[Danskman]

Qutoed from "How Stuff Works"; (I know, not to considered an "expert" in everything, but a resource)

"Both the Honda and the Toyota have long warranties on the hybrid systems. The Insight has an eight-year/80,000-mile warranty on most of the powertrain, including batteries, and a three-year/36,000-mile warranty on the rest of the car. The Prius has an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on the battery and hybrid systems and a three-year/36,000-mile warranty on everything else.
The motors and batteries in these cars don't require any maintenance over the life of the vehicle. And the engine doesn't require any more maintenance than the one in any other car. And because both hybrids have regenerative braking, the brake pads may even last a little longer than those in most cars.
However, if you do have to replace the batteries after the warranty expires, it will most likely cost you several thousand dollars."

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For my driving, an 80,000 mile warranty would last approx 4 years. Who drives 10,000 miles per year on their daily driver? The batteries don't require maintanence while in service, but they will require replacement at some point. A "several thousand dollar" liability hanging out there will be a tough sell in the used car market. I'm curious what the trade-in value of a six year old hybrid will be - possibly quite shocking. I have about 145,000 miles on my '99 4Runner right now, and similar ones are selling between $13k - $15k. I would be very upset if that value were reduced by "several thousand dollars". I can hear the dealer's used car manager right now... "Well, Mr. Jensen, the batteries will need replacment soon on your trade-in, but you're a good customer, so we'll give you $500."