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The Priciest Repair On A Used EV Isn’t The Battery

  • Smaller electrical faults top repair requests for EVs in new Warrantywise study.
  • On-board chargers proved priciest common repair, some fixes costing thousands.
  • Main underfloor high-voltage batteries don’t figure in the list of top five EV faults.

If you’re shopping for a used EV, chances are the health and longevity of the high-voltage battery, the big slab of cells under the floor, is the thing keeping you awake at night. But according to a new analysis of warranty repair requests, it’s far from the problem owners encounter most often.

The study, based on repair request data collected by Warrantywise in the UK, found that the biggest EV reliability headaches are largely the same kinds of issues drivers have dealt with for years on cars running more conventional combustion powertrains. Electrical gremlins, suspension wear, and even the humble 12-volt battery appear far more frequently than failures involving the high-voltage battery pack.

 The Priciest Repair On A Used EV Isn’t The Battery

Leading the list were general electrical faults, including sensors and central locking systems. Those repairs averaged around £810-900 ($1,085-1,205), although some individual claims climbed well beyond £3,000 ($4,020) and even topped £4,000 ($5,350) depending on the fault.

Also: An American EV Was Germany’s Most Defective Vehicle

Suspension components, particularly wishbones, also featured prominently. Average repair requests exceeded £1,200 ($1,600), with the largest individual claim passing £4,100 ($5,490). That’s a reminder that even without an engine or gearbox, an EV still has plenty of conventional hardware that wears over time – and with more weight to bear, suspension takes an even bigger beating in an EV.

Top 5 EV Faults
Failure AreaFailure PartAvg Repair
Cost
Most Expensive
Repair Cost
1Electrical systemSensors£810 ($1,085)£3,270 ($4,380)
2Electrical systemCentral locking mechanism£900 ($1,205)£4,060 ($5,435)
3EVOn-board charger£2,160 ($2,890)£10,455 ($14,000)
4SuspensionWishbones£1,230 ($1,650)£4,120 ($5,515)
5Electrical systemAuxiliary battery (12V battery)£535 ($716)£990 ($1,325)
SWIPE

The only genuinely EV specific component to crack the top five was the on-board charger. While the average repair request for one of those came in at £2,160 ($2,890), the largest single claim reached a hefty £10,455 ($14,000), showing that although these failures aren’t everyday occurrences, they can become scarily expensive.

Battery Problems Overblown

What about the high-voltage traction battery everyone worries about? It didn’t make the top five at all. That doesn’t mean battery failures never happen, only that they were comparatively rare in the warranty data, quite possibly because EV batteries are more robust than many people think, and they tend to have longer factory warranty cover than the rest of the car. When problems did occur, though, repair requests averaged more than £6,400 ($8,570).

 The Priciest Repair On A Used EV Isn’t The Battery
BMW

The figures also showed average EV repair request values increased by 10.7 percent between 2024 and 2025. That rise isn’t necessarily down to worsening reliability, with inflation, labour costs, and parts prices all likely contributing to higher bills.

Also: Huge Study Shows EVs More Reliable Than ICE Cars With One Surprising Common Issue

As with any warranty dataset, the results only reflect vehicles covered under those policies rather than every EV on the road. Even so, it points to the expensive battery that dominates so many buying conversations as not being the scary bill-in-waiting it’s made out to be.

 The Priciest Repair On A Used EV Isn’t The Battery
Nissan

Hyundai Extends Warranty On The Part That Bricks Its EVs, But Owners Aren’t Convinced

  • Hyundai increased ICCU warranty coverage to 15 years or 180,000 miles for certain EVs.
  • Many Ioniq 5 owners say Hyundai’s VIN lookup tool still shows no ICCU coverage.
  • Drivers want proof Hyundai fixed the faulty part and some are swearing off the brand.

Hyundai EV owners just received a little more peace of mind over a part that some say has a 10 percent failure rate. This isn’t a backup camera, a loose windshield wiper, or a missing cotter pin either. It’s a part called the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU), and when it fails, it basically strands the car.

The South Korean company has now extended warranty coverage to 15 years or 180,000 miles for some EVs with ICCU issues. That sounds great, but there’s more to the story unfolding right now.

Read: Hyundai Fixed His ICCU Then Let Thieves Total The Rest Before He Even Saw It

As we’ve highlighted both in the past and even this week, ICCU concerns are a big deal for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis owners. The ICCU is one of those parts most owners never think about until it fails. It manages onboard charging and helps keep the 12-volt battery alive. It’s basically the EV equivalent of the old-school alternator’s job. When it dies, the car can lose power, stop charging properly, or simply refuse to start, and plenty of owners have been there.

Recently, Hyundai extended its warranty coverage on affected vehicles in Europe. According to a statement provided by Hyundai Motor America to Torque News, the automaker has approved a warranty extension for the ICCU on certain affected U.S. EVs, stretching coverage to 15 years or 180,000 miles, whichever comes first. That’s a major jump from the previous 10-year/100,000-mile protection. There are a couple of notable caveats to consider, though.

What About Kia And Genesis?

 Hyundai Extends Warranty On The Part That Bricks Its EVs, But Owners Aren’t Convinced

First, there’s no word from Kia or Genesis yet about if they’re also going to extend coverage on affected cars. While it’s highly likely that each will end up extending their coverage, too, an official statement would be nice. Carscoops reached out to both brands but didn’t receive a response at the time of writing. The second concern is how Hyundai’s warranty tool works.

Hyundai says affected owners should check their VIN through Hyundai Motor America’s campaign lookup tool and contact dealers if they see warning lights, charging issues, or reduced power. Sounds simple enough, but when many owners check the site, they get nothing.

Multiple commenters on the original report say they’ve entered VINs for 2022, 2023, and even recently failed 2025 Ioniq 5s, only to see no ICCU campaign listed at all. Finally, there’s reason to wonder if Hyundai has fixed the ICCU issue altogether or if the potential replacement parts will one day fail as well. That’s at the heart of a new lawsuit that Hyundai hasn’t yet responded to. At this point, no one knows, but owners surely hope this isn’t the case.

 Hyundai Extends Warranty On The Part That Bricks Its EVs, But Owners Aren’t Convinced

His Cybertruck Made It to 100,000 Lyft Miles Before Sending A $7,200 Reminder

  • One owner used his Cybertruck for Lyft and crossed the 100,000-mile mark.
  • Low charging costs were great, but one repair alone cost him $7,200.
  • Despite several issues, he still says it’s the best vehicle for the job.

Most Cybertruck buyers appear to be the kinda folks that want to make a statement. The focus of this story is an owner who uses it to make a living. After piling up 100,000 miles, mostly for Lyft in Nashville, he says the slab-sided truck is everything from a money-saving workhorse to a warranty-free financial gut punch waiting to happen. Despite everything he’s experienced, he still wants to take this thing to a million miles.

The inventively named user LyftDr1ver on CybertruckOwnersClub shared their story early this week. They say they drive over seven hours at a time for work, which helps explain how they’ve racked up mileage in the six figures.

Driving a conventional truck that much every day would no doubt cost a great deal in gas or diesel. This person is reportedly paying around $12 a day. They say that’s around $350 a month. If you’ve been to a gas pump lately, you know how wildly low those operating costs are. There are other benefits to the Tesla as well.

More: Uber And Lyft Drivers Are Using FSD Teslas As Robotaxis

The driver reports that passengers like the interior space, the panoramic roof, and the smooth ride. The sound system is another highlight, and the truck bed is “ridiculously functional and spacious,” too. One thing that might surprise most is that this person reports a good experience driving in heavy traffic despite its size, thanks to the steer-by-wire setup. Of course, there are downsides to consider as well.

 His Cybertruck Made It to 100,000 Lyft Miles Before Sending A $7,200 Reminder

Being an early Cybertruck build, there are plenty of build-quality annoyances. A tonneau cover that leaks, a suspension clunk that won’t go away, a wireless charger that heats phones up too much, and an initial set of tires that went bald 40,000 miles into the ownership experience. They also note the battery has degraded to about 299 miles of range at full charge.

None of that is as rough as dealing with the $7,200 repair bill for a failed power conversion system that died at around 60,000 miles. As the owner says, “Tesla shows no mercy when you’re outside your warranty.” Those fuel savings dry up real quick after a bill like that, but it’s worth noting that most gas or diesel vehicles would also have some big maintenance bill of this sort with this kind of mileage.

At this point, the owner has two big hopes. First, that the truck doesn’t break down, and second, that they can drive it until the odometer shows seven figures. For some reason, those goals seem ambitious at best, but hey, more power to you, LyftDr1ver.

 His Cybertruck Made It to 100,000 Lyft Miles Before Sending A $7,200 Reminder
Photos Tesla

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