A family who thought they'd save money in the long run by buying their daughter an electric car were left shocked to discover a replacement battery would cost more than the vehicle itself.
The rising price of fuel shows no signs of stopping, and this teamed with the issue of climate change has led many drivers to opt for electric cars.
This was the case for the family of Avery Siwinski, who bought their 17-year-old daughter a 2014 Ford Focus Electric so she could drive too and from school.
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At first everything was fine, with the Florida teen telling 10 Tampa Bay: "I was really excited. And it was fine at first, I loved it so much, it was small and quiet."
The used electric vehicle had 60,000 miles on it, and while it set the family back $11,000, they assumed it would be a worthwhile investment.
But six months into owning the car, Avery explained that it 'started giving an alert', adding: "All of a sudden it just stopped working."
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After taking it to the shop, they discovered that the battery had died, which normally wouldn't be too much of an issue. However, when Ford discontinued the model, they also stopped producing the batteries – and getting a replacement for Avery's car would cost a whopping $14,000, not including the installation costs.
"I know that Ford stopped making the car but it's frustrating that they stopped making the battery too, so it left hundreds of people without a car to use," she said.
Sadly, Avery's dad recently died of cancer and so her grandfather Ray decided to step in and help her with the car breakdown.
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He told the outlet: "It turns out this is a pretty common problem with this particular car. The Ford dealership advised us that we could replace the battery, it would only cost $14,000."
As it stands, the busted vehicle is being stored at a local AutoNation car dealership branch where it's been sitting for months.
Ray said that they proposed purchasing it from him – but they only offered $500, a fraction of the upfront price.
He went on to warn other buyers to keep in mind that expensive battery replacements isn't unique to Ford Focus owners.
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"If you're buying a new one, you have to realise there is no second hand market out there because manufacturers aren't supporting the cars," he explained.
The family advised people to do their research before buying an electric vehicle so that you don't run into the same problem they did.
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Topics: Cars, Electric Cars, Climate Change, Money, US News
Daisy Phillipson