Are Prius throw-away cars?

Your service manager is on drugs.
Use the search function for an answer, sorry, late for work.

 

No...not a good service manager.

There's regional differences, differences in cost between buying brand new OEM and Salvaged...installation and other factors but in general I've seen figures ranging from $2000 or slightly less...(salvaged..non-dealership installation) or $3000, $3,500 for the full monty, OEM dealership replacement.

I've never heard anyone quote a figure as high as $8,600.00. .

Prius are machines, like any machine. Their utilization and usefulness depends on a lot of factors. As they are used, eventually they will suffer breakdowns and need attention. Would I define them as "Throw Away" or disposable cars? No..not anymore throw away or disposable than any machine.

You can keep a machine running all the way into the Smithsonian Museum if you are willing. You can drive something into the ground in a relatively short time...it kind of depends on what your priorities are, but I do not think The Prius is designed to be "disposable".

 

The engine for my Lexus is $12,000 wholesale. Does that mean its a throwaway car? By the time it would need an engine...if it ever needed an engine I wouldn't be buying a brand new one...that would be foolish and the same is true of the battery pack on the Prius.

Sometime down the road when it has 300,000 miles on it and lets say it need a new battery pack, yeah someone might dispose of it...but they would dispose of a vehicle that needed an engine rebuild or a transmission at that point too.

 

Used battery, $500 you install

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Car-Tru...06.c0.m282&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=200&_udhi=1,000

Re-manufactured battery $1400 you install, add $300 for remanufacturer to install

http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Car-Tru...p4506.c0.m282&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=1,000&_udhi=


New battery $2200 you install, add what ever the dealer wants to install, should be under $1000.

 

And here you are with your wonderful new car: how very sad that you have this Service Manager to make you think its a throwaway. So glad we have this board to come to so you don't have to take that person's word for anything, eh?
I would sit down with the owner or manager of the dealership and tell him about this. I was unhappy with the Service Dept at my dealership: I went to the manager (son of the owner) and politely explained why I was taking my maintenance business elswhere. Since then if I have problems - or anything beyond an oil change - I run it by him before I bring it in - make sure I get the best tech for the problem and they are on notice - he makes the appointment for me.

 

You mean like toasters? All cars are throw-away cars unless they're collector items and increase in value over time.

 

I suggest you never go back to that dealer. I am sure they are full of additional bad advice.

 

lol

 

I would hope that in 8 years I could find a better battery to run my prius on than what we have now. I would also expect car batteries to be in higher production and significantly cheaper.

 

ound:

Sorry, I shouldn't laugh at the misfortune of others.

Not only is the Prius battery NOT $8K, but should you ever need to replace it, it will probably be under warranty still, close enough to be under warranty that Toyota will cut a deal for you, or will be available for even less than it is now (look at how it's getting easier and easier to find them already)... AND Toyota will BUY BACK THE DEAD ONE... and, if they won't, there are power companies, DIY solar power producers, etc., that will buy them from you.

 

The Proof of the Matter, and of the Lie you were told by this person is in the Taxi Industry. Taxi cab owners don't use throw away cars for their fleets. Taxi owners use cars that contol costs and are so durable they outlast the years and years of all day use by multiple drivers of varying ability. The Canadian city of Vancouver has a large taxi fleet of Priuses, and they date back to the earliest models. The City of New York is beginning to see these cars in use as cabs in what is easily one of the most punishing places on the planet for cabs. If these cars required such huge costs to keep running, the taxi owners would not have touched the Prius with a 10 ft pole. Your Service Manager has no clue about the Prius, odd that he works for a Toyota Dealer. Must be an oddball.

 

$1,700 for battery; two people; four hours, 2001 Prius with 250,000 miles:

I was one of the two people. This rebuilt battery has better modules than the original.

Bob Wilson

 

No car increases in value unless it has been signed by Picasso. Sure, those exotic cars that turn around in expensive sales can bring a profit over the last time they sold--sort of like expensive art. But cars are generally bad investments. They start depreciating as they leave the showroom. The more expensive, the worse the depreciation.

Put your money in real estate. Don't worry. It will come back, unless the population decreases.

 

:huh:

So, since you can get a new battery for $3K-ish, you think that over $5000 is reasonable labor charge? it isn't THAT labor intensive!

 

By the way, Re-Involt will install their battery for you for $282

 

How about the Prius used as taxi service in Winnipeg? This climate can dip to -40 in winter. Any horror stories of batteries failing?