A list of seven hybrids to avoid buying if you were in the market for a used car. They aren’t necessarily hybrids from the 2016 model year (although they can be), but just the cars that were the biggest pains to own this year.
When Toyota announced the Camry Hybrid for the 2007 model year, there was understandable excitement. Toyota had a strong track record of hybrid success with the Prius, and the Camry has always been a popular everyday car, so it seemed like a natural match.
If you want to go green, you’ll need to drop some green. It’s called the hybrid premium and everyone knows about it, but just how much it is – and how long it will take you to get that money back – may surprise you.
A new lawsuit has a suggestion for Toyota. Maybe it's time to start calling their plug-in hybrid the 'Prius Plug-in-every-few-miles.' We all know EPA estimates and MPG numbers posted by manufacturers are best case scenarios, often conducted in labs. But a 40% reduction (8 miles vs advertised 13) is a tough pill to swallow.
A defect in the hybrid cooling system can cause the engine in the 2012-2013 Infiniti M35 to suddenly shut down. The affected hybrids were built between March 23, 2010 and to September 9, 2013.
When it comes to hybrids, you usually pay a premium up front that you hope to recoup with gas savings over time. So imagine Xavier Laurens' dismay when he paid $20,000 more to get his XC90 hybrid, only to find out Volvo streeeeeetched the truth about just how far you could go on battery power alone.
The curtain shield airbags in your car have two chambers that are welded together. That weld keeps those chambers hugging and happy. The only problem is, someone did a really bad job welding 1.4 million Toyota vehicles worldwide.
Did you know there's a Nissan Murano Hybrid? No? Don't worry, you're certainly not alone. Maybe there wasn't much hoopla because the hybrid system used in the Murano is a 'mild hybrid' which has a yawn-inducing electric motor that typically isn't powerful enough to propel the vehicle itself.
How hot do you like your seat heater in the winter? If you like it really toasty — as in, with an actual flame — you’ll probably love one of 7,700 Toyota vehicles, including the Prius, with seat heaters that catch on fire.
Hyundai and Kia are recalling 50 cars for airbag problems. The likelihood that you’re one of those 50 is probably pretty slim, but on the off chance you’re one of the lucky ones.
A lawsuit says the soy-coated, environmentally friendly electrical wiring that is running throughout all 2012–2015 Honda vehicles is irresistible to rabbits, mice, and other rodents.
Volkswagen is recalling 825 Touareg Hybrid SUVs with batteries that can get wet and catch on fire. Buying a hybrid and generating your own heat source? That’s taking 'going green' to a whole new level.
The 2014 Lincoln MKZ doesn’t quite get the MPGs it promised, senses things that aren’t there, and can roll away after you leave. It’s not all bad though.
What’s more annoying than someone cutting you off mid-sentence? How about your own car cutting you off mid-commute? Toyota’s collision avoidance system is getting confused and randomly activating.
Honda is recalling 6,786 Accord Hybrids because of software problems in the battery cell voltage sensor. The battery sensors can get freaked out by electrical noise from the inverter or motor circuit, switch the car into 'fail-safe' mode, and turn your sedan into a glorified go-kart.
Messages that self-destruct and dastardly extortion – it all sounds like the plot to Mission Impossible, right? But it’s actually the story of Hyundai’s Blue Link systems. Pay up, or it’ll blow up.
Messages that self-destruct and dastardly extortion – it all sounds like the plot to Mission Impossible, right? But it’s actually the story of Hyundai’s Blue Link systems. Pay up, or it’ll blow up.
Ok, ok. There’s no blowing up involved, but the self-destruct part is entirely possible and that threat of extortion has led to a class-action lawsuit.
Starting in 2015, Hyundai started notifying owners that if you allow the Blue Link subscription to be inactive for more than a year, the system will be permanently disabled.
That’s right. Hyundai is giving owners a timeline and if they don’t pay up, the hardware of the Blue Link system gets the axe.
“Reactivating your Blue Link services after it is disabled will require a hardware change, dealer-assisted installation, and will cost a minimum of $500 to replace the telematics unit plus any applicable subscription fees.”
Can you imagine if Netflix charged you $500 each time you wanted to resubscribe?
A class action lawsuit accuses Hyundai of failing to inform owners when they bought the cars that the system would eventually self-destruct and that the value of the car is now lowered without the option of the Blue Link system. All owners want is the option to resubscribe
A proposed class-action lawsuit takes aim at Ford saying the Fusion Hybrid gets nowhere near its advertised MPGs. To make matters worse, the lawsuit says Ford issued a software update that deceptively changed the MPG numbers on the instrument panel, without actually making the car more fuel efficient.
Earlier this year, Porsche recalled 1,400 vehicles with fuel injectors that leak. I wanted to make sure you knew about it because anytime there’s a fuel leak near an ignition source, very bad things can happen. Porsche also said it’s possible the fuel could be smelled in the cabin. The recall was announced in January and should have begun by now.
Spring is in the air, so I hate to dredge up bad news from the depths of winter but I want to make sure you heard about Nissan and Infiniti’s January recall of problem that can quickly limit your visibility.
Toyota says the power steering circuit board in 110,000 vehicles might have damaged on arrival, prompting a recall. The circuit board was probably messed up during assembly and can cause a sudden loss of power steering. If you’re traveling at slow speeds and your power steering suddenly goes away, pulling over to the side of the road is going to feel like you’re steering through a vat of caramel.
That sounds delicious, by the way.
