Sealed Deals.

Byline: Kevin A. Wilson

Four old nonfunctional televisions are stacked in a corner of my basement. They were hidden under Christmas decorations and revealed when we took those upstairs. Yeah, and what has that to do with cars? Only this: These aren't the old models dad used to fix after a trip to the local drug store to test and replace the tubes. Instead, the backs are labeled to warn against any attempt to open the box-"Danger! Do Not Open! No consumer-repairable parts inside, service only by trained technicians.'' How long until the hood of your new car is similarly labeled? Perhaps not long.

Lately, the Crain garage has contained an Insight, an Accord and a Mariner, all hybrids. It's also the depths of winter, when stressed-out cars are prone to failure. This not only complicates life for the owners, but leaves other commuters fuming as we try to find our ways around the minivan that gave up the ghost mid-intersection or the self-igniting SUV awaiting help from the fire department.

Amid these reminders of automotive vulnerability, I've been driving hybrids and wondering "Who's gonna fix this crate if something goes wrong?'' There are "high voltage'' warnings under the hoods and access panels already-sealing is the next step. And why not? If it's more than a deflated tire or frozen door lock, what could I do? Call AAA is not only your final answer, but your first one.

The self-reliant American motorist prefers to think his toolbox contains something more useful than a cellphone. Most of us have a favorite story about making temporary repairs in some desolate setting-a Corvair fan belt replaced with pantyhose, a leaking Datsun carb sealed with chewing gum, a bit of wire in the right place to make a Ferrari 212 driveable despite the broken mechanical advance in one of its two distributors.

If you so much as duct-taped the radiator hose on a Prius, who would be surprised to learn the computer had ...