Do you think a Prius could go 1,000,000 miles?

The big issue when we purchased our Prius was the battery. I was pleased to learn
that Oregon has a 150,000 mile warranty on the battery. Probably in the next 3 years
or so we will sell it and purchase a new generation Prius long before 150,000 miles.

 

Not if you do your homework.

Not everyone wants to or can take on $30k in debt...so they have to explore other options finding vehicles that were maintained well.

 

I'm not sure how you expect $30K in debt for a used car with less than 100K miles on it. I would think that there are some that would rather pay to repair a car, than pay for a car, but risk reward is not your friend on a very high mileage car.

There are those that simply like to be cheap, or want to gamble. I'd rather do my gambling in the stock market where the odds are in my favor, than go for a car with 100K miles on it. Yes you can check the carfax but that doesn't mean there are not lots of hidden problems.

 

Oh I meant $30k in debt on a new one vs the risk of problems on a used one.

I see your point and it is a valid one. But in my position, you gotta have money to make money.

Fingers-crossed on my used rig going another 1ook for cheap!

 

Oh. My statement you quoted was to a post about only buying a used car with 100,000 miles on it. There is nothing wrong with buying used cars.

 

On the road salt issue. Rust is a big limit on longevity. It may run, but do you want to drive around in a rusty crud mobile? Plywood over holes in the floor does not impress dates that's for sure.
How to northern drivers cope with the road salt besides not driving the car. That's not a practical solution for most.
Is there an undercoat you should apply? Or is rinsing it off underneath good enough?
My family had plenty of old vw's and every one of them ended up rusting away. My dad said that on top of the salt issue, the condensation from the temperature insure any steel will eventually rust even without the salt. With today's very light body panels, these problems don't bode well for 30/40 year old autos. Maybe in the desert.
Ww

 

Due to technology advancements, modern cards have sophisticated rust-prevention coatings applied to the frame and critical body parts. Enough that the cars have a 10 year corrosion warranty.

There's no reason a well-cared for car body can't last a long time. Especially when washed and, more importantly, waxed at regular interval (try to get wax on, even if it's "wash and wax in a jug" on every 3 months).

But yes, salt is the biggest enemy. Underbody carriage wash at least once a month during snow season would be very prudent.

 

It's not a Prius....but my Dad's 1998 Dodge Ram V8 4X4 is at 250,000+ miles and counting. He's replaced a lot of stuff over the years, but he's still running on the original tranny and engine. You wouldn't believe it if you saw it, the thing looks awesome for it's age/miles. My dad is the exception to most car owners

I hope to make it even half the miles he's gotten on his Dodge - would be fun to try for a record with the Prius.

I guess our family drives a lot - the guys at the dealership flipped when I made my 5K service appointment after owning the car 10 weeks.

 

I am pretty sure that a used Prius with the same amount of miles and same condition will probably
have a higher percentage of resale value than lets say a comparable car that cost about the
same when new.

 

Interesting question. Wondering if you carefully maintain the transaxle assy (don't beat on it,change the oil every 50K miles) and have the main battery rebuilt, it is posibble. Of course, regular maintance, care and cleaning goes a long way to trying to reach 1 million miles.

DBCassidy

 

IIRC the cars reported so far with 350k - 500k miles have started to consume oil. Nothing horrible -- about 1 qt / 5000 miles or so, but it does suggest that the ICE may not be good for a million without work.

The inverter is a monster

The battery usually lives a pampered life in these high mile, highway cars

The transaxle is also a monster, although occasional bad luck pops up. I don't think the few failures correlate real well with mileage. Hard city driving, yes.

 

I drove a Honda Civic SI 10 years and 250,000 Miles. Purchased it new from the Dealer. It was a commuter car. Just routine maintenance. A few thinks were replaced a Clutch, axle Boot, tires, etc. When I sold it was still working fine, just decided to purchase a new car.

Much on my driving was Freeway. Lately I sell cars after 5-7 years cause I'm just looking for a new one.

 

I've heard that a lot of Prii taxis in Seattle and Vancouver, BC have over 400, 000 miles in the Gen 2s

 

I think clear coat and modern paint help a lot, I also think a lot of these lighter body panels are made of aluminum. Old VW's were notorious for rust problems, I think todays automobiles are much more resistant.

 

Only the hood is aluminum on my Prii. The rest is just really thin sheet metal, (thinnest of any Toyota vehicle).

Agree that modern cars are significantly more rust resistant than older vehicles.

 

Hatchback too.

 

I just had my hatch opened up (replacing the interior plastic panel the dealer screwed up) and the hatch on my 2011 is steel. It would have been a great part to have been made of aluminum though.

 

My 2010 hatch is definitely aluminum, at least the outer skin around and below the windows that I just checked with a magnet.

 

I don't have a magnet, but I just looked at my hatch more closely and you are absolutely correct. It is aluminum.