While hybrid cars have been on U.S. roads in large numbers for over a decade, their reliability and repair costs may still spook some potential buyers.
The innards of a modern car are already mysterious enough for the average person; add in extra electrical components and things get even more confusing.
Yet a new repair-cost study shows some encouraging results for hybrid owners.
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Average repair costs for hybrids went down this year, even as they stayed the same for types of cars, according to the 2015 CarMD Vehicle Health Index.
CarMD maintains a nationwide network of technicians, which it leverages to build and maintain a database of car problems and fixes.
The 2015 Vehicle Health Index drew conclusions from 90,051 car repairs that took place in the U.S. in 2014.
![2001 Honda Insight 2001 Honda Insight](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2001-honda-insight_100465322_l.jpg)
2001 Honda Insight
Researchers found that average hybrid repair costs fell from 2013 to 2014--the fifth year in a row in which costs dropped.
One of the more costly repairs for a hybrid--replacing an inverter assembly--dropped a massive 51 percent between 2013 and 2014.
The 2014 cost was $1,357, compared to $2,800 for 2013. That's the fourth straight year the cost of this repair has decreased.
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It wasn't all good news, though.
The cost of another expensive component--a replacement battery pack--rose to an average $3,479 in 2014, up 11 percent from 2013's $3,140.
Meanwhile, repair costs for non-hybrid cars remained essentially flat, climbing 0.6 percent between 2013 and 2014.
![2008 Ford Escape Hybrid 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid](https://images.hgmsites.net/lrg/2008-ford-escape-hybrid_100480883_l.jpg)
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
Overall, the most common problem listed was "replace oxygen sensor" although--at an average $259--it was far from the most expensive.
The second most common problem was the need for a new catalytic converter--which cost an average $1,150.
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The most expensive region of the country for repairs was the West, where owners paid an average $423 for repairs stemming from a check engine light.
It's also the region that includes the state with the most hybrids--California.
The cheapest part of the country was the Midwest, with an average $375 cost for similar repairs.
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