What you should know before buying a used hybrid

By: Peter Johnson

There was once a time when hybrids were restricted to the
Hollywood crowd and college professors. However, over the last 6
years hybrids have become widely popular and can now be found in
garages of everyday people. As the hybrid market continues to
grow so too will the used hybrid market. What should you know
about buying a used hybrid? Read on.

The basics

Buying a used hybrid is like buying any other used car. Well,
sort of. The biggest concern when buying a used hybrid is
finding out the condition of the battery pack. These battery
packs can easily cost in excess of $5000 to replace. To ease the
concern of new buyers, manufacturers put an extended warranty on
the battery pack, hybrid control module, battery control module
and other related components. The warranty on these components
is usually 8 years or 100,000 miles. You'll want to confirm that
the warranty is transferable if it has not already expired. Just
like a regular used car, it's not wise to buy a used vehicle
that is from the first year of production for that particular
model.

Where to buy a used hybrid

Just like buying a regular used car, there are three typical
channels where the average consumer will find a hybrid car.
First you have certified pre-owned programs at new car
dealerships. Secondly, there are used car lots that are not
affiliated with a manufacturer; finally there are private
sellers.

The best place to buy a hybrid is through a certified pre-owned
program offered through a new car dealership. Toyota, GM, Honda,
Ford and others have these programs. Although they typically
cost more, vehicles from these CPO programs must undergo an
extensive inspection in order to be sold through the dealership.
Cars that fail these inspections end up on independent used car
lots. CPO programs offer better warranties and often come with
an exchange option if you're not happy with your purchase.
Private sellers will offer the cheapest price but you have no
recourse if something goes wrong.

Maintenance and repairs

Beyond regular oil changes and maintenance, most repairs should
be done at the dealership. These technicians are factory trained
and certified to work on hybrids. Other garages won't have the
equipment or experience to accurately diagnose and fix a
mechanical problem on a hybrid. To avoid any hassles, make sure
you live in the area of the dealership. Nobody likes taking a
day off to get their car repaired. To achieve the best mileage,
hybrids come equipped with unique low rolling resistance tires.
As the second owner, you'll need to replace these tires at some
point if they haven't already been replaced.

So is buying a used hybrid right for you? Well, that's a
question only you can answer. Overall, it'll likely cost more to
buy than a typical used car but you'll save money on fuel. Get
out your solar powered calculator but always remember you get
what you paid for.

For more information on hybrid cars click here.

About the author:
Peter Johnson is chief writer for all-about-car-selection.com