Hybrid vehicle reliability - how does it compare? - Page 2 - GreenHybrid

mkaresh · #11 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 07:26 AM

Does sound scary.

Differences between cars in terms of reliability are smaller than most people think. The good ones aren't as good as people think, and the bad ones aren't as bad.

A problem like this, though usually very rare, can probably happen to any car.

In the Lexus, does the main battery pack handle everything, or are accessories handled by a regular battery?

gpsman1 · #12 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 01:58 PM

An actual battery failure would not do this to you. A computer failure related to the battery would. It may be all the same to you, since the car quit, but I seriously doubt from a mechanical standpoint it was the actual battery. Something computer/electronics related went bad. And as you know, computers freak out when they loose just one bit of data out of a billion. Good luck, and please post back what you find out. -John

Quote:

Originally Posted by lexusowner

I'm chapped because my Lexus RX400h just completely konked out today. Complete power failure for a 2.5 year old car. Service reps say that the battery probably went bad. Said they have seen this in a "handful" of cars. Not the first time.

My main concern when I bought the car was whether the battery would last. Was told no problem, battery technology is wonderful.

Warranty will pay for a new battery, but I will be getting rid of the car. Car failure occured at 60 mph in the middle of a freeway. No hint, no warning that battery or anything was amiss. Then bam! Complete power failure - meaning power steering went out, everything (thank goodness brakes were still good). Fortunately I was able to coast to a stop on the inner median, and did not stop in the middle of traffic like I was afraid initially might happen. This was a VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

Has anyone else experienced this situation?

SpacenJason · #13 (**permalink**) 07-15-2007, 01:52 AM

lexusowner,

I am sorry to hear about your loss of power on the freeway. I do wonder one thing though. Since you were already up to speed, wouldn't the alternator be running your steering and everything else? I am not a mechanic, so I am not sure if this is true. In my past experience, if a battery was bad, usually the alternator would provide power once the vehicle was started. Granted, A/C, CD players, and other electrical components may require some power from the battery at times. Just a thought.

jason

tcampb01 · #14 (**permalink**) 07-15-2007, 09:40 AM

I'm not familiar with the design of the RX400h, but typically a hybrid "battery" is really an array of battery cells wired in series. A failing battery would slightly reduce the power capability of the array, but it wouldn't die completely.

I'm guessing something else is amiss.

Tim K · #15 (**permalink**) 07-15-2007, 10:03 AM

To be fair....."regular" cars "konk out" too. And they can do it at speed too. And when they do, power steering is lost too. You would be in the same situation in a traditional lexus RX if something went wrong with the electronics.

I wouldn't get rid of my hybrid because it had one electronic failure any more than I would get rid of my wife's car because it needed a new alternator in the first year. ESPECIALLY if it was a Toyota product with their reputation behind it. If this was a commonly reported problem among hybrids that might be one thing. But fluke problems happen with all vehicles across all makes and models. As long as it is under warranty and fixed properly the only thing you will be doing by getting rid of it is throwing thousands of dollars of depreciation out the window.

bwilson4web · #16 (**permalink**) 07-15-2007, 12:58 PM

BTW, I noticed "lexusowner" has only one post. You don't suppose . . .

Bob Wilson

mkaresh · #17 (**permalink**) 09-21-2007, 07:42 AM

Forums can make problems seem much more common than they actually are. I'm doing what I can to get better information out there. Can always use more participants, as larger sample sizes will enable me to provide more detailed info.

For the details, and to sign up to help out:

Vehicle reliability research

kerpal · #18 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007, 11:51 PM

All I know is that it is better than an oridnary car(not hybrid)

mkaresh · #19 (**permalink**) 10-13-2007, 12:24 PM

The only car where I have a clear comparison is the Camry, and so far you're right, the Hybrid is proving more reliable. Especially compared to the V6, which is having quite a few transmission problems.

Next set of updated results in a few weeks. Can always use more participants.

spinner · #20 (**permalink**) 10-16-2007, 03:58 AM

There is some fleet data made available to the public, from the Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity site. Explore the various publications, or just zero in on the vehicle reports, which include accelerated reliability testing.