500,000 km 2008 Prius Taxi

It certainly isn't. The day where the issue surfaced was hot for here 30c (86f) so not hot for you, BUT the car was being driven robustly in a very start stop environment. Not sure if you're familiar with the winding streets we have here where you are always, continually on the gas then brake, gas then brake for 10 hours. If I get to 30 mph it's a rarity. It was also a busy day if I remember so I was giving it lots of gas and lots of hard brake!

Sedately driving would probably have been ok, but if you're running late on jobs something's got to give.

 

I do all 16 prius taxis ( and 2 camry hybrids ) myself. They generally look after themselves. If there are any problems most of the drivers come in and the cars are looked at straight away. 2 of the prius are gen 3 cars but they have only just clocked up 2000,00km.
The air conditioners are on 24/7 so battery life will be shortened. Its nothing to see a taxi parked and the driver having a nap with the car on.
The HV cooling fans and ducts are removed from the cars and cleaned every 80k.

 

Sounds like a excellent maintenace program. Now Australia can be like Arizona, so keeping the AC on 24/7 makes a lot of sense. I suppose that odometer reading is 200,000 KM ? Congratulations! :cheer2:

 

Sedately driving would probably have been ok, but if you're running late on jobs something's got to give.[/QUOTE] True, Sedate driving is the only way, for any car, especially the Prius.

 

The drivers here only know one speed Flat out . The transaxles fail due to the aluminium wearing away in the bearing housing below the silent chain. A good driver will hear noises coming from "under the bonnet" and bring the car in. The worst drivers dont say anything until its too late and the car comes in on a flat bed truck. I have been in a cab and the drivers have accelerated that hard the trac light flashes and they say the car has a "flat spot".
I try to have a transaxle ready to go and can have the car back out in 4.5 hours.
So far the gen 3 and camry hybrids are all ok but the owners are all buying 2009 gen 2 to replace there cars.
I would rather repair a Toyota hybrid than a conventional taxi any day.

 

Hmmm that's interesting. Why are the owners replacing their cars (Fords & Holdens I guess) with the gen2 Prius rather than the gen3? Is it purely down to costs and vehicle age restrictions or do they believe the gen2 to be a hardier vehicle?

 

The cars (prius) have done there 4 years and i think the owners are scared of the gen3 .
I havent seen an owner go from a Ford/Holden to a Prius and back again. Its hard to find a white 09 gen 2 . They were all going Camry hybrid but when the 1st cars hit Cairns they found the boot space was smaller than a corolla.
The only problem i have had with the gen 3 are the wheel bearings (gen 2 also).
Once the wet season hits they start making noise. Its nothing to drive in a driveway with a foot of water in it. The cars that i maintain are instructed not to drive thru water but if they have to to put the car into EV mode as the switched are factory fitted.
Only 1 car in the 4 years ive had my shop has ingested water into the ice and that was due to the panel shop leaving the intake box from under the RHF guard off.
I am told the gen 3 fuel savings are much better that the gen2 but they want the gen2.
I guess there worried about the traction battery life and transaxles.

 

Unfortunately some drivers, driving somebody elses vehicle, just don't care. I think you are right, the Prius is much easier to work on.

 

Interesting. How often do you do transaxle fluid changes?

 

If the owners are like the Sydney taxi owners, they are just looking to get a cheaper car. Most of the other owners that I have talked to have told me that they would sooner buy a 2 year old car for half the new price, than a new car - lower initial cost plus cheaper insurance, and most owners consider a car to be worn out after 4 years of running (that is generally around 600,000 km run in that time). As far as I am aware, I am the only gen 3 cab in Sydney - all the others (only 6 out of 4,500 cabs, and 2 of these are stand-by cabs) are gen 2. There are, of course, a lot of owners who question the cost, and more importantly, the availability, of parts when compared to the Fords, but it will take me a couple of years to prove the reliabilty of the car.

Shane - tell the owners that, to me, there is almost no difference between the two versions (I do have both) from a running viewpoint. I am unable to detect much difference between the two, apart from it seeming to be easier to drop into ev mode in the gen 3. From a driver perspective, I originally did not like the layout of the gen 3 interior compared to the gen 2, but have since come to like the gen 3. The shelf under the consol is perfect for the Cabcharge printer and I have found that the cup holder is a perfect spot for the Cabcharge handset. The HUD speedo is fantastic - being able to see the speed while watching the road just makes it so much easier, especially when looking for hails. The only issue is that the meter needs to be put on top of the dash, but it only partially blocks my view of the energy screen - I can still see all the rest of the display panel.

I had one owner comment to me yesterday that he may need to consider a Prius as his next car now that Ford have stopped making their wagon, and a sudden 25% increase in LPG prices here in Sydney is making him reconsider any alternative. I am told by Toyota Aust that the Prius v is most likely to be released in July this year, which may make the choice even better.

 

Hi Shaneb,

Anyone you know would service a Prius in Melbourne? I would like an independent service mechanic to check my Prius, especially at a major service which is scheduled at 80,000km. It's not that I don't trust the dealership, but it would be better since they have serviced so many high mileage Prii. I've also noticed there are a lot more Gen 2 taxi's of late, must be due to the positive feedbacks from Brisbane, where Prius taxis rule!

 

Hi smogslide
Carnt help you with any shops in Melbourne but if you find one let me know as i have a customer down there that is looking too. He drove his new (taxi) prius up to Cairns and drove his old gen 2 with 550,000km back down to Melbourne (about 4000km) without a problem.

 

You must be the one I keep seeing in the Northern Beaches area... am I right? saw you twice already over the weekend and today.

 

That would be me. The only Manly Warringah Prius cab.