Quoted from PrinceOfPinside:In the short term maybe. How much will a set of replacement batteries cost 10-15 years from now? What about disposal costs? Will the other electrical systems prove to be reliable amongst that time frame also? All of these questions should have a clear answer in order to obtain buy-in from those who intend to keep their vehicles long-term.
I was wondering about these exact same questions. I do almost all the routine maintenance on my 2000 F150. I am highly doubtful that I will be able to go to Autozone and purchase a new inverter or a new battery strap or whatever else is required to keep the truck running. Cost of repair will probably be very expensive, assuming I would actually be able to work on this high tech vehicle in my garage. If the batteries require replacement, I bet that expense is going to be immense and the core charge will require that they all be returned to get the new ones, to whatever place that they can be purchased from. You can bet that it will not be Discount Auto Parts. My guess is that almost all maintenance will require return to the Ford shop at a giant cost each time.