If you want to drive a hybrid car, the latest nationwide Mitchell Industry Trends Report (Q3 2008) says you will have to dig deeper into your pocket to pay for repairs than you would if you drove an equivalent car in a gasoline version. Jamison Day, Mitchell’s Senior Director of Information Services cautions that the differences in costs are, “consistent across different states and true for both parts and labor dollars.”
As for parts, the report concludes that because of the newness of hybrid vehicles there are less alternative parts available. This forces mechanics to choose higher priced original equipment manufacturer (OEM) when makig repairs parts instead of less expensive aftermarket parts. Similarly, because technicians are unfamiliar with hybrid cars and don’t readily understand the intricate and complex system they spend a greater number of hours diagnosing and performing repairs. They also charge more per hour for their services.
The Mitchell report expressed hope that going forward advances in technology will be made lowering the price of batteries, the highest priced part on a hybrid and also the one with the highest failure rate. Labor, too, may come in line with gasoline powered cars as technicians become more familiar with hybrid vehicle systems.
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