Gas at $5 — should I rebuild/repair my Prius even if it costs $10,000?

If you have $10000 to throw at the car and you don't really care about the looks of the interior, then you pretty much can drive this car for another 10 years after replacing the parts you listed. But when the paint gets all disgusting and faded, it might change your mind.

 

The economics of $10k repair on a high mile 2010 Prius only makes good sense if it avoids another new car for many years. Assuming you don't need two vehicles, you have to add insurance and regular maintenance to the equation. If you need two cars and the Prius is one of them, then it makes reasonable sense to keep a 12 year old car until it is 17 through significant repairs. A balancing factor is the premium new cars are getting today.

Shooting for five more years with 210k miles on the odo suggests the goal is close to 300,000 miles. I think you are about $3k light on the brake booster and engine. Battery pricing is about right.

Like the inverter, the brake booster and engine issues are design flaws. Buying used assemblies just means swapping a worn part with an unknown condition used part.

The brake booster should be new or you are likely to do it again. Plus used brake booster sourcing can be an issue. Each Prius year has two or more versions plus Toyota superseded the original with improved parts. Many used sellers don't know the difference.

With the engine, the trick is to avoid the downtime you are seeing now while ensuring you get a five year solution. Personally I would go for a quality rebuild to eliminate the flawed piston rings. Quality is the key word. Too many have problems when attempting diy engine work which often translates to rework and frustration.

 

$5 a gal gas? It’s almost $7 here, the people here voted for it when the gas tax was put on the ballot so “we” signed up for it.

 

$5 a gal gas? It’s almost $7 here, the people here voted for it when the gas tax was put on the ballot so “we” signed up for it.

 

$10k into that car can't buy a big enough upside vs. $10k towards something new(er)

(if gas hits $15 ask me again)

 

I would personally try and sell the car on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. See if someone is willing to pay more than the junkyard. Take that money plus a some extra to get a used Corolla. I’ve read the best affordable years are 2005-2008. You’ll still get great gas mileage but won’t have to worry about all these expensive repairs that may or may not even work out in the long run. You’ll spend WAY more money on that Prius vs just selling and getting a new (used) car. Not worth the better mpg in my opinion.

 

$5 gas? Look at San Francisco:

 

i think i would fix the brakes and sell it. i bet it's worth way more than the cost of repair.

the cost of owning both vehicles will likely far outweigh the extra gas cost and wear and tear on the ridgeline.
but the decision should also be based on how many miles a year.

 

If you let us know the general region where you live on planet earth you might be able to connect with someone on here to do all this work for a way lower price. Alternatively, if you have a friend or family member that like's working on cars you could give them a great opportunity and this website will help them deal with any challenge that comes up.

In general, Prius are NOT sustainable if you're paying top-dollar to a shop to do all your work for you. You need someone who's hobby is Prius repair to keep your costs down.

 

You could probably find a decent used Prius for half that amount, and spend the rest to fix/maintain it. But I definitely like the idea of sticking with some kind of Toyota hybrid.

 

Gen4

 

Yeah fill in that field in your avatar, avoid everyone guessing and/or needing to ask. Street address is not necessary, lol, but your city/region/country really helps responders.

 

My 1993 7AF LE will last literally forever sunroof and sport seats standard in this model. Cannot kill her. This is the car you let somebody use when you don't want any phone calls and even as an arrow showing you where the gas tank is on the display it will last forever with no maintenance almost none and I mean it I'm on this car since 30,000