My 2007 Prius, 150,500 miles, had the main battery replaced a few months ago - $2,972.12 at the dealership. Then the ABS &VSC alerts lit up. The car's at the dealership right now...and I'm trying to decide whether to have the car repaired....or cut my losses and buy something else. I wish I had codes to offer, but all I have are prices - for replacement of the brake actuator, rear brake pads and a leak in the radiator.....I'll need almost $4,000. (Nobody's even mentioned a headlight that's out - again.) That will make right at $7,000 in less than 6 months by the time I buy a new bulb. Maybe I'm just a little naive ... but this was CRAZY unexpected. What's gonna go out next? I have to call the shop back tomorrow but I don't know what to say. All thoughts are welcome. Thank you!
Welcome to PriusChat!!\ How many hours per week are you driving, and when was the 12v last replaced? Besides oil changes, wiper blades and tires, what kind of maintenance has the vehicle had over the years? Curious how a leak was sprung, did you pick up a rock or have a front end situation? You'll have some bigs ones covered, about the only things left might be the catalytic converter, MFD, 12v, AC, and the speedometer array.. Not exactly around the corner (Columbia SC), but let me ping @TMR-JWAP and see if he can offer some solace in this situation. FYI : your posts are moderated until you've posted five times.
I personally would NOT have put almost $3000 into a car like that to start with. Now you are in a position of probably "throwing good money after bad." So NO, I certainly would not put any MORE money into it.
What is the value of the car before these new repairs? What is the value of the car after the repairs? Do you expect to spend another $1000 on it in the next year? As above, can you afford a new Prius at $30K out the door? What will the dealer give you as trade in on this one before the repairs - $6K? After the repairs the same $6K? From what I have read you are experiencing the known issues. But the car is a year 2007. Without repairing this may be difficult sell to any one other than the dealer. Selling the battery and cat may be an option, but then you have to junk the car's shell. My vote, get a new car or a used car and sell or trade in this one. Good luck with your decision.
Look around for a Hybrid Shop in Ga that will install a used actuator. This can normally be done in the 900-1100 dollar range. Similar to this: Engine Repair in Charlotte, NC | PriusChat I currently have 5 or 6 of these accumulator assemblies in my garage. I have a 2008 that needs to have it replaced, but I just haven't had the time to tackle that job yet, so I have no first hand experience with doing the actual swap. On another note, I have found that doing a brake fluid flush can surprisingly make a big difference in whether the accumulator trips a code or not.
Thank you, everyone. I appreciate your taking the time to "vote" on this and why. I still haven't talked to the dealership but I will probably just pay the diagnostic fee and leave. It's a lot to think about. And I'm really disappointed at the situation. I bought that car new, thinking that if I took care of it well enough, I would never be in the position of having to look for another vehicle. (And yes, I'm old.) Maybe that's a crazy idea to start with, but it's even crazier to have replacement "parts" that cost thousands of dollars.
Not necessarily crazy but short sighted maybe. In 2007, there wasn't a lot of data on long term reliability of this relatively new hybrid design. You picked the wrong car. If you have a 2007 Corolla or Camry, it probably would still be going strong with only routine maintenance. Now you have a chance to NOT make that same mistake again. Will you ??
I’d get a second opinion. Dealerships are so pricy, I wouldn’t be surprised if you could get the needed work done for half that price. For $2,000, you’d have a car where the likely biggest expense (the hybrid battery) is warrantied for years, and that price would be cheaper than buying the same car used in good drivable condition. Certainly don’t spend more than the car’s value to fix it. If you know another good trustworthy mechanic, bring it to them and ask them to do an overall check as of you were going to buy it. They can find any potential issues, and after they’ve done that, tell them what the dealership recommended, and get their opinion. iPhone ?
Also, I can sympathize. I had the hybrid battery replaced on my ‘05 one month before it failed inspection for extensive undercarriage rust. I got a refurbished battery, but that was $1500, so I couldn’t let it go right away. I kept it in my driveway for two years as a parts car/backup for my replacement Prius. My wife eventually convinced me to sell it and cut our losses. I got $1200, and if yours is still drivable, you can easily sell it online for decent money…possibly in the $1000+ range. Still, I’d get a second opinion before deciding. My replacement ‘05 is at 240,000 now with the original battery and no major issues. iPhone ?
Check out driverside.com for an estimate of repair prices; those numbers seem weirdly high. The pads on my rear drum brakes are almost done, and my mechanic quoted around $250 to replace both. Not sure how the other stuff adds up to thousands of dollars, so research the cost of time and parts. iPhone ?
Thank you for all of your advice, Daniel. I will definitely look into finding somebody else to at least look at it.
i would say naive, and that is not an insult. 2007 was the early end of hybrids, and we have learned a lot since then. unfortunately, one of the hardest things to learn is the cost of repairs and lack of dealer alternative facilities. it turns out, you're much better off with a simple gasser, unless you're trying to save the world, or are an experienced shade tree mechanic
Maybe the case in Boston that there are a lack of alternative repair facilities, not necessarily the case elsewhere. Moreover, parts for Gen2 are readily available and more independent mechanics are trained to work on hybrids even if one does not want to do work themselves. Noticed the price of cars lately, new or used? If one has a Gen2 2007 and it needs up to a couple of thousand dollars to get it to carry on well for a three to five more years or however many miles, may make sense. If one only wants a 'simple gasser' then it's often as much of a crap-shoot buying one of those used for sub-$10k without issues or rather expensive buying a new one for $25k+
