No, Hybrids Don't Cost More To Repair And Maintain

thecarconnection.com — Hybrids like the 2011 Toyota Prius cost more to repair and maintain, right? It would seem, given all the additional technical complexity and computational wizardry in hybrids, that they would. And it's a myth that's certainly made the rounds among backyard mechanics. But it hasn't proven true. With the oldest Toyota Prius models now more than ten years old, and hundreds and thousands of Prius models on U.S. roads (and about 900,000 sold), there's no rush on replacement batteries, no rash of Priuses needing costly powertrain components replaced. They've proven surprisingly...bulletproof. Nov 24, 2010 View in Crawl 4

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No, Hybrids Don't Cost More To Repair And Maintain

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hasai185 Nov 25, 2010

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I'm skipping hybrids and EVs and going straight to hydrogen next decade.

crugg Nov 25, 2010

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I'm confused. What about diesel cars that run on bio diesel. You can purchase a Volkswagen diesel golf and use only bio diesel of the production line with no modification. While there may be less bio diesel stations, at least you are not going around using up as much of our fossil fuels and polluting with gasoline.

trogdor57 Nov 25, 2010

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I call bulls**t. Shops need to buy specialized equipment to perform repairs on the power system. There are no aftermanrket or used parts, so more expensive factory parts must be used. In rural areas, there aren't many toyota dealers, i know that the nearest place to get toyota parts from is over 4 hours away, and the parts may still have to come from japan, slowing up repair times, leaving owners without their cars longer, which isn't good for either the shop or customer

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scamper22 Nov 25, 2010

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read the article.
According to the article, repairs cost MORE... but they need repairs less often.
They also need fewer brake pad replacement and oil changes.

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trogdor57 Nov 27, 2010

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if you are not a senior citizen, with a good driving record who lives in an urban area on the west coast then yes it will cost you more

zbeast Nov 25, 2010

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it's going to cost you more over all because you'll have to get 90% of your service at the dealer. Independent shops won't touch these cars..

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phillymozart Nov 26, 2010

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I totally agree. Most people who buy late-model vehicles have the money for dealer services. The headline should read, "No, Hybrids don't cost more to repair and maintain than other vehicles people with money buy."

enbex Nov 26, 2010

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How much cost a simple mantain?

gangerdig Nov 26, 2010

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Waiting for total electric car

diggbadly Nov 26, 2010

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well, i would say save the environment 1st. don't mind paying a little premium

awfl Nov 26, 2010

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Hybrib maybe not more expensive to maintain, but a pure Electric would be much cheaper yet, and is less complex overall. It would be better if component-ized like your PC.

karlhafen Nov 27, 2010