Toyota has announced that it will recall more than 82,000 hybrid SUVs in the United States this summer, due to faulty soldering. The voluntary recall was prompted by a National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration investigation launched in February, after 32 drivers complained about their vehicles stalling unexpectedly.
To help ensure that you are choosing a service shop that knows their way around a hybrid, HybridCars.com teamed up with Craig Van Batenburg, who established a hybrid technician qualification process through the Automotive Career Development Center. Craig conducts hybrid technical training workshops around the country. Our growing list of preferred shops is made up of technicians who have been through Craig's workshops. Other shops are welcome to contact Craig, so he can verify that they've got the right stuff.
In the 2007 energy bill, the federal government acted to raise consumer awareness about low rolling resistance tires, which can give drivers as much as a ten percent improvement in fuel efficiency over higher resistance models.
If you’re thinking of buying a hybrid car, here’s one more piece of good news on top of the superior gas mileage. Repair costs for hybrid models, which initially were higher than average, have now fallen in line with those of non-hybrids.
Hybrid cars outscored other vehicle segments for reliability, according to the Consumer Reports Annual Car Reliability Survey, released on Thursday. Nine hybrid models were included in the survey of 1.4 million subscribers of Consumer Report. All the hybrids earned above-average predicted-reliability ratings.
If you're buying a new hybrid, should you consider purchasing an extended service agreement (usually marketed as an "extended warranty") as well? More than anything, the answer to that question depends upon your personal beliefs and level of comfort with risk.
If you have AAA roadside service for your hybrid, then you are taking two steps forward and one step backward. That’s because AAA is backwards on environmental issues. Hybrid drivers around the country are dropping AAA, and seeking greener alternatives.
