I’m considering buying a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid with 31,000 miles. I’ve never had a hubrid. What maintenance issues might I face? How long will the battery last and how much does it cost to replace? Are there likely issues that would NOT be coveed by the 100,000 power train warranty? Anything else I should be thinking about?
Other than the battery, there’s no particular maintenance issues with these cars. You may have to use somewhat more expensive synthetic oil for oil changes, but this is also true of an increasing number of conventional cars and it should only be an extra 10 or 20 bucks per change.
But as for the batteries. I am not totally up on the Honda hybrids, but with the Toyota ones the batteries have no set change interval and nobody really seems to know how long they typically last. Most hybrids on the road have never had them replaced and they are definitely good past at least 150,000 miles or so but even after that failures are extremely rare. There were some early Prius taxis in Vancouver that racked up, IIRC, about a half million kilometers on the original batteries before Toyota bought them back, still working, to take them apart and analyze them. The costs of a replacement if they’re necessary is pretty steep, though. I think it’s at least 2 or 3,000 these days. Again, this is all Toyota information, but it’s likely similar on the Hondas.
The only “issue” I can think of is the possibility that you’ll have to take the car to a Honda dealer for maintenance. Not because there is any “special” maintenance, but because independent mechanics may not want to work on it.
If you have an independent mechanic I suggest you discuss your plans with him/her before you decide.
Other than that I see nothing to be concerned about. The cost of a replacement battery pack today means nothing, because you won’t need one for a very long time, and by then they will be less expensive.
I suggest you read the powertrain warranty carefully to see exactly what’s covered and what isn’t. It’s a Civic, which is a very reliable car. I don’t think there’s much to worry about.
Just be aware that all hybrids are not the same. The Civic can NOT run on battery power alone, as the Prius can, and depending on where and how you drive you may be disappointed in the fuel mileage you achieve.