Hello - I am in the process of buying a Prius Prime 2024. Trying to avoid the outrageous dealer markups. Some are well into Tesla 3 space and that shifts my decision. Anyways, thinking ahead, I have the following questions: 1) Is the oil changed from the top, IE - sucking out and replacing. Also, Oil Filter, it that on the bottom or top like most German cars? 2) Does anyone have a complete maintenance schedule that the car will need from new to 200K? 3) In the event I keep the car 10+++ years, can anyone speculate the cost of a battery replacement. We generally keep our cars for 10-15 years. Our driving habits have changed, work from home and no long trips so our mileage estimate is 6K a year and most return trips to be within 42 miles. Therefore, we are hoping the the electric range will cover 80% of our driving habits. Thanks in advance... Kevin.
The traction battery is like the engine or transmission. Those might need to be replaced during the car's life, but more likely they'll last until the end. If needed, by the time you could need to replace the battery, there'll be other options besides new from Toyota. The maintenance schedule is up on Toyota's site with the owner's manual.
Everyone who buys the car in the States has a slim booklet in the glove box, titled Warranty and Maintenance Booklet. It has a “schedule”, lamentably only in event-by-event format though. You can create a nice table format spreadsheet from it, in a few hours, and that process gets you familiar with all the maintenance items to boot. Some of the maintenance listed is nonsensical, for various reasons, probably included for liability issues. And there are some glaring omissions: brake and transaxle fluid changes are never mentioned, but worth considering. if you can’t find that booklet, pdf format is available for download, one source being Toyota Tech Info. the schedule stops abruptly, at 120k miles or 12 years, IIRC. But setting up a spreadsheet format, it’s easy to extrapolate. the latest spreadsheet table translation I've done is Gen 4. Attached are two versions, per the book, and extrapolated: 2016 Prius Maintenance Schedule (US).xlsx - Google Drive 2016 Prius Maintenance Schedule (US) - extended to 240K miles.xlsx - Google Drive ^ You can probably just revise these with minor tweaks (if any), for 5th gen. Previously asked-and-answered here: First Oil Change | Page 2 | PriusChat
Thanks everyone... I too make a spreadsheet with the items. I then get an estimated cost for each so I can budget for it. Lastly, I identify items that I can do myself. It would be good to know that battery packs would be available. I wonder what the cost would be, Toyota vs Other. I think I heard someone say a few years ago they cost $8000. The car may not be worth the investment or maybe it would?
It's not that cars require you to suck the oil out the top, but Mercedes, in particular, have the oil filters on top, so you can do the entire oil/filter change from the top (no lift required). It's just a matter of convenience for DIYers. And buying the oil vacuum pump, of course.
Many... From personal experience, many of the VW's, some Mercedes, etc. The oil filter is on top if the engine. Makes an oil change super quick and simple. I think the common terms for this is "Top Side Oil Change" or something like that. I have a large vacuum device that has a tube that goes in the dipstick hole right down to the sump. A few pumps and its all out.
