Okay, so what would be the best choice for average speed of 75 mph? And don't say Gen 1 Honda Insight, that doesn't count.
Only "repair" on our 07 Prius is both front wheel bearings at 140K. Still on original brakes @ 144K Now that we have a newer Prius, the 07 is relegated to "2nd car" status - so we won't be adding many more miles on it (I doubt if we will ever replace the brakes).
engine water pump replaced @85k miles under warranty (would have saved $ if I'd skipped the extended warranty and paid out of pocket). Inverter coolant pump replaced per recall. Everything else--normal wear and tear...EXCEPT had rotors resurfaced @60K miles due to rust pitting, because of lack of use. In most any other car that is not normal.
2005 Prius, 37000 miles The inverter coolant pump went bad at 30k. The dealer replaced it under warranty. When my father in law owned the car, one of the refrigerant o-rings went bad. The dealer fixed it under warranty. This was probably when the car had under 10k on the odometer. That's it.
Just brought 2006 Prius (35K) to dealer and sure enough the ice water pump is slowly leaking. Strange the coolant level was still on the low end of normal, (where it always has) but there is evidence of leakage behind the water pump pulley, if you see a greenish crystalline like substance the water pump will have to be replaced. $460+/- estimate but already paid over 100 for tire rotation, brake/underside/fluids inspection including this diagnosis. But the warranty just ended.. Geeeesh! They did also suggest to replace the belt at $40 (it has probably gotten wet from coolant as well) but I don't see anything wrong with the belt, only the inside of pulley has the crud. I think they may have the belt too tight from the factory if anything why else would a water pump fail so soon? Oh well - no other issues with this car I will definitely fix it.
W2co if the deposit is greenish your car has the wrong coolant in it. When you change the pump flush the system and put in Toyota SLLC a pink colour fluid, comes concentrated or ready mixed. Check also the fluid in the inverter coolant container, if this is not pink I suggest you empty, flush with water, then put in the same coolant as the engine (SLLC), run for a week then drain and fill with more fresh coolant. To bleed air from both systems do a search on the forum and many results will come up.
W2co the coolant should not hurt the belt as it is run through rubber hoses and the belt is open to the elements anyway, but although the miles are low it is 6years old and you have to take it off to replace the pump, so could be a good time to change. So make sure they are not charging you labour to fit it.
I'd love to repy but I'm scared I'll jinx myself, I have an 2007 and have only had to replace the head lights. However my extended warranty expires very soon so I'm sure after that happens I'll have many things to report, Haha
The engine (ICE) water pump is a known problem for Prii and other 4 cylinder Toyota engines in the mid-2000s. It had something to do with the switch to Super Long Life Coolant. I wish that it had been listed in this survey, because it might well be the #1 failure after the inverter cooling pump. The belt should last well into 120,000 miles. It is a straight-forward DIY. As far as your inverter cooling turbulence, the level of fluid in the reservoir has a substantial impact on a person's perception of the flow rate. As an experiment, grab the turkey baster and remove half the coolant in the reservoir, and see if your impression of the flow rate changes.
