL was. Doesnt seem that it was the timing belt. Also didnt mention the history of the brakes. I dont think either of these things happening at 129k is out of the ordinary.
Common knowledge, at least for the casual reader on BITOG, that these engines have timing belts. Nothing new or surprising there, lots of vehicles do. Chains require maintenance to be properly kept too. Wear needs to be assessed, woodruff keys used to get timing back, and they too break. Tensioners go bad, other stuff needs to be done.
Our 2014 odyssey has 70k (original brakes despite substantial in-town use). If hers has 129k, it must get a lot of highway use. Ours has daily use including both electronic sliding doors (a feature I didnt really want), and theyre both working fine. They can be overridden and operated manually too... Im concerned about the possibility of sludge in ours (I have a thread on that), but its use profile, not vehicle quality. Our friend's sienna that was bought at the same time as our odyssey has been to the dealer more times for issues including doors, water leaks, and other matters. Use takes its toll on stuff, especially if people arent careful.
A 7 year loan on a 6-7 year old vehicle that is closing in fast on its own need for a timing belt replacement is a fool's errand. Best to get rid of vanity, smart phones, and whatever else is causing fiscal problems, and drive something that is much more economical to operate and own.
