HELP! 2001 Prius advice needed

The two big problems with Gen1 2001-2003 Prius are the HV aka "big" battery and the transmission aka "transaxle".

good used/rebuilt HV battery is around $1400-$1700 installed.

good used tranny is around $2000-$4000 installed.

I would find a hybrid friendly repair shop near the seller and ask them to do a pre-purchase inspection on the car.

 

Something $eriou$ has to be wrong with that car. Normal mileage would be at least double that. With only 65000 miles and it there should be people standing in line waiting to buy that car. If you don't have the money to buy a better newer car you don't have the money to fix whatever is going to be wrong with this one. Don't even touch it with a stick & run away.

 

Definitely, a pre-purchase inspection. Equally important to obtain a complete service history, from Toyota, based on the VIN.

Frankly (and I think Patrick Wong would agree) if you are not in a position to get the detailed full history of this vehicle, maybe look at some non-hybrids. No doubt, many fine cars pass through auction, but maybe I'm wrongly prejudiced against the system.

Toyota and Honda both could be excellent choices for used compact cars, and they are easier for most mechanics to assess.

 

1. I am wondering why the first recorded oil change was at 25K miles.

2. Apparently the car was owned by a business since Fleet Mgmt Corp performed the routine service from 25K to 65K miles? Might be interesting to know what the car was used for.

3. It is a promising sign that the dealer who last serviced the car indicated it was fine (as long as that dealer has no financial interest in the sale of the car to you.)

4. Transaxle problems might be mechanical in nature, in which case you will hear unusual noises. Or they could be electrical in nature in which case you will receive zero advance notice of a problem, until one day you see the instrument panel light up like a Christmas tree.

5. If you are interested in purchasing the car, I suggest that you agree on a price with the owner, subject to satisfactory inspection at a Toyota dealer of your choice. Once you have this agreement then go ahead with the inspection. Good luck.

 

If the car is as you say (65K miles) and in good shape, I would not hesitate to buy it. I have found the Gen I Prius to be very reliable and wouldn't be leary of it. I would test drive it and check the oil and fluids. Look in the engine compartment for signs of fluid leaks. The best indication of a weak battery is the MPG readout on the primary display panel. If it has been averaging for at least 100 miles, you should be getting at least 40mpg average (about 38 if the AC has been running). Anything less will usually indicate a weak battery. A car with only 65k miles should not have a weak battery and you should expect about 43-45mpg.

 

If it is the original 12v battery it is 10 years old. How long do you expect it to last?

 

Two different batteries...

The 12V one seems to need replacement when something "funny" happens with the car.

The one you are referring to is the HV or traction battery which your estimate is generally as good as anyone else's.

 

I would say that in general, the Classic original equipment traction battery, which currently is 8-10 years old depending upon model year, can't be expected to last much longer because of its age and imperfect battery module seals allowing electrolyte leakage, high voltage faults, etc.

This is regardless of odometer reading. If you decide to buy a 2001, have money (well into four-digits) set aside for repairs in the near future.

 

A refurbished traction battery is going to be as good as the person doing the job. Generally I'd say having a battery repair behind you is good.

 

My 2-cents - I'd stay away.

Irregardless of the car itself - it sounds like you have a max of 7k - with this car you would be pushing your limit. You do not mention if the 7k is all of your car budget, but with any older car you definitely want to keep cash on hand for the unexpected - and with any 10 year old car there will be unexpected issues - you always just hope that they pop up later rather than sooner.

If it were me I'd look at getting an older used car for about half of my one year car budget - so if you have 7k for the year I'd look at 3500 or so. For that price the car that I'd look for is a Geo or Chevy Prizim - it is the car that GM built along side Toyota in the NUMMI plant and is essentially a Toyota Corolla in GM clothing. Because of this you wind up getting a Corolla which is about as reliable as anything out there, but sells for a decent bit less because it is sold by GM.

Toyota and Prius have very good track records, but you need to keep in mind that the car is 10 years old. There are a large number of the rubber bits of the car (belts, gaskets, etc) that dry out with age and also keep in mind that it appears to have spent its life in NYC. It would lead me to believe that it could have a lot of hours of use on it - just the fact that it was in the city made it short and slow trips - this is much harder on cars than highway driving. Add in the snow and rust would be a real concern - this is spoken by a native Bostonian who has had more than his share of problems with rust.

 

If "refurbished" means that all 38 battery modules were replaced with used 2G modules, then this might be OK as a long-term repair.

If that means that the single failed module was replaced with a used module, then I would say the repair will not last long-term, and you should not be surprised when another module fails.

 

I have a 2001 Prius. I'm retired so very low mileage (under 50K). A couple of weeks back all the warning lights came on. Friend of mine owns a garage which has computer to check such things. He said the main battery, cell 11 is weak. When I saw the price tag of replacement (and no one knows how to replace just the faulty part) plus I'm just passed the ten year "warranty". I'm in a quandary. It was still driving just fine, still charging normally. Then a few days ago, when I turned it on, drove it a short distance, it went into neutral. Had to coast to side of road. Waited a few minutes. I was only a few blocks from my friend's garage. I asked him to check the transmission fluid, because I couldn't find the dip stick (stupid me). I didn't realize the Prius does not have a "normal" transmission. He told me the Prius "transmission" would have to be looked into at a dealer garage. Thank you AAA. Had it take to El Cajon dealer (they have a good reputation & free wifi - this granny is up to date). Yesterday, some good news, some bad news. They said now there is 3 bad cells in the main battery. They can fix it for just under $2000. (My credit card is already maxed.) I asked, will that make the transaxle start working properly? He said, probably. I asked if he would put that in writing? He said, no. It might take several thousand more dollars to fix that problem. With such low mileage, I'm beginning to think I just might have a permanent lemon, so what would be the point in sinking such huge amounts of money. I'd be better off using $500 to fix my sister's old Dodge Ram (small) pickup for transportation. What do you Prius experts think? Please tell me if there is some way to get Toyota to do something about their tarnished reputation?

 

Did you have the 12V battery checked? If the 12V battery is flakey it could cause all kinds of trouble and the car could appear to have other problems.

Did you buy the car new? If so, You should call Toyota Corporate offices and play the "retired granny card" say that you put your faith in their newfangled hybrid technology back in 2001 and the battery died with only 50k miles on it....they may fix it under goodwill. If not, there are used Gen1 batteries rebuilt with Gen2 cells for around $1400-$1800 installed....they should last at least 5 more years.

With 50k the tranny should be fine, I would have it serviced as preventative maintenance measure (any mechanic should be able to do tranny service no need to use the dealer)...give the mechanic this link Gen1 Prius Transaxle Service

 

Excellent link on tranny service. Thanks a bunch.