Hybrids Costing Independent Car Shops

Mom and pop auto shops in Syracuse say they're shelling out more cash to keep up with the hybrid car trend. Shop owner Tony Masello of Masello's Auto Service says he spends $600 every year to send his technicians to hybrid training classes.

Masello says even though he services no more than three hybrids a month out of 200 cars, learning how to service them is important.

"There are safety issues," Masello says. "You have to be real careful of how you service them. There's high voltage that can kill you."

Masello says he plans on making back all the money he's invested in hybrid training in five years. He says that's when warranties expire on most hybrids and drivers will start relying on independent auto shops instead of dealerships.

"If you don't start training early on these things, before you know it, you don't know what you're doing," Masello says.

Other mom and pop auto shops say they haven't spent any money to send their technicians to hybrid classes because they say it's not cost effective. But they say they would most likely start sending their employees for training in at least four years.

Warranties for each brand of hybrid car vary from car to car and typically expire after three years or 36-thousand miles.