2014 Plug-in...lifespan expectation?

@Raytheeagle @Mendel Leisk and @bisco are some of our maintenance veterans here.

 

Barring an unforeseen event, your Prius should last at 8+ years without major repairs. You will need to replace normal wear items like tires, probably the auxiliary battery at 6 years, and you will notice the EV range droop slowly starting at about 4 years. (My 2012 has dropped about 30%.)

 

If the "regular" battery starts to fail you can sometimes get all sorts of strange errors. It is an AGM type battery vented to the outside. Many people like the Optima Yellowtop as a non-OEM replacement. Some people replace it at 4 or 5 years as a precaution.

 

I drove a 2004 for 7 years without any problem at all, except for maintenence on the vehicle. 2 set of tires, some motor oil every 20K miles, cabin air filter, wiper blades, front break pads (one set), 147.000 miles total

 

Items to consider as you pile on the miles:

• The 120 k mile servicing had the spark plugs getting changed
• At some point you'll want to clean the intake manifold and egr circuit (I did our 2010 at 120 k miles and have helped others around similar mileage). Best to get to this job as there are Gen3 Prii that have clogged coolers and head gasket failures
• Change the transaxle fluid if not already done

Hope that helps.

 

Not mentioned yet: brake inspection, I believed it's tri-yearly or 30K miles in the US schedule. This is a complete inspection, clean up and lube, not just the visual inspection noted at each tire rotation.

 

I have 2 more years and 30k miles on my PiP versus yours. I've only done recommended maintenance every 10k plus a trans axle fluid change at 120k. I'm not religious about my maintenance and I don't go out of my way to buy top tier gas. I don't baby the car by driving slowly nor do I warm up the car. I do not use a timer to charge my car. It often sits fully charged for 3 days over the weekends. My EV range has degraded about 15% since new. I'm on my second set of cheap Ohtsu tires, first changed at 90k miles. As you are aware with so many highway miles, the tires last a long time. I'm still on the original 12V battery. I also use the cheapest stuff you can get on Amazon for my oil change despite hanging out at meet ups with @Raytheeagle whom admonishes me as politely as possible with his eyes at my lackadaisical and downright lazy attitude towards preventative maintenance.

I really believe Toyota builds quality in these vehicles. Following the owners manual is all you need to prolong the life of your vehicle.

 

Your trans axle fluid is changed.

Next up is the egr cooler .

 

I think you're getting great advice here. Don't sweat it. The typical Prius lasts a long long time. That's why it ranks at the top of Consumer Reports' reliability lists.

 

Oil is cheap. Engines are not cheap. My manual says to change it every 10k miles. Since I drive almost 50% in EV mode, it's tempting to stretch it. But instead, I change it at around 7-8k miles. I buy the Toyota synthetic oil and filter from the dealer down the street for about $30 and change it roughly every six months. The Gen 2, I change every 5,000 miles. I'm 64 now and have never had a car burn oil.

 

tranny oil change should be under $100. at your mechanic.

 

Make sure they use the proper Toyota branded fluid though.

 

There are videos for this:

Nutz About Bolts Prius Maintenance Videos

All the videos you'll need and more for maintenance on your PIP.