We live in an era where automobiles are becoming safer than ever thanks to technology. Advances have been made in seemingly every part of a vehicle, from the onboard computer that can detect a crash to headlights that do a better job displaying the road up ahead.
However, this attention to safety has come at a cost, and that cost is explored in detail in a new report. The article highlights the increased concern shared by many that the advances in safety are proving problematic when it comes time to actually replace an auto part.
The report casts a particular spotlight on headlights and side mirrors, something that used to be one of the cheapest fixes possible should a break occur. Bulbs for regular headlights could be as cheap as $10, while mirrors could be slapped back on for a cool $100. But in an era where LED headlights and mirrors that come equipped with cameras are the norm, the costs of such things have skyrocketed. It’s pointed out that a replacement headlight for a Toyota Corolla compact would be $737, and a Nissan Versa Note mirror would be about $600 for parts alone.
Batteries are another component for which costs can go up exponentially. On a standard vehicle, you pop out the previous battery and put the new one (usually purchased for less than $100) right back in its place. If you have a Hybrid, though, say a Toyota Prius, replacing that battery is going to run more than $3,600.