05 Honda Civic Hybrid

[The Fake Cheap]

I have an opportunity to buy an 05 Honda Civic Hybrid with 130,000 KM, at at least what appears to be a good price (asking price is $2,500).  What I have questions on is the hybrid/battery part of the car.  I'm not very familiar with hybrids and have only basic car repair skills.  My main question is the 10 year age of the battery, how much juice would this have left (I assume it is the original battery) and what is the cost if replacement is needed?  Anyone else have any feedback on mid 2000's civic hybrids?  Thanks!

[RoadLessTravelled]

Well the first question would be is the battery pack orginal or not?  Assuming it is the original is not the way to go about making an informed decision.  Find out!

If it is original, then yes you are probably going to have to replace it at some point.  It is in fact past the averge lifespan if it is the original.  That's why you need to ask and find out, it may well have been replaced already and that will change the decision equation considerably.

A new (do not buy a re-conditioned) battery pack will cost over $2k.

[StockBeard]

OR just get a Tesla for $100'000, they replace your battery pack for the price of a tank of gas, I heard :)

[raylit20]

I can't answer your questions about battery condition without seeing the vehicle in person, though I can share my personal experience with the Honda Civic Hybrid, also known as the HCH.

I purchased a used, model year 2005 automatic transmission HCH with 179,000 Miles/288,000 Km, and used the car primarily for commuting to school and delivering food for a local restaurant. I was hard on the car often driving wide open and hooning around like I was practicing for a gymkhana run, and the car never once skipped a beat. During this time of exclusively city-only driving I averaged 54mpg (That's fifty-four miles per gallon!).

I did sell the car and later regretted doing so. At 218,000 Miles/350,000 Km it was still going strong!

[Apostrophe]

I have a 2004 5-speed, and absolutely love it. I rent it out on RelayRides, and it is one of the top 5 or so rentals in the Phoenix valley. Gone all the time, driven by random strangers, many of whom I never meet, and I assume they all "drive it like a rental".

https://relayrides.com/car-rental/phoenix/honda-civic/21098

And yet, with 181k miles on it, it runs superbly and all I do is check the oil and tire pressure now and again. It has without a doubt been the best car I have ever owned.

Having said that... I bought it used with 113k on it, and the original battery pack failed at 130k. In Massachusetts where I lived at the time, the warranty on the hybrid battery was through 170,000 miles. It was replaced under warranty and has been entirely trouble free since then. But it would have been about $2k to replace that battery on my own.

If the battery fails now, I will replace it again out of my own pocket. It's just worth it since the rest of the car has been ridiculously flawless. There are also ways to recondition the pack on your own, though it gets pretty techy and I'm not sure I would take that path personally.

Good luck with your choice!