Used prius reliability

welcome! have you considered corolla, yaris, matrix, civic, etc.? a used any car is guaranteed to have problems sooner or later. are you sure she's a real mechanic? if you really, really, really want a used prius with over 100,000 miles? keep a couple thousand in the bank for the rare but potential repair. but the same can be said for any of the cars mentioned above. what model does your 'acquaintance' recommend? all the best!

 

Why do you think the Prius is the best car for you? They're great cars, but there's always a chance that something will need fixed eventually. No worse than most "normal" cars in my opinion, but the dealer is probably your best/only option for some repairs if you can't DIY, which increases the repair cost.

 

okay, here's the low down. prius is one of the most reliable vehicles on the road. the first 100k is a piece of cake. the second 100 gets a bit more dicey. you start seeing all the normal things any car needs. fluid changes, brakes, suspension, spark plugs, serpentine belt, water pump and etc.

beyond these normal things, there are some expensive systems that rarely break, but id you hit the lottery, they can cost a few thousand each. for example: electric air conditioner compressor, brake actuator, inverter, tranny, hybrid battery and more.

finally, spend some time here perusing the threads where people are sharing their problems. and don't buy it for fuel savings, it will never happen.

 

Having a $5k cushion should be plenty. You shouldn't need to use much of it.

Here's my maintenance experience with my Prius so far. I bought my 2005 with 85k miles a little over two years ago. It currently has 113k miles. In the past 28k miles, I've changed the oil a few times, had the combination meter (speedometer display) replaced for free under a warranty extension, replaced the tires, and now the inverter coolant pump (for cooling the hybrid parts that are under the hood) needs to be replaced which would be about $3-400 at the dealer (or under $150 DIY). So even if I got the pump replaced by the dealer, all the maintenance I've done over two years would still be under $1000. Like bisco said, though, be prepared for big money items to possibly need replaced.

 

Hi
The good thing about buying a Prius that this certain model is used by uber & taxi .
So here in LA for example there is too many junk yards for the Prius much more u could think & if u r a diy person u will save much more money
Happy ride

 

Could you please elaborate on the $1000 per dealer trip? This kind of hyperbole seems like purposeful meant to scare people from buying into the vehicle.

The only thing different is the traction battery and a few extra electrical components from a regular car. I am on my 4th Prius. The last one was retired with 310K miles and got it at 206K, 2005 model got in 2009. I had to change the spark plugs, engine water pump, inverter pump and rebuilt my traction battery. Only had to do maintenance like oil change, coolant, tranny fluid, and AC leaked. Probably would have lasted longer if I did some brake fluid maintenance. This was retired because I didnt want to pay for the brake actuator and I needed to redo the traction battery.

My other Prius went to 150K before it was wrecked. My wife's new Prius has 36K since new. I just picked up a 2010 at 163K. It is up to 165K now and I changed the brake fluid, transmission fluid and engine oil. I have the coolant and will do both cooling systems soon. I got the Prius cheap because seems like the last owner didnt do maintenance other than oil. I am hoping to get this car past 300K too.

I have never had to bring any car into the dealer. I have found that most of the dealer mechanics do not know what they are doing. They had to change the inverter water pump in a recall on my wife's prius and drained the engine coolant and wanted me to pay for that service. I was not happy since I had just done that service myself.

The thing is to keep the traction battery cool and do the regular maintenance. The model is the most reliable car I have ever driven. Old or new, 2nd gen or 3rd. I have 300K into 2nd gen driving and near 100K into the 3rd gens now. Lets just say it is the most economical car I have driven and good in comfort too. I dont see any difference in insurance, we went from a Camry to Prius and seems the same.

If you have any questions, I am in Houston and can help.

 

Reliability is your biggest concern. With the budget you have, I would not purchase a Prius. Honestly, any car over 100k miles will have higher risks. The Prius is no exception. I would purchase the newest vehicle you can buy for $6-7k if reliability is top concern. That will likely be a Yaris or other non Honda/Toyota if you want under 100k miles. That, should be your goal. Oh and BTW, there's only a handful of cars that still have timing belts that need replacing. None of the cars mentioned in this thread have timing belts that need servicing. Corollas have been using chains since 1998.

 

What age of car will fit into your budget if its a Prius, Corolla, Yaris, Civic or Fit?

Any of these cars could meet your needs but if the age is not too different, I would go for a Prius as in my opinion, its a far better and more versatile car than any of the others and is really in a different class in a number of ways. Its running costs are also likely to be lower.

So far as reliability is concerned, at 100,000 miles I would expect any of them to have lots of life left but the Prius to be the best.

Finally, with gas prices low right now, Prius prices are really low. lf gas prices rise, your Prius may well increase in value.

 

285K on my 2004. Nothing has ever broken except the combination meter which was replaced under extended warrantee. To extend the life of an aging traction battery (such as mine) always give it 30 seconds to idle before moving off. That will keep the car from using the battery to move you initially and eliminate one battery cycle per driving day. This car, in my Atlanta market, runs about $5K to $6K today. And with less miles then mine. That said, if something expensive DID break, the costs can be high. I do not believe the one to two $1000 dealer trips annually to be even close to realistic. One of the most reliable cars ever built.

 

The reliability of whatever used car you buy will always be determined by how well the particular car was maintained rather than by the particular make and model. Always investigate the prior service records and have a trusted and competent independent technician perform a pre-purchase inspection. Walk away from any used car that does not have complete service records or does not pass a pre-purchase inspection, not matter how good it looks.

 

If servicing was the best predictor of reliability, most car brands and models would likely have about the same reliability. They don't!

Its nice to have a complete service record but within reasonable limits, I believe that the make and model of the car is a far better predictor of reliability than the existence or otherwise of a complete service record.

I do agree that a prepurchase inspection is always a very good idea. I also believe that it must be independent, and that you shouldn't rely on anything the seller tells you without independently verifying it, particularly if you are buying it through a car dealer.

 

Sorry, but I've already saved me about $8,400 in fuel cost in the 5 years i've owned this car. I say this on the assumption of having a conventional car doing the same miles i've done (71,000 on my clock.. got it at 42k and now at 113k). No major work done so far.. only regular maintenance.

 

Well, I am one that is impressed with the reliability of Prius.

I just traded my 2010 with 114,000 miles in on a new Avalon Hybrid. I will never own a non-hybrid. The dealer gave me top dollar for the Prius (higher than I expected, or shown on NADA)

The Prius looked great. Well cared for, bright, blizzard pearl white, no dents, no rust. The interior was clean and pristine.
The brakes were original (so would need brakes at some time in the future)
The tires would need to be replaced prior to winter (some tread, but not sufficient for winter driving)
I passed on the 100,000 turn-up, so plugs were original. I did replace the filters.
There are no belts to replace; the water pump and a/c compressor are electric.
No oil consumption; few rattles; all electronics still functioning normally.

Given the above, I would not have hesitated to drive it across the country. (It has made the trip 5 times)
It still delivered 52+ mpg (calculated)
I was unable to detect any deterioration in the HV battery (the dealer tells me replacement is almost nonexistent)

Whomever buys the car will get a terrific automobile. Why did I trade? I traded 2 cars, for the Avalon, because we do not need two.
BTW, the Avalon has all the attributes of the Prius (reliability, fuel efficient) plus comfort, quiet, interior space, and only 8 mpg lower fuel efficiency.