200k + miles prius users share your experience

My experiences (at 192k ATM):

Headgasket (actually replacing myself right now)
2010 Prius Blown Headgasket | PriusChat
Photo link

Hub bearings (front and back)
Procedure

Rotors, brake pads, suspension shocks/struts. Finally, include some fluid changes (hybrid and ICE coolant, transaxle fluid)

EDIT: My thoughts on yours: At least there's record of oil changes by the dealer, etc. Mine has no history, so warranty coverage, even goodwill, is practically impossible/nonexistant for me (and 800GOTOYOTA will look down on you for claims if you don't have a service history entered by Toyota dealers, even though there is law on the books saying the warranty is valid no matter where you take your car to be serviced, or something along those lines).

 

Since you are concerned about assessing the maintenance performed on the car during its lifetime and you have access only to a minimal record, I suggest it would be useful to know the following:

1. Does the car exhibit any powertrain drivability issues such as lack of power, hesitation, rough engine idle, etc.
2. Does the hybrid drivetrain show smooth transitions between electric power and gasoline engine power
3. What do the engine compartment fluids look like: Are the engine and inverter coolants the correct pink Toyota Super Long Life Coolant? Is the engine oil on the dipstick fresh, or is it dark? What does the brake fluid color look like?
4. How is the ride when you go over bumps in the road? Do the front struts and rear shocks need to be changed?
5. What is the condition of the four tires: tread depth, are they the correct size, what is the tire brand, etc.
6. What is the cosmetic condition of the car's exterior and interior?
7. Are any dashboard warning lights on?
8. What is the age and condition of the 12V battery: date code, physical appearance, manufacturer name.
9. What is the fuel economy that the car registers on trips over flat terrain, continuous 50 mph speed, 20 mile trip length or more, moderate ambient air temperature (70 to 90 degrees F)?
10. How is the braking performance of the car? Does the car pull to one side? Is there any noticeable transition between regenerative and friction braking as the car slows down to single-digit speedometer readings?
11. Do you see visible dark exhaust emissions when you floor the accelerator pedal after the engine has warmed up?
12. Are any vehicle systems inoperative?
13. Is the engine consuming engine oil, and if so, at what rate per 1,000 miles?
14. Look under the car for fluid leaks, assess the condition of the half shaft CV joint boots, and see if there are any visible problems.

If you do not report any significant problems after considering the above list, then I would say there is no reason to get rid of the car. If you decide the car has a big problem, it may be hard to sell the car - so you probably are stuck with it, regardless.

 

Be sure to keep a close eye on the engine coolant level. The reservoir on the far left of your second picture looks to have a low level.

 

I just changed the ATF in my 2005 Prius at 232326K miles and man! it was such a dark color it was hard to tell it had ever been red. The scary thought is that I don't think it was ever changed before this. However, so far the car seems okay. Even if the transmission does fail it is a testament to these workhorses that the vehicle made it this far with such spent ATF.

 

For that price, HECK ill keep it even if i would have to do maintenance or replacing some parts

 

Just buy toyota genuine coolant from toyota dealer. i bought a gallon jug for $22. Infact i would recommend to drain the fluid from the drain plug and put in the new one. I just replaced mine at 142k miles and it is super easy to do. but you would need 2 gallons since it takes a little more than one gallon. use second as backup to top off just in case f level gets low.

 

ATF is the auto transmission fluid. There is a very good DIY video on youtube if you search for IIIrd gen prius. It is easy to change that. i change mine at every 30k miles.It is very crucial to change it since that will prolong the life of transmission

 

As Umar pointed out, get the Super Long Life Coolant from Toyota. It is premixed with water so no diluting needed. Same goes for the Transaxle. Use only Toyota WS fluid.

Since maintenance history is a little iffy, it might be a good idea to replace all fluids and filters (baseline). Then you know where you are.

Jeff

 

The recommended brands are:

coolant: Toyota Super Long Life Coolant, will cost ~$22-25 per gallon
transaxle ATF: Toyota ATF-WS, will cost ~$8 per quart
engine oil: 0W-20 full synthetic, Walmart typically has 5 quart name-brand containers on sale for ~$23

 

Are you trying to just top off the coolant or are you trying to replace it? If the latter then you need to drain the old coolant first.

If the old coolant is not the correct pink Toyota Super Long Life coolant then it definitely needs to be drained out.

 

You don't have a complete service history and the car has 235K miles logged so I recommend you drain and replace the engine and inverter coolants.

The brake fluid would be the last fluid to change. Use DOT 3 name brand brake fluid which you can purchase at any auto parts store. Consult the repair manual at techinfo.toyota.com for information about how to do this.

 

Yes. Also replace the iridium spark plugs with the correct Denso plugs, do not use an inferior less expensive substitute. Replace the PCV valve as well, which is hiding under the intake manifold. You may need to access that valve from underneath the car.

I understand from another post that you are planning to export the car to Africa. The Toyota fluids and the iridium spark plugs will probably be more expensive to obtain on that continent, if they are even available locally (depending upon what country you are moving the car to) so you would be wise to get all of this work done in the US where the parts and supplies are relatively inexpensive due to very small or zero import taxes on the parts, while the fluids are locally produced in the US.

Also I hope that you do not minimize the difficulty of obtaining repair services. If the local Toyota dealers in a particular country do not sell Prius, you are going to be on your own - and if your car decides to develop a difficult problem such as an electrical issue, it is not going to be easy to get it resolved since parts will not be easily available, not to mention trained technicians. Start preparing to be self-sufficient by getting Mini VCI so that you at least can retrieve the diagnostic trouble codes posted by your car's ECUs when a problem develops.