We bought a used 2003 Prius Hybrid 2 years ago. It only had 27,000 miles. We currently have 68,000 miles and one of the modules on the hybrid dead. Toyota is wanting $3100 to replace the battery with a three year warranty. Question.... should we replace battery or buy another commuter car? Replace with Toyota or better to find a refurbished one? We welcome any suggestions and comments! Thank you
How long do you plan to keep the car? You are basically spending a year of car payments on a repair. The good news, this is probably the most expensive repair the car will ever need. The bad news, it’s 3k. If you invested the 3k in a Gen 2(2004-2009), that would get you a Gen 2 getting close to the end of its battery life. You could “get lucky” and find a 3k Gen 3, but the ICE would likely be on it’s last leg(like mine was). If you spend this 3k, you will have the car running like Toyota designed it to run for a very long time.
From what I've read on this forum it seems most now agree that buying a new Toyota battery is a better way to go, at least from a reliability standpoint.
welcome! you have a 15 year old car. despite the low mileage, other things are bound to break. if you can afford it, i would move up at least 6 years. all the best!
The Toyota warranty is 3 years but it would probably last at least 10 years. The first one lasted 15 years no reason to believe a brand new one would not last close to that.
I bought a used 2001 prius in 2015. Main battery needed to be replaced in 2016 with 3 year or mileage amount warranty. Now car totally dead, needs generator. Over..$4000. more than main... I'm really stuck! Can't afford repair..can't afford to buy another... Stuck and need help!! The car looks great on and out. Mechanically, lights on dash show !!!! Trouble!!! Dealer said no trade in value, mechanic said don't sink more $$ into it!! I love the little car, I'm really in need to have transportation. "parting out" do I do that??
why are people spending thousands on 12 yr old cars or older they cry about the repair cost... the prius is not magic they break down like any other car and sooner or later the repairs exceed the cars value.. you never save in fuel to cover the cost of repairs so dont buy anything over 5 years old, its just common sense.
its worthless... no one is going to put money into a 18 year old car of any kind.. I dont know what kind of help you are looking for but the cost to strip it is more than its worth, no one fixes up gen 1 Prius.. list it on craigs list as a parts car but they must take it all for $1000 and pray you get lucky, dont sell just the battery or you will be stuck with the rest.. go get a kia they get good MPG and they dont cost a fortune to fix.
In most cases a gen1 Prius with a bad battery is worth barely over scrap value. ($200-$500) depending on the area. A gen 1 with only 68,000 would have a lot more life in it if you put a NEW (not USED) battery in it. Definitely choose a new pack from Toyota. If you like this car, go for it. But if you are ready for something different, move on. You may want to consider a non-hybrid, unless you can find a hybrid with a NEW battery pack in it. Or a very recent vintage.
23k miles is extremely low over 13 years. If legitimate, the rest of the car (inside and out) should look still look close to brand new. How much did you pay for the Prius? Depending on what you paid, there's a chance you can get the battery replaced and have the option to sell it without losing too much money. If the car is in excellent condition, it could be worth up to $4.8k if you can patiently wait for the right buyer, shown here.
You don't have to be so negative and rude. Why are you even here? Obviously you aren't helping, and definitely not making anyone feel better by calling their car ugly.
its called common sense, you dont spend more on something than its worth and if someone has hurt feelings over a car they should stay in their safe place with their emotional support animal... now im offended because you were mean to me, who do I sue?
Keep in mind that I said for a "certain kind of buyer". If it's in excellent condition, which it could be based on the low miles, the kbb value can be the high end of $4.8k (not $1,000). How much did the OP pay, and what is the condition- that plays a role here. But with a brand new OEM battery, the vehicle would be worth on the high end of book value or above, for someone that wants to get back into a gen1 Prius. I wouldn't be interested in that generation for any kind of cost or condition because I'm used to the gen3, but that is just me. OTOH, there could be other repairs looming, so you could be correct. I've been that "certain kind of buyer" with older cars in the past. I overpaid for an extremely low mileage, 15 year old Camry before. Why? Because I had the car in the past when new and I loved it. I did the same with a very old Acura Legend and Land Cruiser, too. I know it doesn't make sense because I'm giving up modern safety features, comfort, etc... but it was nostalgic for me.
than you have more money than common sense.. no one pays KBB prices,no one pays OVER book value... its a reference guide and no one can give any car a value without seeing it in person...thats like saying zillow is a reliable source for real estate values when they have never set foot on the property.. the miles do not determine its value its operating condition does and a non running 13 year old car has NO VALUE..thats why the dealer didnt want it as a trade.. again, common sense.. if it was worth $4800 they would have taken it, had the battery rebuilt for $500 and resold it..thats what they do every day, flip cars... there seems to be a lack of common sense and perspective on what things are worth with this generation... you put sentimental value on junk and over pay for it then get upset when it breaks and you cant afford to fix it...... of course anyone who pays $1000 for a cell phone is just pathetic anyway..
