Featured Why repairing your BEV is so expensive—WSJ

it's interesting that my bolt is only $200./year higher than our hycam for insurance. i expected worse considering all the negative talk about repairs from haters

 

We dumped our Range rover around 2003, just a few months prior to warranty expiration. Yellow words, "Maintenance required" came up on the dash. After a day in the shop, the service manager says it needs a new combo tranny/Xfer case. $6,000 .... just for the part. But even w/ labor, it was under warranty so the near $10K bill didn't hurt. And that was back when the dollar had at least 60% more value.

Yea ... thank you WSJ ... for the news flash ... cars are expensive to repair.
Let's hear it for captain obvious.
LOL
.

 

the journal has become a shill for the oil industry

 

My recent experience:

• Bought a used 2017 BMW i3-REx for $15,000 on a car loan.
• Required $135 monthly collision to cover repairs.
• Had $1,300 repair when someone backed into open door.
• Paid $1,000 out of pocket after the insurance claim 'processed.'
  • $1,000 / $135 ~= 8 months
• Paid off loan early and got my title.
  • Shopping for new insurance company, liability ONLY

Bob Wilson

 

neither mrs b nor i have had a bad at fault accident in decades. it does pay to drive carefully, and there are good driver. discounts as well.
sure, stuff happens, but not often enough to worry about repair costs, unless you're a speeder, pothead or phone addict.

 

Where we need some subsidies perhaps is repair costs. Could keep a lot more Prii, washing machines, etc. on the road if it did not cost your first born child to repair everything.

 

Especially front loading washing machines. Once that u joint goes out it's more labor than the suckers are worth nowadays - even though they cost over $500.

 

To replace a $15 water valve on a dishwasher takes 10 minutes. costs $200+. The guy told me (B.S.?) it is the insurance cost they have to pay for water repairs in case they are liable for a later leak.

 

That's the reason I go with the lowest level basic model.

The less there is; the less there is to go wrong.

 

Insurance companies love it. More write offs and higher premiums

 

Finance companies and banks love it too. Larger loans and higher interest rates.

Aftermarket warranties, too. They're basically insurance companies.

 

and great for the used parts industry

 

Appliance repair is a tough business:

A company must hire a person with the necessary electric, hydraulic/plumbing, mechanical skills to do the job.
They must also have good people skills as they will be dealing directly with the public.
They must be skilled at time estimation for the repair and then effecting the repair in the most timely and economic way.
They must have good computer skills as well as familiarity with programs like excel, word, access etc.

Then starting adding in:
A stocked Appliance repair truck carrying $$$$ of repair parts
Registration and Insurance for the trucks
Gas
Labor Cost/Benefit Cost for the Technician - including driving time to and from the job site.
In many municipalities the Repairman and Company must post a bond for potential damages
The Repair Man must be bondable in these municipalities.
Training to keep up on newest innovations in Appliances
Training to be Certified for the Brands they are Repairing - to be eligible for doing Warranty Repairs.

Then in America you must also be very careful to Insure the Company and the Repairman from frivolous lawsuits.

You bet your rear end Appliance Repair is very expensive in the United States.

 

agree ..... & sadly the few that could DIY can't - because it puts your system down for an inordinate amount of time due to learning curve.

 

That's why I buy the cheapies with mostly all mechanical parts. If I can't repair them, I just replace them with another cheapie.

 

they stopped making our $400. sears/whirlpool/etc mechanical washer, so a couple years ago we bought a $600. mechanical ge. i hope it lasts

 

This is perhaps the main reason I got rid of the Leaf, cost of repair and 15% loss of battery capacity in the year I owned it. I thought that a $5,000 battery would be doable with the fuel savings. But when it was upped to $8,000 I quit. There still seems to be no good aftermarket options. Batteries are still expensive. There needs to be proof the battery will last as long as a typical car does (around 15 years/200,000 miles OR better) for me to buy another EV. I think Telsa is getting a good reputation, but I'm not 100% confident in them yet and I can't afford a Tesla anyway.