I'm looking to buy my first hybrid its an 03' civic and it has 179,000 miles on it, and I was wondering if there is anything that i should inspect when i go to look at the car? what kind of maintenance am I looking to have done at 200K ? I know some honda's require a timing belt around every 100,000 miles is this true of the 1st gen civic hybrid? i see a lot of talk about the IMA batteries, is that an impending with a HCH I this year with that kind of miles?? Thanks for any input!!

 

The start clutch seems to be a big failure item- $1k-$1.5k to replace. I don't know how to check it. Thing is that if it's failing it can be burnished so it may appear OK but the burnishing apparently doesn't last.

The dealer can check the battery- replacement battery (DIY) is $2k-$2.5k I think.

 

The HCH has a timing chain so it shouldnt need replaced. Chains are normally a "lifetime" part but that depends on how long the car lasts. I would check and see if the IMA battery has been replaced within 100k. If not expect some costly repairs in the upcoming miles. Its about $2500 for a new/refurb battery these days. Make sure the start clutch isnt going bad. When you take off from a start it will vibrate pretty noticeably and possibly jerk every now and then when it is going bad. Mine has been "going" bad for 3 yrs now but hasnt actually forced me to replace it lol...or even got worse for that matter. I would look at the MPG counter on the info display. If it reads 45ish or better the car has been driven relatively easy. If its lower than that something is wrong with the car or the current owners liked the gas pedal and possibly ran the sh*t out of it. I live in the foothills and i average 48-49mpg at 120k. Other than that just normal car stuff like fluid levels, general condition, under body condition, etc.

EDIT: Run the VIN with the dealer to see what service has been done and what parts have been replaced.