High-Miles Update !!

Next week my 2020 Prius L ECO will turn 350,000 miles. I purchased it brand new in Everett, WA. This has been an amazing, fantastic car! Never have had even ONE problem with it. There are several very interesting things, which I will briefly outline:

Lifetime MPG reads 81.4.....my own accurate calculations reveal 80.32 MPG.

I ALWAYS replace all 4 tires together, using the OEM Bridgestone Ecopia 422+ that are made in Japan. Every November my Toyota dealer has the "buy 3 get 1 free" special. After 90,000 miles on the tires, they still have significant tread....about 4/32 of an inch tread depth. I always run 51 lbs air pressure....the car ROLLS extremely well on the roadway, and I do quite a bit of coasting in neutral. The tires wear very evenly. Since I do not corner hard and drive a little slower than most people, over-inflating the tires works perfectly. I check the tire pressure every week.

I look way ahead to the next traffic light, use momentum driving, and limit my use of the brake pedal. The front brake pads STILL have more than 50% thickness remaining. Awesome!

Driving mostly freeway and highway in the Seattle area 7 days a week is quite a traffic-congestion challenge. Fortunately my cell-phone delivery job allows me to run during off-peak hours (there are actually very few off-peak hours) and I have developed strategies and techniques to KEEP my momentum in traffic.

Using Mobil One 0W-16 oil from Walmart, I have it changed after aprox 10,000 miles. I buy genuine Toyota oil filters in a pack of 12, getting a significant discount. Here is the important thing.....I have the dealership do my oil change service, and I ALWAYS use the SAME technician. His name is Ryan, and each time I slip him $30 cash extra. He looks forward to my visit! During this service appointment, he changes oil and filter, rotates the wheels/tires, tops any fluids, and every time I remind him to carefully check the under-body panels of the car, that they are all tightly fitted with no fasteners missing. This is very important. Since I bring my own oil and filter, I am only charged $42 for this entire service! For anyone who drives a lot of miles, I would highly recommend this same type of maintenance scenario.

Twice since the car was new, I have purchased 4 OEM spark plugs, and changed them myself. This is very easy if you just go slow and careful. I put a small amount of anti-seize on the threads.

Also twice, I have had the dealer drain and refill the coolant and inverter....cost me 1 hour of labor, and used one gallon of Toyota coolant.

At 200k miles I drained and refilled the transmission fluid. Did it myself, very carefully.

The main big battery shows no signs of deteriorating or degrading. Still seems perfect. This tells me that driving daily is a GOOD thing, and that Calendar time is key, not total mileage on the odometer.

At 300k miles I replaced my 12 volt battery, although it may not have been needed. I just found the H-4 battery at Walmart and did the work myself. Very easy, and only $98.

I wash and clean the car often. I have removed the front passenger seat. I regularly wipe down the engine and inside hood.....the guys at the dealer can hardly believe, as the car still looks brand new!

This car has served me so well, it is amazing to me. My total cost of ownership is off-the-charts low. I am wondering how many more miles the engine will last? Perhaps after about 600,000 it may show some kind of trouble? What a fantastic Prius !!!