acensor
Well-known member
We were just on the verge of committing to buy an MiEV.
Mitsubishi has just put in a $10,000 rebate on instock 2012's... So that's a real draw.
As you all know it is widely believed that within 10 years it can lose 20 to 30% of its range, and even within the 8 year warrenty that's not covered by warrenty (apparently excluded.. considered I guess "normal wear".)
Since we would expect to keep it for 10 years or more (our present cars are 14 and 10 years old and are still fine running vehicles) my wife asked me to check what a battery replacement would actually cost.
I called the Mitsubishi parts department of our local dealer.
He looked up the part (the batteries are an assembly replaced as a whole unit apparently).
Said he'd have to call me back.
Called back after talking to his factory rep and said it would cost $13,000 to $16,000 to replace. He did of course point out that if it failed for factory/product defect it would out to 8 years and 100,000 miles be covered under warrenty, and that if it was damaged in an accident your insurance would cover it.
But it still leaves that shadow over the purchase if thinking ahead.
Are --
a) Any of you shocked hearing this?
b) Do any you have any optimism that by the time you consider new packs the situation could be better? Or for that matter that it could be worse?
c) If you had known this before you purchased might it have changed your decision?
Darn, I really like the car and the idea but that's a bit of a show stopper, or at least a "think twice" issue.
Mitsubishi has just put in a $10,000 rebate on instock 2012's... So that's a real draw.
As you all know it is widely believed that within 10 years it can lose 20 to 30% of its range, and even within the 8 year warrenty that's not covered by warrenty (apparently excluded.. considered I guess "normal wear".)
Since we would expect to keep it for 10 years or more (our present cars are 14 and 10 years old and are still fine running vehicles) my wife asked me to check what a battery replacement would actually cost.
I called the Mitsubishi parts department of our local dealer.
He looked up the part (the batteries are an assembly replaced as a whole unit apparently).
Said he'd have to call me back.
Called back after talking to his factory rep and said it would cost $13,000 to $16,000 to replace. He did of course point out that if it failed for factory/product defect it would out to 8 years and 100,000 miles be covered under warrenty, and that if it was damaged in an accident your insurance would cover it.
But it still leaves that shadow over the purchase if thinking ahead.
Are --
a) Any of you shocked hearing this?
b) Do any you have any optimism that by the time you consider new packs the situation could be better? Or for that matter that it could be worse?
c) If you had known this before you purchased might it have changed your decision?
Darn, I really like the car and the idea but that's a bit of a show stopper, or at least a "think twice" issue.