Photo: Kia
A 2011 Lincoln MKZ hybrid vehicle owner had a very unpleasant experience when he saw the $20,000 bill for the battery replacement needed after it failed. A similar case was that of a 2018 Kia Soul EV that also broke down, and when the repair costs came back, the owner had a $23,000-worth surprise.
According to a Toronto media outlet, the Lincoln owner bought his 2011 model just four years ago. Initially, the dealership’s quote was for $15,000, but the battery replacement with labor and taxes rounded up to $20,000.
It goes without saying that when you already have an 11-year-old car, investing that kind of money in it isn’t on your primary to-do list. Unless maybe it’s a classic or a gem of some sort.
Thankfully, his car is a full hybrid, which means he can drive it solely on its 263-horsepower (267-ps) 3.5-liter V6 ICE engine with no problems. Well, no problems other than the current gas prices.
As for the 2018 Kia Soul EV owner, the situation wasn’t as fortunate as simply switching the engine it runs on. The vehicle was under warranty for up to eight years or 99,419 miles (160,000 km), whichever came first.
A bit of bad luck was also involved because earlier this year, the owner just hit the 105,633-mile (170,000 km) mark, just 6,214 miles (10,000 km) over the warranty limit.
If it hadn’t gone over, the bill would have been on the house, as they say. Therefore, the dealership’s check for the battery replacement came back an astounding $23,000, with additional costs included.
However, even though the car was out of warranty, the Kia dealership did say that it would cover half the cost, leaving the remaining $11,500 for the owner.
The sum still wasn’t enticing enough to pay for the replacement, so the Kia was returned to the financing company and put up for auction.
It goes without saying that when you already have an 11-year-old car, investing that kind of money in it isn’t on your primary to-do list. Unless maybe it’s a classic or a gem of some sort.
Thankfully, his car is a full hybrid, which means he can drive it solely on its 263-horsepower (267-ps) 3.5-liter V6 ICE engine with no problems. Well, no problems other than the current gas prices.
As for the 2018 Kia Soul EV owner, the situation wasn’t as fortunate as simply switching the engine it runs on. The vehicle was under warranty for up to eight years or 99,419 miles (160,000 km), whichever came first.
A bit of bad luck was also involved because earlier this year, the owner just hit the 105,633-mile (170,000 km) mark, just 6,214 miles (10,000 km) over the warranty limit.
If it hadn’t gone over, the bill would have been on the house, as they say. Therefore, the dealership’s check for the battery replacement came back an astounding $23,000, with additional costs included.
However, even though the car was out of warranty, the Kia dealership did say that it would cover half the cost, leaving the remaining $11,500 for the owner.
The sum still wasn’t enticing enough to pay for the replacement, so the Kia was returned to the financing company and put up for auction.
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