A household in Florida is reeling after receiving an enormous quote to interchange the batteries of their second-hand electrical car. The household was quoted greater than they paid for his or her used 2014 Ford Focus Electrical.

The Focus Electrical was bought for Avery Siwinski, a 17-year-old who was excited to have a automotive to get her to and from college. The household paid $11,000 for the automotive, which had 60,000 miles (96,560 km) on the odometer.

“It was nice at first,” Siwinski instructed KVUE Information, an ABC affiliate. “I liked it a lot. It was small and quiet and cute. And all of the sudden it stopped working.”

Learn Additionally: How Comfy Are You Shopping for A Used EV Understanding About Absurd Battery Substitute Prices?

Siwinski had solely had her Focus Electrical for six months earlier than the dashboard lit up with a warning message. The household took it to a store, after which it stopped working altogether. Avery’s grandpa Ray stepped in to attempt to discover a answer.

“Seems, it is a fairly widespread drawback for this specific automotive,” he stated. “The Ford dealership had suggested us that we may substitute the battery. It might solely price $14,000.”

That was already $3,000 greater than the household paid for the automotive and the quote was only for the elements. Set up and labor prices would make the value of changing the batteries even greater. If he didn’t wish to repair it, Ford Auto Nation in Pinellas County provided $500 to purchase the automotive as-is, Ray claimed.

By way of additional analysis, he later came upon that batteries weren’t even out there for the automotive. “So it didn’t matter. They may price twice as a lot, and we nonetheless couldn’t get it,” Ray stated.

The household’s message to folks seeking to purchase EVs is, do your analysis. Like an engine, the battery pack is likely one of the most advanced and necessary elements of an electrical car, making it exhausting to interchange and costly, too.