[NoStatic_1]

Forgive me if others have posted a similar inquiry.

I'm in the market for a 2019 or 2020 Accord EX or EX-L Hybrid. My garage mechanic who is not affiliated with Honda told me in no uncertain terms to avoid them because ALL hybrids have battery and electrical issues. I wonder if his knowledge is current or based on older hybrids. For those of you who've done the research and own (or decided not buy a hybrid) can you fill me in on the newer (2018+) Accord Hybrids' reliability, and your overall satisfaction with this engine version.

Thanks!

 

[RickBlaine]

Welcome.

You can read through numerous threads here on the Hybrid sub-forum to form an opinion. The results are in- owners love their 10th Gen Honda Accord Hybrid (HAH). In non-winter climates, some owners get upper 40 mpgs, some are into the low 50s! In winter, they will get high 30s.

Very few complaints...very, very few. But they exist. Again, just scroll through the Hybrid sub-forum.

Your garage mechanic is not well-informed on battery or hybrid technology. There are Toyota Priuses (spelling?) that are well into the 400,000 mile range, several 9th Gen Honda Accord Hybrids in the 250,000 mile range, and even Kia hybrids over 200,000 miles. No issues.

You want brutal truth? Go to Hybrid-specific forums, or to forums for Uber drivers. Almost all drive a hybrid, and some of these guys are well into 300,000 miles.

 

[NoStatic_1]

Welcome.

You can read through numerous threads here on the Hybrid sub-forum to form an opinion. The results are in- owners love their 10th Gen Honda Accord Hybrid (HAH). In non-winter climates, some owners get upper 40 mpgs, some are into the low 50s! In winter, they will get high 30s.

Very few complaints...very, very few. But they exist. Again, just scroll through the Hybrid sub-forum.

Your garage mechanic is not well-informed on battery or hybrid technology. There are Toyota Priuses (spelling?) that are well into the 400,000 mile range, several 9th Gen Honda Accord Hybrids in the 250,000 mile range, and even Kia hybrids over 200,000 miles. No issues.

You want brutal truth? Go to Hybrid-specific forums, or to forums for Uber drivers. Almost all drive a hybrid, and some of these guys are well into 300,000 miles.

Thanks for the prompt and thorough reply, Rick. I assume you're not affiliated with Honda, but, simply, a satisfied owner?

 

[RickBlaine]

Not affiliated with Honda in any way, shape, or etc....

My current Honda is a 2005- traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).

I have the honor of being the first American, NOT affiliated with Toyota, to drive the first Prius in Japan. I've been hooked since....

While waiting at the grocery checkout yesterday, I calculated that if I bought a Prius instead of my 2005 Honda Accord, I would have saved $8,000 in gas over the years.

My wife is originally from Vietnam. She has family in Los Angeles. I met a friend of the family there (Vietnamese guy in the USA for 1 year) who started a business by buying Honda Accord Hybrids and Prius that were just out of warranty when owners were scared of $$$ battery replacements. He bought the cars from original owners for a few hundred dollars more than what the dealers were offering on trade (which was pretty much nothing). He found a place that replaces batteries for about $2,000- if the car needed it.

Then he signed up on Craigslist and several Vietnamese community forums, offering jobs to new immigrants to drive for him- they pay him a flat fee for the week of driving one of his hybrid cars. He hasn't had a breakdown.

Battery technology gets better, and less expensive every year.

 

[NoStatic_1]

Not affiliated with Honda in any way, shape, or etc....

My current Honda is a 2005- traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).

I have the honor of being the first American, NOT affiliated with Toyota, to drive the first Prius in Japan. I've been hooked since....

While waiting at the grocery checkout yesterday, I calculated that if I bought a Prius instead of my 2005 Honda Accord, I would have saved $8,000 in gas over the years.

My wife is originally from Vietnam. She has family in Los Angeles. I met a friend of the family there (Vietnamese guy in the USA for 1 year) who started a business by buying Honda Accord Hybrids and Prius that were just out of warranty when owners were scared of $$$ battery replacements. He bought the cars from original owners for a few hundred dollars more than what the dealers were offering on trade (which was pretty much nothing). He found a place that replaces batteries for about $2,000- if the car needed it.

Then he signed up on Craigslist and several Vietnamese community forums, offering jobs to new immigrants to drive for him- they pay him a flat fee for the week of driving one of his hybrid cars. He hasn't had a breakdown.

Battery technology gets better, and less expensive every year.

Good story. Thanks, again, Rick.

 

[InTotalAccord]

The other thing to keep in mind is that warranty coverage of the key hybrid components, including both the electric motors/generators, as well as the battery pack, is mandated by law to be very good. The standard hybrid components warranty is 8 years or 100k miles (whichever comes first). In some states, such as California, this is raised to be 10 years or 150k miles. This should provide some "peace of mind".

Honda has been making hybrids for just as long as Toyota, albeit at substantially lower volumes than Toyota. As others have mentioned, the long-term record of Prius cars has been very good, including lots of high-miles Priuses, used as cabs, and by Uber and Lyft drivers.

One potential disclaimer is that the use of Li-Ion hybrid battery packs is relatively recent, and in fact Toyota is still using Ni-metal-hydirid batteries (as I understand it). So there is not as long a track record for Li-Ion. That said, they still get the long warranty period.

 

[NoStatic_1]

The other thing to keep in mind is that warranty coverage of the key hybrid components, including both the electric motors/generators, as well as the battery pack, is mandated by law to be very good. The standard hybrid components warranty is 8 years or 100k miles (whichever comes first). In some states, such as California, this is raised to be 10 years or 150k miles. This should provide some "peace of mind".

Honda has been making hybrids for just as long as Toyota, albeit at substantially lower volumes than Toyota. As others have mentioned, the long-term record of Prius cars has been very good, including lots of high-miles Priuses, used as cabs, and by Uber and Lyft drivers.

One potential disclaimer is that the use of Li-Ion hybrid battery packs is relatively recent, and in fact Toyota is still using Ni-metal-hydirid batteries (as I understand it). So there is not as long a track record for Li-Ion. That said, they still get the long warranty period.

Thanks for the info. Yes, you're correct about legal requirements and warranties. That said, who needs a design that is going to be rife with problems, like Tesla's cars. Recall after recall. Li-on batteries have come a long ways in recent years, and I trust Honda to be on-top of quality control. Whether or not your average grease monkey knows how to work on them is another matter.

 

[Ion]

"The standard hybrid components warranty is 8 years or 100k miles (whichever comes first). In some states, such as California, this is raised to be 10 years or 150k miles. This should provide some "peace of mind"."
A good hybrid component reliability prediction would be how much more does Honda charge California customers to account for the longer warranty?

 

[johnbell2]

I bought mine with no concerns. It's an enjoyable and fun ride!

 

[BMCGC]

ours is a few days old, my wife loves it.

Now is a good time to buy a leftover 19. We paid 6k under msrp on our EX-L and still came in well under msrp with Georgia TVAT tax, title, license and the $1500 dealer BS charges.

 

[InTotalAccord]

"The standard hybrid components warranty is 8 years or 100k miles (whichever comes first). In some states, such as California, this is raised to be 10 years or 150k miles. This should provide some "peace of mind"."
A good hybrid component reliability prediction would be how much more does Honda charge California customers to account for the longer warranty?

The above (bolded) is an interesting question - whether car buyers in states with the longer hybrid warranty are somehow paying more for their cars. I don't think so - as far as I know, the dealer cost for CA dealers is the same as other states (invoice, less hold-backs and other forms of kickback to the dealer). And I also think that the destination charge is the same for all states (although, in that case, I think car companies sometimes have different destination charges for different parts of the country, based mostly on transportation costs between the factory and the dealerships). Assuming that dealers are paying the same thing for the car as in other states, they'd just be trying to maximize their profit on the sale, independent of any warranty differences.

Selling prices in CA may well be a bit higher than in other parts of the country, but I think that is mostly normal supply and demand. Hybrids tend to be more in demand in CA, due to our high gas prices.

 

[thefisch]

Wait, if I pay just as much in Florida for a HAH as someone in California, then doesn't that mean I am subsiziding their longer warranty. Darn it!

 

[InTotalAccord]

Hey, it's maybe the only monetary advantage of living in CA!

 

[S2sailorlis]

I guess no different than some insurance...social security...Medicare.....

Wait, if I pay just as much in Florida for a HAH as someone in California, then doesn't that mean I am subsiziding their longer warranty. Darn it!