Hybrid car service and repair in Rotterdam

A hybrid car combines two drive systems: a combustion engine and one or more electric motors with a high-voltage battery. All the familiar maintenance is still needed, such as changing the oil, replacing filters and checking the brakes and tyres. On top of that come a few checks that only apply to a hybrid.

The high-voltage system runs at several hundred volts. Handling it the wrong way can be fatal. That is why work on this system should only be carried out by technicians trained for it, following set safety procedures. An important standard here is NEN 9140, for work on or near electric vehicles.

The hybrid battery also needs attention. The condition of the battery affects your car’s fuel consumption and performance.

The braking system is a special case. In a hybrid car, part of the braking is often done by the electric motor. This is called regenerative braking. It recovers braking energy and stores it in the high-voltage battery. As a result, the mechanical brakes are sometimes used less, so the brake pads usually wear more slowly.

That sounds good, but brake discs can then rust sooner, and brake calipers or guide pins can seize from lack of use. That is why we check the brakes on a hybrid car with extra care.

During a service for your hybrid car, depending on the manufacturer’s schedule, we check and maintain things such as:

Not every garage is equipped to work on a hybrid car. Work on the high-voltage system calls for proven expertise, set safety procedures and the right protective equipment. Our technicians are trained for this and hold GMTO certification for work on hybrid and electric cars. You can check this registration in the public GMTO register.

In practice this means we work with suitable diagnostic equipment, follow set safety procedures when working on the high-voltage system and discuss the result of every check with you, including any next steps. This way we pinpoint a fault before any parts are replaced.

As an independent garage, we service your car according to the manufacturer’s specifications and keep careful records of the maintenance and the parts used. Servicing by an independent garage therefore does not automatically void your manufacturer’s warranty. The warranty terms for the hybrid battery in particular can differ by make, model, year and warranty programme.

A persistent myth is that maintenance on a hybrid car is by definition much more expensive. That does not have to be the case. The regular part of the service hardly differs from that of a car with only a petrol or diesel engine. The price mainly depends on the make, the model and what needs doing.

For some work, an independent garage can be cheaper than a main dealer. You hear in advance, by phone or in the workshop, what the agreed work costs for your make, model and year, including parts, labour and VAT.

Extra work, further diagnosis and parts that only turn out to be needed during the check are not included. We discuss those with you first and only carry them out with your approval. You can see the replaced parts on request.

For a service, repair or APK on your hybrid car, call us for an indicative price for your make and model. We service hybrids of almost every make, such as Toyota, Lexus, Kia, Hyundai and Honda. The page for your make explains what happens during the service. For the APK, we agree the price of the inspection in advance. Repairs needed for the car to pass are not included.

1. You describe your problem or what maintenance you want.
2. We assess what your car needs according to the service schedule, including the checks on the high-voltage system and the hybrid battery.
3. You get a quote in advance for the agreed work. We only start once you approve.
4. A trained, GMTO-certified technician carries out the work according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
5. We explain what we have done. You can see the replaced parts on request.

Autobedrijf Willemsbrug is a Rotterdam family business that has been working as an independent garage since 1979, now based in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde. We are RDW-approved to carry out APK inspections, our technicians are GMTO certified for work on hybrid and electric cars, and we are F-gas certified for work on mobile air con systems with R134a and R1234yf.

Since 1979 we have built up experience in maintaining and repairing all kinds of cars. On Google, customers rate us 4.8 / 5 from 235 reviews. Read what our customers say (in Dutch).