Are Hybrid Cars Expensive to Repair? The True Cost of Owning a Hybrid Car!

Hybrid cars are getting more and more popular today. They are known to be fuel efficient and eco friendly and with the fuel prices constantly going up, many gasoline-powered vehicle owners are thinking of making a switch. But is changing from a conventional vehicle to a hybrid car worth it? Are hybrid cars expensive to repair? Many people might ask these questions and the answer can vary depending on the hybrid car you choose, your location, and your driving habits. While hybrid cars are more expensive to repair and maintain than the gasoline-powered ones, the good news is, they last longer and will just need very little work or repairs over the course of their lifespan. 

Are Hybrid Cars Expensive to Repair? – Is Buying a Hybrid Car Worth it?

Hybrid cars are said to be the future of the automobile industry. In fact, many car manufacturers today are focusing more on developing hybrid cars and electric vehicles. This is because hybrid cars are getting more popular today because of its technology, fuel efficiency, and for being environment friendly. 

Owning a hybrid car has a lot of advantages that can somehow make up for a rather unfavorable answer of the question “are hybrid cars expensive to repair?”.  Some of its advantages that can make purchasing a hybrid car worth it include:

• There are hybrid vehicles that can give a better performance than the gasoline-powered engine offered in the same vehicle. 
• It can provide twenty to thirty miles per gallon of additional mileage.
• It can help lessen fossil fuel dependency that can greatly affect the gas prices.  
• It requires less oil changes and has longer oil change intervals. 
• It is environment friendly since it uses less fuel. It produces less pollution since they are powered with two different types of energy which are electricity and fuel. 
• There are some states that offer purchase incentives for hybrid car owners. 
• Hybrid cars use regenerative braking technology which means that it does not require to be charged through external sources. 
• Their battery packs come with special warranties. 
• It does not rely on its gasoline-powered engine since it can use power from its electric motor or its batteries. When hybrid cars use its alternative sources of power, it automatically turns off its gasoline-powered engine, making it super fuel efficient.
• It is known that the technology used in hybrid cars is continually evolving and is developing rapidly. This means that the future of hybrid car technology is very promising and will be something that we can look forward to. Like mentioned earlier, it is the future of the auto industry. 

Although hybrid cars can offer a lot of advantages, people are still having some doubts. Of course, it is understandable since there are many things one needs to consider in deciding whether to buy a hybrid car or not. You need to answer the questions like, are hybrid cars more expensive to repair than gasoline-powered cars? Can the cost of a hybrid car ownership save you over time? Others are saying it can while others say it doesn’t. 

The answer can vary depending on the make and model of the hybrid car you choose, where you are residing, and your driving habits. According to studies, you can earn back the premium price of the hybrid car you purchased for about five years from the savings you get from fuel alone. 

Are Hybrid Cars Expensive to Repair? – Will a Hybrid Save Me Money?

Are hybrid cars expensive to repair? This is one of the many questions people usually ask prior to making a decision whether they will purchase a hybrid car or not. To answer the question, repairing a hybrid car can be more expensive than the standard gas-powered vehicles. This is because for one, the mechanic needs to be specially trained to work on the hybrid car’s more complicated system. Second, a hybrid car’s components or parts are more expensive. This means that whenever a part needs replacing, you are expected to pay a huge amount of money to have a damaged hybrid car part replaced. 

For example, when your hybrid car needs a battery replacement, it can cost you thousands of dollars.  It can go between $1,000 and $8,000 which is much more costly than the standard vehicle’s battery replacement that can only cost a few hundred dollars. Replacing a hybrid battery costs this much since this type of battery supplies more power than the standard battery. A hybrid battery can also be recharged so you don’t have to buy a new one when it runs out of power. 

Another hybrid component that can be very expensive to repair or replace is the cooling system. It is because it requires a lot of effort to replace since it is more technical than the standard cooling system of the fuel-powered cars. There are some hybrid cars that use a liquid coolant system to maintain the safe operating temperature of the battery, making it more expensive to replace a coolant.   

The hybrid car’s battery or cooling system replacement might seem so expensive but the good news is, they can last for at least eight years or 100,000 miles. In fact, some hybrid auto manufacturers offer warranties that can cover eight years or 100,000 miles or 10 years or 150,000 miles on some of the hybrid components of their every hybrid vehicle. There have been reports that the said hybrid components have shown a much longer lifespan both in testing and in the actual driving conditions. 

Here are some of the things you also need to know to determine the answer to the question, are hybrid cars expensive to repair or maintain?

• Hybrid cars will still need some of the same maintenance or services as the gas-powered vehicles. They are still equipped with internal combustion engines that need oil changes and other services. However, hybrid cars usually have longer oil intervals since their internal combustion engines are not being used all the time. To know the recommended oil change interval, you need to check your owner’s manual. 
• Hybrid cars also need tire alignments and belt replacements. 
• The hybrid technology used in hybrid cars can help cause less wear and tear on some of its components. One of which is the brake pads. They tend to last longer since the hybrid cars usually use regenerative braking technology. It uses its kinetic energy during deceleration to recharge the battery. This can help the brake pads last more than the ones in a conventional car. 
• Many hybrid cars shut off their gas powered engines when the vehicle is idling or when driving at low speeds. During these times, the car’s electric motor will take over. This could result in a lesser wear and tear on the engine. 
• Hybrid cars need fewer fluids to change since there are fewer moving parts that can cause any issues. This can save you money on maintenance fees.  
• The battery of the hybrid car as well as its associated motor and electronics don’t need any maintenance. There are instances where it will require tune-ups, but only for a few times.  
• The hybrid operates like the combustion engine. This means that you can do some fluid check ups on some of its components yourself as well as replacing its fuel filters, air filters and spark plugs. It is advised that when you are working under the hood of a hybrid car, make sure that you are protected or wearing protective gear such as gloves. You also need to ensure that you are working in a dry area. This is because hybrid cars have electrical components that can pose a great danger while you are working on it. 

Are Hybrid Cars Expensive to Repair? – What are the Disadvantages of a Hybrid Car?

Aside from asking “are hybrid cars expensive to repair?”, many people are also asking whether owning a hybrid car has any disadvantages. It has some disadvantages, but it depends on the type of hybrid fuel it uses. Here are are some of the disadvantages of a hybrid car:

• It is more expensive.

Hybrid cars can cost $5,000 up to $10,000 more than a gas-powered vehicle. Although it costs so much more than the conventional ones, the fuel savings can make up for it as well as its practical energy-saving solutions and hybrid tax credits. 

• Not as powerful as the fuel-powered vehicles.

Although a hybrid car has an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, its gas engine is much smaller than the ones in the conventional vehicles and its electric motor is low-powered. This means that the gas engines in the conventional vehicles are still more powerful compared to the combined power of both the hybrid car’s internal combustion engine and electric motor. This makes the hybrid cars ideal for city driving. If you need a faster car, you can opt to purchase the conventional ones instead.  

• Poor fuel economy during long commutes. 

Hybrid cars are fuel efficient when you are driving in the city. However, if you are traveling a longer distance or are driving on highways at faster speeds, your hybrid car will have to use its gas-powered engine. Even though technically, you will still be paying the same amount of fuel as you would on conventional ones, but since hybrid cars are more expensive than the conventional ones, driving for a long period at high speeds can end up costing you more. 

• Higher insurance rates.

There have been reports that the insurance of hybrid cars is more than $40 more expensive per month compared to the average car insurance rate in the U.S.. The reason for this is the increased purchasing price of the hybrid cars as well as the cost of the complicated onboard hybrid technology and the nature of average hybrid car buyers. According to the data, most of the hybrid car buyers live in areas that have higher insurance rates. The higher insurance rates of the hybrid cars can also be linked to the costly hybrid car repairs and component replacements.  

• Battery disposal.

When the batteries of the hybrid cars are at the end of their life cycle, it needs to be recycled to get some of its usable materials for recycling. However, it can’t be usually done since it tends to be too expensive to make it of high economic value. It is just usually done for ecological purposes or because of the federal mandates. 

• High voltage in batteries can be dangerous.

The hybrid cars have batteries that are high voltage. In the event of an accident, this high voltage can be very dangerous for you. It is possible that you get electrocuted in collisions and other accidents. Plus, rescuers and emergency responders might find it hard to get the driver and other passengers out of a hybrid car. 

• Reduced fuel economy during extreme cold weather.

During extreme cold weather, the chemical reaction in the hybrid batteries that supplies power to the electric motor gets to its optimum performance at a much slower rate compared to when the weather is warm. This means that the battery of a hybrid vehicle will require more time to reach its operating temperature when the temperature is colder. At the same time, the internal combustion motor needs to supply more energy from the fuel combustion process. This is why the fuel consumption of the hybrid cars will be increased during extreme cold temperatures.  

Are hybrid cars expensive to repair? They can be, especially if you need to replace some of its components. Although you might see a bit of an expensive bill when it comes to its repairs compared to the conventional vehicles, you will get to save a lot since it doesn’t need a lot of maintenance and from the fuel savings, assuming that you are only using it for city driving. This can somehow balance out the expensive repair costs. Just make sure that you have considered all of the factors before you decide on buying a hybrid car.