What are the Maintenance Costs and Requirements for Hybrid Cars

Purchasing a new hybrid is a great idea, but what we need to know before getting the hybrid is what we can expect in maintenance. Standard combustion engines need enough maintenance as it is. When we get a new car we really do not want a vehicle that gives us more maintenance than what we are used to. With a hybrid there are two parts involved now, not just the combustion engine, but also a battery. Plug-in hybrids also have a dedicated motor that might need more maintenance. Let’s look at what maintenance can be expected from your new hybrid. The next question is, maintenance can sometimes be a significant expenditure, will maintenance for a hybrid run me more than maintenance on a regular car? We are going to answer these questions and more as we go through what maintenance is required for a hybrid and the cost that can be expected from those services.

The quick answer, there is not much additional maintenance on a hybrid vehicle than a regular combustion vehicle. A regular engine requires regular oil changes, regular tire rotations, fluid check ups etc. This isn’t anything new to you, and the good news is that your hybrid does not require much more. In fact with a hybrid you can expect less maintenance. This is because of the shared load of the battery and engine. The battery and engine work together to power your car, as a result your engine does not have to work as hard as a regular engine. This means that there are larger intervals between oil changes, and fewer oil changes are necessary driving a hybrid than a normal car over the life of the vehicle. Another part that will need less maintenance is your brake system. Most hybrids come now with regenerative braking. This takes the load off your brakes, meaning they will wear down slower and will not need to be replaced as often. This is the best part, getting the best of both worlds ends up saving your wallet some as well. The bad news is that when something goes on the electric side it can be quite pricey. Batteries should last well past 100,000 miles, but when they go they generally cost around $1,000, even up to $8,000 on the higher end to replace them. Many servicers now offer battery servicing once your battery gets up to 60,000 miles, allowing your battery to have an even longer life. Other than your battery, nothing on the electrical side needs replacing under 150,000 miles.

One thing your vehicle may need more of is coolant. The dual combination of an engine and a battery makes your hood area quite hot, and coolant needs to be checked often to maintain the proper levels and to check the quality. With that small adjustment, all in all with a hybrid you can expect less maintenance than you need on a normal vehicle.

Since your hybrid needs less maintenance that should mean a lower cost for your vehicle. Unfortunately, that might not necessarily be true. Like we mentioned earlier the cost of your battery can be substantial once it needs replacing. Depending on if you have a higher priced battery it may cost you more once the battery goes, or it will end up being about the same cost as a normal vehicle. AAA estimated that you can expect to pay $0.09 for every mile you drive on a standard combustion engine powered vehicle. That means over 150,000 miles (about how long most hybrid batteries are rated to last) you can expect to pay around $13,500 on a regular vehicle. With the costs of batteries running anywhere from $1,000 to $8,000, you may expect to pay just a little bit more than this if you need to replace the battery on your vehicle. If you plan on parting with your vehicle before it reaches 150k miles then this may not be a huge issue for you and costs will be lower than on a standard vehicle. However, hybrid models are generally more expensive than models with normal engines. Most companies also require you to purchase a higher trim level just to get a hybrid option, and then you can expect to add at least $2,000 to $5,000 extra for adding the hybrid option. In the long run the maintenance and the original price of the hybrid do not mean you will save money, but if you factor in how much money you will save with gas mileage, then it may just be the best decision you made for your wallet.