What was your most expensive Prius repair?

5 years and 45K miles:

* Normal maintenance items like tires and wipers. No brake jobs. Still on original 12V battery

* Accidents: Friend swiped my front end at one point, but he paid for the cosmetic fixes (little dent and some scratches). I cracked my rear taillight cover months after buying the car (loading it with 8 foot 2x10's, and not watching what I was doing), but put some clear packaging tape over the crack, rather than pay >$100 for replacement cover (might be more available now in junkyards, should recheck that).

* A couple items under warranty: passenger sensor went out, needed to be replaced (passenger airbag thingy was complaining), engine thermos coolant pump was making noise and replaced free (TSB exists), and then the accelerator pedal recall.

Cost of actual repairs: $0

 

Since I used to take care of my friend's 06 Prius....

After 90k:

- inverter water pump (covered by campaign)
- engine water pump (covered by CPO)
- left-front axle seal (covered by CPO)
- Navigation screen ($500 from LKQ, would've been $1400 from dealer)
- 12v battery ($140)

So yes, this car has not been trouble-free.

 

Items I don't consider repairs that I've spent money on or will soon

Wipers (I haven't changed them yet but I know I will)
Oil Changes (I've been paying the Toyota Dealer to do this for me)
Tires
Air Filters (cabin and engine)
Air Pump (so I can add to tire pressure at home)
Battery Charger (for those times I leave the Prius sitting for weeks unattended)

Items I might call repairs or at least worry about the price but were done or will be done as preventive maintenance.

accessory drive belt (AKA V-rib belt)* somewhere around 75,000 to 100,000 miles
12V battery** somewhere around 4 - 6 years old assuming you don't leave your lights on too long/too often.
Antenna***

* I haven't replaced this yet but the belt is a $20 item. If I let the dealer do it the "repair" would cost between $100 and $200 if done before the belt fails. I expect to do it myself or with some help in my own garage for near that $20 level but even if I paid the dealer to do it I wouldn't consider it a big deal.

** The 12V battery is a $150-$200 item. I'll probably swap it for the new yellowtop battery that is a drop in replacement. I'd say this is easier to do than the belt but a more expensive a part.

*** The rubber at the base of the screw in antenna was dry rotted (cracking) and the unicorn antenna being 16" long wasn't modern looking. I bought a 4" long antenna at the Dodge dealership and screwed it in on top of my Prius. Looks nice, works fine, was super cheap. $4.37 after tax. Part # 5064253AB AKA "Mast-aten 709B". I suppose I could have gone even cheaper and just unscrewed the antenna and then tape over the hole or put silicon in it to keep the threads from rusting but the $4 antenna seemed simpler to do. A Shark fin antenna would have been nice but they were too expensive.

In terms of "Major Repairs" or anything that left me on the side of the road?

None, Nada, zilch.

Bought my 2005 Prius with more than 70,000 miles on it and I've been driving it for more than a year. I haven't put a ton of miles on it but its seen tons of stops and starts, lots of daily use, short trips. It's also my best cargo vehicle so when I go grocery shopping or to Lowes/Home depot it's what I use to haul stuff home.

So short answer my most expensive repair so far is $4 but I could see you saying $200 depending on how you categorize replacing a 12v battery or a rubber belt that should be replaced on a schedule.

 

Your question is confusing, but lets say the car will not power the wheels, and not worry if the engine runs or not. It certainly won't restart once it stops running. (Since it is actually unlikely that all 30-some cells die on the same day, you will have warning lights before this)

You do not specify where you live. So lets assume you live in Sanford, North Carolina. A new Toyota HV Battery is $2250 MSRP plus labor to install it. A Reconditioned HV Battery from ReInVolt is $1775 plus $282 labor. 2004-2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery Pack. | eBay A used HV Battery is $300 to $1500, here is a $900 one.
TOYOTA PRIUS 2004-2009 HYBRID BATTERY PACK HV XVIPERS | eBay

 

This is so sad but so so true.

 

In most HV battery failure cases, the car goes into turtle mode -- the engine revs high, there's no reverse, very little forward power, etc. The emergency stop gap is to remove the 12V battery power for a few minutes to reset the ECU. The car may behave normally for a few trips after that.

 

My '06 has 42,000 miles. I've done all my own routine maintenance (oil,filters, etc) for less than $25 per 7500 miles. Just replaced the tires for $475 out the door. This is by far the most trouble-free automobile I have ever owned. Extended warranty is a waste of money, imho.

 

tires only lasted 26,000 miles

 

At what PSI?

I'm guessing you tried running at 35/33 and got uneven wear (more wear on the outside, good tread left in the center).

 

$2500. It was my own fault that I backed in to a ditch.

 

Over 2000.00 for rack and pinion after steering stopped working...plus spiral cable,airbag and brake repair failure while the car has been in their shop. Dealer needs an open checkbook to fix the car. No final estimate possible according to the service adviser. Car is an 06 with 17k and it has been with the dealer for over 3 weeks.

 

Something's fishy with a car needing so much repair work with only 17,000 miles. Are you the original owner? I'd take it or tow it to a dealer or repair shop with a good reputation for Prius repair.

 

$140 on my 2001 for a rear wheel bearing assy.

 

Prius HV Battery Salvaged - $1200

 

I purchased a 2008 a year and 8 months ago. I bought it with 60,000 mi on it, and I've put about 20,000 mi on it. So far I've spent about $1200 on maintenance. I've taken it in every 5,000 mi for routine maintenance and inspection. Bills have ranged from $50 to $444. Probably the most costly things have included a battery replacement, brake fluid replacement, and a drive belt replacement. Those things should last me another 20,000 mi, at least.
Does anyone else think the costs so far sound kind of high? I'd really like this car to last a while.

 

Why did you replace the belt? And the brake fluid? These things should last 10 years/100,000+ miles. On my 2005, I've replaced only two sets of tires and two 12v batteries The only thing that wasn't on the scheduled maintenance was $65 heat shield (that I stupidly knocked loose, repeatedly bottoming out on the ramp to my garage floor). You understand that the service guy will ALWAYS try to sell you SOMETHING extra? Ask questions here and stop paying for extra unneeded stuff!

 

The drive belt (serpentine belt) had cracks in it. I was told the brake fluid needed to be replaced. The inspection report says it was discolored and contaminated. There was also harmful varnish build-up. My warranty says that fluids have to be maintained in order to maintain it. Manufacturer says brake fluid should be replaced every 30,000 miles. If these are empty suggestions (or threats!) someone please tell me!

 

Get a new mechanic immediately. You got cheated. Report your mechanic to the BBB, Consumer Affairs Authority and every official legal official you can think of. Brakes need to be inspected, fluid does NOT need to be replaced! With a coupon, you can get your oil changed for
$15-30, at a dealer with a FREE 27 point inspection. Here's the official Toyota schedule for your 2008.
Toyota Parts and Service
Replace cabin air filter
Replace engine air filter
Replace engine oil and oil filter 1
Rotate tires
Inspect the following:
Automatic transmission fluid
Ball joints and dust covers
Brake lines and hoses
Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs 4
Drive shaft boots
Engine/inverter coolant 3
Exhaust pipes and mountings
Front differential oil
Fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel tank vapor vent system hoses
Fuel tank cap gasket
Radiator, condenser and/or intercooler
Steering gear box
Steering linkage and boots

 

2005 110k miles

$600 oil pan replacement at dealership, seems a little steep (hit debris on freeway)
just got quoted $1200 for a new A/C condenser from the dealership, I'm going elsewhere

Edit: Luscious is doing it for $690. Thanks to everyone that recommended them.