Buying a 06 at 143k. Will it last 5 more years?

150K miles is considered "end of life" in the automobile industry. An individual Prius may last much longer without a major repair. Other Prius may require a major repair(s) at 143K miles or less.

It really is impossible to say whether the car in question will (or won't) last an additional 80K miles without a major problem. However if you can't afford to pay $3-4K for a major repair then you should look elsewhere.

 

I agree with Patrick: 150k is approaching end-of-life by many automaker's lifecycle expectations. A 150k Prius will likely need a hybrid battery by the 200k mark. Other normal-wear items, such as struts, water pumps, axle seals, catalytic converters, etc may also need attention at some point during your ownership.

Considering your tight budget, the Prius is not a good choice due to the very high exposure from the potential points of failure. I am sure someone is going to chime in soon and say that there are many Prii out there with 300k without issues, but for every one that is OK there is likely another that has had some expensive wear items replaced. Logically, the odds are simply against you once you get up there in mileage.

 

I agree too. The risk of high value repair may be significant.

In all likelihood it could a good buy. However chances for a big repair are high too. On the other hand you are handy and knowledgeable enough, there are a lot of good parts available if needed from Junk Yards.

My 2005 also had a rear end damage, which I came to know Much later. Car fax report was clean. I it recently spent 2600$ in transmission replacement ( from junk yard - transmission damaged due to a rock hit and not wear).
I had to decide whether to bear the cost or call it a total loss ( I had only Liability insurance). But now 6000 Mi later I am quite happy to have spent the money. But then I had confidence generated by driving the car 90000 Mi which I have now regained.

But on a car which you do not have much driving experience with the risk might be big particularly if you are on a tight budget. Also lot of mechanics do not have a good know to ledge yet of hybrids. Costs are going to be much higher at a dealer.

 

Honestly, I don't know what car you could buy for $7k that would be guaranteed to last 5 yrs or 80k miles. When buying a used car, there are no guarantees. $7k for an '06 w/ 143K sounds like a good deal to me but, no one on this or any other website could offer you a guarantee like that on even a newer Prius w/ less mileage. The truth is things go bad over time on all cars.

 

my mother in law sold her 05 corolla w/ 50,000. miles for $7000. and it has a very good chance (statistically) to reach 100,000 without any major repairs. and major repairs on a corolla are not likely to be as expensive as a prius. between the battery and the inverter, you really need to have big busks 'just in case'.

 

I would add a strong maybe to the above statement. IME, suspension part lifespan is largely a function of the abuse the vehicle has been subject to. Other things like the battery have a shelf life, and after X years will almost certainly need to be replaced. The lifespan of some things is just a function of wear, aka mileage.

IME, water pumps in Toyotas usually make it ~200k-300k miles, half shafts ~150k miles (mostly due to the boots getting shredded), cat converters ~300k miles, struts could be anywhere from 50k miles to 200k+ miles, belts will last until they dry up and shred, or until the tensioner/one of the pulleys goes, which can be ~100k to ~300k miles, O2 sensors are regularly 100k-150k miles, and so on...

 

I agree more with usnavystgc, above. No car with 143,000 miles can be expected to be as reliable as a new car. And I think we can assume that the OP understands that any car of that mileage will need repairs from time to time. But the OP said she is comparing the Prius to other used cars, in particular Accord and Camry. The quality of build and general reliability is similar to other Toyotas and Hondas. People on this website point out that the Prius suffers less transmission, brake and engine wear compared to due to the effects of the hybrid technology. Priuses are probably driven more gently than other cars.

The only downside of a Prius vs Camry or Accord is that there is a risk that you will need a replacement hybrid battery. From this website, people pay between $1500 (independent shop) to $3500 (dealer) for replacement hybrid batteries, depending on convenience factors mostly. And it's only a risk that a battery will be needed during the 80k miles you expect to drive. Outside of Toyota, nobody knows battery failure rates, and it's impossible even for Toyota to know. There may be a slight premium for a used Prius over Accord or Camry, but you would get some of that back when you sell the car. A minor rear end collision will not be a problem, but if you can bring an auto body person with you to inspect the car, you could avoid a car that has been structually weakened by an accident.

 

Personally, I wouldn't buy one at that mileage if I didn't know that it had been maintained properly. If it has, then there is no good reason it shouldn't go well past 200k. But assume that it **will** need a new traction battery at some point and smaller maintenance items like suspension/steering/brake components **will** need to be done. If you don't have a few thousand dollars in the budget just in case, don't buy it. If you can afford the risk, then by all means go and take it for a test drive.

 

How many of those who have replied have over 150K miles on the Prius they're driving?

150K miles on a vehicle built in the past ten years is not at or near the end of its life. My 05 has 177K and shows no signs of needing last rites just yet.

Many vehicles reach 300K miles without major repairs. It all depends on how they were driven and maintained.

I'm not predicting that most 04 to 06 Prii will reach 299,999 miles, but there will be many that will.

$7000 is not a bad price for an '06 with 143K provided that the stealership isn't selling lemonade.

Used car prices are ridiculous right now. Asking prices for 2006 Aveos, Ions, Accents, Cobalts, etc are $5000 and above with over 100K miles.

So, IMHO it's worth the risk to buy this Prius (I would offer $6000 and haggle from there).

 

#1) the fact that this forum does not require you to post your general location (most dont and that is a mistake) means the question you ask is unanswerable.

other than that, dont buy it if you are in a hot area.

dont buy it if it sits outside all day in temps above 90º more than a few dozen times a year.

normally the car should last you for much longer than its 143,000 miles but all cars fair poorly in the long run in extreme weather, the Prius is no exception and the battery pack will die an early death in hot weather areas

 

Lots of good advice here... I'll add mine.

A Prius at 143K would be a financial gamble. It might need work at 145k or it might run perfectly for another 100k. No way to tell (if you had a full service history that would help; a good history would indicate less trouble later on but would be far from a perfect indication).

It seems the electronics in Toyotas hold up pretty well (computers, etc) but the primary difference between a hybrid and a non-hybrid is the traction battery, inverter, and hybrid drive. All of those can be expensive repairs ($3000 to $5000). If you're very mechanically inclined and you have the proper space, you could find used parts and replace all of these yourself. Alternative, if you have a hybrid specialist nearby, that could be a good option for a quality repair at a decent price. If you're relying on a dealer or a non-hybrid mechanic, then you may run into some issues repairing these items (high price with a dealer, and lower quality with a non-hybrid mechanic). If you have $3k to $5k saved up and ready to plunk down on a car repair, then get the Prius.

Don't let the dealer talk you into a third-party extended warranty. From what I've read elsewhere, it's difficult to get those companies to pay up when it comes time for a repair.

I don't know your personal situation obviously, but have you thought of buying a new or low-mileage used Yaris or similar? They get decent fuel mileage. They'll probably be more reliable later in life without the hybrid parts to replace if they fail. If you put $7k down on a new/used Yaris, that will leave you with a very small monthly payment.

Other than that, I'd suggest a used small car like the Yaris/Corrola, Fit/Civic, Accent/Elantra, etc.

Scott

 

extended warranties on a car with over 100K miles will be rare, expensive and highly unlikely to be a good investment. People in hotter areas like AZ, South TX, etc. are seeing "premature" failure of battery packs but not until way after the warranty period which may seem good to some, but in reality really kinda sucks.

a Prius known to 250,000 miles (OPs requirement) are not rare and some have gone much farther without any major repairs but a traction battery replacement is a major repair and could easily run one up to $4,000-5,000.

granted a good DIY'r could do it for probably closer to $2500. now, as far as my hot weather statement. we have many in "very" warm climates who have had great success with their cars. 2Fas4u is an example that i would normally cite but the major issues happen when car sits in direct sunlight on asphalt for several hours. now this guy drove nearly a half million miles in 3 years so it goes without saying that his car did not sit anywhere very long! and he was in Fl which is pretty warm but highs in low 90's seem to be ok.

the issues come with OAT in the 90's sitting on asphalt where air temps on the pavement easily reaches 130º

as with any used car over 100K miles, my recommendation if you are serious to purchase is have "YOUR" mechanic check it out. make sure he is familiar with the hybrid components. usually a look at fluids by someone knowledgeable is all you need to get a lot of the story. now if the dealer will not let you borrow the car to do this, then do not buy it.

i work in the car business and we loan out vehicles overnight all the time. reason is pretty self-centered. people who have a chance to do extended test drives tend to fall in love with the car and dont want to bring them back. so they return ready to fill out paperwork. (happens in 35% of BCA scenarios)

 

The taxi guys in SF and other places run these to 300K with very few issues. I'd definitely change trans fluid at 60K intervals. Compared to most other cars at over 100K your probability of large repair bill is low (and maintenance costs are very low). But yes, it' s possible to need repair that costs more than the car is worth. A high mileage corolla, civic or camry might be another option.

 

Hi reaisan, I had a look at truedelta's comparisons (Toyota Prius Reliability vs. Toyota Corolla Reliability) between the Prius and Corolla and up to 2006 models the Corolla is the better choice but from 2007 onwards the Prius seemingly became more reliable than the Corolla. With the introduction of the GenIII during 2010 the Corolla was again a better option while the Prius' teething problems were sorted out.
That is why, since I also can not afford a new Prius, I got myself a 2007 model. Both are in any way far better than most other makes our models.

 

...wonder if orginal poster P made a decision yet ?
Of course used car is crap shoot but Prius has high build qulaity so would think OK.
I would not be aware of a reason why 2007 is better than 2006 except newer of course.

 

I have a 2005 Prius, am the original owner, live in hot Las Vegas, NV and keep my Prius outside in the sun due to no garage, and my Prius has 156,000 miles on it. Still on the original hybrid battery. Very reliable. Recently did major service of about $700. Over the life of our Prius we have spent only about $3,000 which I consider very little for the age and mileage of the vehicle.

 

My 2004 started at 110K miles, and I've put 60K on it in 2 years. All I did is change oil, tire, spark plugs and a serpentine belt. Maintenance cost is down to roughly $0.01/mile. Sure, I change oil myself, buy used tires with 80% thread life left for $25 each, and drive carefully.

 

I am the original owner of a 2006 Prius that has been serviced at the dealership. Only 86,000 miles and it needs a new hybrid transaxle estimated at over $5,000. They tell me it isn't part of hybrid warranty but powertrain. (Even though an extended warranty lists it as a hybrid component.) You can buy my Prius if you want. I loved it until now but too much money and I still have to worry about the hybrid battery going. I have an 1996 Chevy S-10 with 280,000 miles and original transmission. Maybe I should fix the Ac in that instead.

 

***Hi JAQUIMO", I too, just bought an '07 this past 7/24. Any helpful short-cuts to hints i should know ??? thanks & I'm thrilled to b a member of the "Club." DJ