I have a 2011 that I have had since it was new. It currently has 220,000 miles on it and is going to need some significant repairs soon. I need new front struts, rear brakes, an alignment, and I have a shimmy on the front end starting around 65 mph. This is unrelated to the struts and could be expensive depending on exactly what the problem is though I suspect the axle might be slightly bent. All said, I'm probably looking at 3,000 to 5,000 worth of repairs. I am torn between getting it fixed or trading it in for a new model. I just had the oil pan replaced, but I feel like I have been incredibly luck to this point as it has needed no repairs beyond basic maintenance until now. I am concerned it is going to start nickle and dimeing or the battery is going to blow up as soon as I spend the money to get it repaired. What do you think? Does anybody have experience with Prius that are getting well along on mileage as far as the battery goes? Looking for opinions. Thanks!
Well.........IF it were myself, with a Gen 3 & 220,000 miles & the thought even crossed my mind concerning new.......I'd go/for/it! ......YMMV
Welcome to Prius Chat . Some questions: You the diy type? Have you done the egr circuit cleanse yet? Since it’s a northeastern car, what condition is it in? Our 2010 with 192 k miles on it runs strong. I’m the diy type and have done major preventative maintenance and recondition our 2010’s Battery . If not the diy type with a higher mileage car, it might be best to look new. Good luck and keep us posted .
Get a new one. You are not a wrench and paying some one else to fix these simple items is why it cost so much. Even with a Gen III Prius, at around 150,000 miles you have to start fixing things that fail or wear out. So...your decision is how you want to spend your money...and for what result.
The front end wobble and the rear brake will be an issue if you try to sell it. It’ll deminish the value significantly. I would spend the money to replace/repair these safety issue first, then recover the expenses with the (private) selling price. As far as the wobble is concerned, my bet is that it’s a tire issue. If the condition bears it’s fangs as you approach the 65 MPH mark, it’s a dynamic balance issue. In any event you are going to take a hit on the selling price, as-is. Then there is the price you are offered as a trade- in. You never know, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Respects, but I'm pretty sure a 2011 Prius with 220,000 miles in excellent condition will go for around $3,000 max Black Book...that's auction price. Anything over that the Dealership gives you will be "back-doored" by other fee's, interest, ect...so don't go for their BS. If you want to invest in refurbishing, know that your will loose financially. Clean it up, fix the cosmetics and see what they will give you. Selling private carries it's own problems, but if you have the time you will get better price however, the benefit of trading it in is it reduces your sale tax on a new purchase. The car is worn out and you don't turn a wrench. Take the money you would use to fix the old one and put it toward the new. Even for die hard Mechanics like myself, there comes a point in time when all vehicles become a money-pits...relatively speaking.
Well if you didnt do the whole egr path like many other members suggested. You will get more issues soon. This is epidemic and 220k means you will join that club too. If dealer gives you a grwat trade in value I'd say go for it. Or else start reading bout OCC ( oil catch can ). Sorry to disappoint
I have a 20 y/o pickup truck that I've put over $20k into to keep it on the road and in top shape. It looks and runs great, but I can see it will continue to cost me more money as time goes on. I'm pretty committed to it at this point, and new (similarly equipped) pickups go from $50-70K now, so it still makes sense to me. It will be a great conversation piece as time goes on... an expensive one. It sounds like you are at the point where you need to part with your Prius. It's been a great car for you, but it's time to move on. Good luck!
I agree with Tande. I've got 152k on my 2010 with no issues. We just sunk a bunch of money into it for tires and the big 150k service. I'd like to see a few more years and 200k miles out of it but then it's going to be used up imo. I figure 5+ years of payment free driving and no major expenses and this thing won't owe me a cent anymore. I would not put a lot of money into a car over that 200k milage, as it feels like poor value. YMMV I'm really intrigued my the upcoming new RAV4 Hybrid. For around $30k, AWD, near 40mpg combined... I think that could be my next decade car. On the cheaper end of things, Toyota is putting the hybrid powertrain in the upcoming new Corolla. I'l be interested to see how they price it but I'd expect it to come in a bit cheaper than the Prius with nearly the same MPG (and a much more mainstream style).
Y’all got some funky carbon deposits . And that’s just as bad as some of the others you’ve done. Might be time to do the job 100 k miles sooner.
When I had my 150k service done the dealership I asked about the EGR and they said not to touch it unless it threw a code or caused any issues. My car uses no oil and runs like a top. So I've never touched mine either. I wonder if it looks that bad or if that's a worst case scenario? Either way, i think I'll undertake this project on my own this spring.
