Hi. I am interested in buying a used hybrid car and I have never droven one before. Interested due to fuel cost saving.
Other than the normal inspection of petrol cars, are there anything else that I should be aware of when buying a used hybrid car?
Things that I can think but not sure of are…
Maintenance cost. Is it higher than normal petrol?
Battery replacement? If so how often?
Can I take it to normal service centre?
Thank you in advance.
Cheers.
Buy a used hybrid car at the end of its model lifecycle, so you know all the issues have been ironed out.
Servicing cost is the same as the hybrid system is not a serviceable system.(except for inverter coolant that needs to be changed after 7 years and the HV battery air filter needs to be cleaned)
A Toyota hybrid battery is covered for 8 years or 160,000kms under warranty. You could expect the hybrid battery to last a long time without any issues.
Toyota has a hybrid battery recycling program and you can get a $500 credit towards the new battery if you're replacing without warranty assistance. Currently, the HV battery replacement cost is $3000-$3500.
You can service your hybrid at any service centre, however, make sure they clean the hybrid battery cooling fan air filter at the service and mark it down in the service log.
Maintenance cost is as usual and depending on the state you live you might even get a discount for the registration (ie:VIC $100 discount per year).
Do the due diligence and make sure the vehicle that you're buying has a good service history and try to aim for a low mileage car.
Bit more info might help. Budget? What will it be used for? Where will it be driven mostly?
Maintenance cost. Is it higher than normal petrol?
Not really. If looking at a 50 series (2012-2017) Camry Hybrid as an example, there's no drive belts to maintain but there is a secondary cooling system for the hybrid's inverter. Coolant normally gets replace every 160K.
Battery replacement? If so how often?
There's 2 batteries - a conventional 12V battery for powering lights, wipers, audio, instruments, ECUs etc. and the HV battery for the hybrid side. Generally, the HV battery should last the life of the vehicle. On rare occasions, they need replacing, however there are plenty of tutorials floating about on how to replace individual failed cells in a HV battery pack.
Can I take it to normal service centre?
Sure. They're the same to service as a petrol engine.
I was looking at Lexus CT200h. Budget for purchase price is $25k.
On the other hand, I am thinking maybe should I get prius c brand new which costs about $27k…
Both CT200h and Prius c are outdated. CT200h based on previous generation Prius (2009), Prius c first released 2012 and runs hybrid drivetrain from 2nd gen Prius (2004).
For $25K-$27K you're better off looking at a Camry Hybrid in a 50 series (2012, facelifted in 2015) or a current model 70 series used/demo (released late 2017). The latter might be hard to find in your budget range. Bigger, more comfortable and a lot more power, especially the 70 series.
But if you have your heart set on a hatchback, look at a new/demo 210 series Corolla hybrid (released August last year). Miles ahead of the CT200h and Prius c. It uses the updated hybrid drivetrain from the current gen Prius.
We just sold our Toyota Prius which had a battery issue - was going to cost us about $7k to get replaced at Toyota
The guy at Toyota told us that it's a common problem with the hybrids and they tend to have battery issues once they hit the 7 year mark
How many Ks ur prius had done?
I think roughly 140,000kms
$7000? Which Toyota dealership is this?
West Footscray. Its cause the entire battery had to be replaced. I went on a few online forums and it appeared most people were quoted the same amount.For us the car wasn't even worth that amount
Did they tell you that your car needs an inverter replacement as well?
What was the battery issue out of interest?
Pretty much the battery had tanked itself so the car was only running on petrol
Whats your L/100km reading now with no battery?
I heard somewhere, can't remember where, that taxi companies run a lot of hybrids and that they get non-dealer battery repairs/replacements at a much lower cost. Might be worth ringing around to see what you can find out.
Added later: I just did a quick Google and found this place https://www.hybridbatteryrebuild.com.au
I'm sure there are others.
As has been previously mentioned, forget the Prius C and buy a new Corolla Ascent Sport hybrid.
Bigger car, bigger engine, way more features including way more safety features. Just shy of $30k drive away with a 5yr unlimited warranty.
Back in 2014 I purchased for my wife a 2007 Lexus RX400H. First hybrid. It had 110k km on it, and that car was used every day of the year.
That car is now owned by my parents and at 170k km. The only item that we had to change in the last 4 years of ownership were a set of tyres. Besides oil changes for the engine and gearbox, and probably a brake fluid flush, nothing else has been required. The hybrid system works great, and for a 1.8T 4WD, that car averages 8.8L/100km!
Looking at the onboard computer, the battery doesnt reach full capacity anymore, but IMO that isnt an issue. The battery is meant to go through continuous stages of discharge and charge. Looking at the bars on the screen, the battery can only charge to 70-80% capacity, but as mentioned just earlier, it has no ill-effect in terms of driving, and economical return.
In 2018 we loved the hybrid system so much we upgraded to the 2012 RX450H and hence gave my parents the older 4WD. This hybrid is a better where the consumption averages 8.3L/100km. In the past 12 months, again we have had zero issues, and the only additional outlay on top on general servicing were a set of tyres too.
Later this year I will be looking to purchase for myself another a hybrid, but in the GS (sedan) shape instead.
TO answer your questions;
Would you consider the Camry Hybrid next? Doesn't have the badge but (currently) has longer warranty than Lexus
i'm going for the GS because my parents old IS300 (same siZe as camry ) is a bit too small now so looking to go a bit bigger
I got quoted $2500 for the battery and installation by toyota. Am doing this tomorrow.
Some of these vehicles have onboard diagnostics for the battery that will tell you its health on the display. (Google the vehicle you are interested in to find out if/how it's done.) That would be my biggest concern, as the batteries are very expensive to replace.