Hybrid vehicles have been on the market in America for about 15 years now — since the Toyota Prius came on the scene. Since then, millions of hybrids have been purchased in the U.S. Some of these have been traded in or sold, so there is a growing number of used hybrid vehicles out there for sale. If you own one or are planning to buy one, here are three things you need to know about servicing them.
1. Find a qualified serviceman.
Getting a car serviced and regularly maintenanced is important for prolonging the life of you car, but hybrid vehicles can’t be serviced by anyone. Hybrids have pretty complicated technology, so it’s important that you find a person who is trained and experienced in working on hybrid cars. Make sure you ask, and if they don’t have the right experience, don’t bring your car to that person for service.
2. Hybrid battery replacement is a concern.
Most people have heard about the possibility of the need for hybrid battery replacement. There are two types of batteries in hybrid cars — the traditional 12 volt lead-acid battery that gas powered cars have and an electric battery. Electric batteries in hybrid cars are required to have a warranty of 100,000 miles or eight years, but it does vary in some states. There are options for battery replacement, however, so it isn’t as prohibitively expensive as it used to be.
3. Brakes on hybrid vehicles sometimes last longer.fuel economy
There is one advantage when it comes to having to service a used hybrid — the brakes on these vehicles typically last longer than the brakes on traditional vehicles, since the cars use an electric motor to slow the car down.
Do you have any tips for servicing a used hybrid car? Feel free to share them with us by joining the discussion in the comments section below!
