Is Prius Repair Expensive?

The Prius is continuously making its mark in the hybrid car industry. According to Audatex, an insurance claim company, the world’s favorite hybrid car is proving to be a highly reliable machine. Its gas consumption is also relatively lower than non-hybrid cars making it more environment-friendly. So what is the catch? According to some industry experts, Prius repair services costs 8.4% higher than the auto repair services for non-hybrid vehicles.

Why is this so? The reason behind this surcharge is not due to the fact that the hybrid components of Prius are much complicated and expensive. It is because there is a limited supply of Prius spare parts in the market. In fact, majority of replacements needed in Prius repair must be ordered directly from its manufacturer, Toyota.

Prius owners can relax though as there are some professionals who do not support this claim. That the additional technical complexity and computational wizardry in hybrids makes Prius repair more pricey is only a myth for them. The oldest Toyota Prius models are now more than ten years old. There are a lot of Prius models on U.S. roads which means to say that Toyota is more than prepared. There is no rush on replacement batteries and components.

Another issue surrounding Prius aside from repair costs is battery replacement. The full cost of replacing the battery pack of a Prius is placed around $3,000. This may seem very expensive, but isn’t the same as most transmission rebuild services and other major repairs that you often acquire with a non-hybrid car?

Fortunately, the issue of battery replacement is not that big of a deal to cause panic and scare among Prius owners. Many of the oldest Prius models are already beyond 150,000 miles and they are still using their original nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Also, a number of auto repair shops repair Prius battery packs by replacing one or several of its cells at a time so Prius owners are not forced to shell out huge amounts of money in one day.

 In sum, there is no reason to be afraid of Prius repair costs. The only thing that should worry you, as an owner, is if the auto repair shop you have gone to is capable of repairing your prized hybrid car. Now that is an issue that really needs addressing.

Clarke Automotive Systems

131 Central Drive Brandon, FL 33510

813-685-2939 

http://www.clarkeauto.net/