After how many miles will a Prius typically stay reliable?

Margie, I am assuming you are in the Covina to the East of Los Angeles. This means lots of Prius experts relatively close.

How well do you know the neighbor? If he just wants that new car smell, it could be a good deal.

However:

A new High Voltage Battery is going to be $2500 at a dealer. If you go rebuilt, have then use Gen 2 or Gen 3 cells; Toyota learned lessons in Gen 1 about corrosion.

Warn the daughter to never jump start another vehicle, and to avoid having to jump start her Prius, doing it wrong can cost $4000 for an inverter. Far better to buy a jump start pack for $40 and use it.

www.amazon.com/Arteck-External-Automotive-Motorcycle-Flashlight/dp/B01DVSSCG6

Unless the neighbor mentions doing it, drain and fill the transaxle with ATF IV from Toyota (you also need two gaskets) It is DIY simple, or any mechanic can do it for about $100. (parts is $40) You are trying to protect and cool the windings on the big Motor/Generator 2.

Gen 1 Prius Transmission Repair, P3009, P3120, P3125 - Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists

Here is a video on Gen 3, Gen 1 will be similar

Here is a guy who did a Gen 1, he pulled the entire pan, which is more than I am recommending, but on his Prius it was a good idea:

 

talk about info overload on a newbie.

 

Moral of the story: if ya wanna buy a Prius, ya better like data!

 

This was a good thread. Good information from veteran Prius owners.

I'm very thankful. I have the means to keep an emergency "car fund." But that doesn't mean I want to go through a lot of expensive repairs with my Prius. I usually don't keep any vehicle more than 10 years (regardless of miles.) Keep up the routine maintenance, and it sounds like 10 years is no problem with a Prius. Hopefully.

The concern is, for major repairs, finding quality mechanics to work on these Prius cars. But the routine maintenance seems easy. My schedule just says oil changes, rotate tires, and throw in a new engine air filter & cabin filter occasionally.

 

And 30K miles or tri-yearly brake inspections!

Oh and change the brake fluid at the same interval: your Canadian brethren have to, why should we have all the fun?

(You didn't think I'd let that go, did you? )

 

Yes, they will do the usual " looksee" and measure the rotors.

As I get older (and I'm no mechanic!) I think it's even more important to have a very reliable (and newer) vehicle. I sure don't want to be worrying about breakdowns, or being stranded when I'm in my 70's. If I have to, I'll just start leasing one and replace it every 4 years -- with the latest/greatest bucket-of-bolts.

 

What? 160K miles. My Prius is just getting broken in at 209k miles.
Your prices are for getting new parts I suppose. I was gone for a year and a half and my 2007 Prius wasn't taken car of (charged) on a regular basis so the Hybrid battery went bad. I did a little research on YouTube and found out how I could replace the hybrid battery myself. Really didn't want to do it myself and so I found locally a guy who came to my house and swapped out my bad battery for a rebuilt one for only $650. He did all the work in less than 45 minutes and gave me a year warranty. Works great so now I have a 2007 Prius with 209k miles and two new batteries (had the aux battery swapped out as well). I thinking 300k or more. Everything else works great.
Wrecking yards are great!
I also got a #230 MFD and front hood (deer hit) for real good prices.

 

You were fortunate. Most "rebuilt" batteries today are not dependable. If you are DIY you can get a kit of new cells for $1600 from @2k1Toaster here. The only other generally reliable option is a new battery from Toyota.

 

Auburn Toyota used to give discounts on Wednesday. Do they still do that?

 

I just got rid of my salvaged 2005 (owned for 10yrs) - 300,000+++ miles (the MFD failed & I last read 300k a year ago - might have driven another 20k miles), sold for $2k
Replaced HV Battery $300 a couple years ago (but now I know how to fix)
Replaced 12v Battery - 10 yrs ago w Optima Yellow
Never did brakes
Replaced tires of course
Navigation & Bluetooth & no MP# playing sucked so upgraded to a really cheap Gen3 (as have to look a little more refined when going to professional job now and rely hated the sound/navi system and I love the backup camera)
Oil Changes once in awhile
Blew out speakers & replaced with used ones - CD Player starts skipping after a few hours
Replaced headlights & tail lights & one of the tail lights because built in LED's failed. I always drive w my lights on so they get used A LOT.
Carried 1000lbs concrete in it, any Home Depot was fair game as some 10' stuff can get carried in it. (and I have a Silverado too)
Did Semi-Truck maintenance for a while so had to huff generators, welders, & 10lug wheels around once in awhile while carrying boxes of tools.

Basically beat the living f'n crap out of it at full speed in the fast lane for 10 yrs including 90 to 100mph down Hwy 5- basically "that guy" - never winning the race because you get less police involved when you come in second...
and it looked ok after all that while - now an uber car.

Anyone who says Prii aren't great, slow etc - I've proved them wrong and LOVE THEM! I would have driven it until she died but have a parts one laying around - pulled nicer interior, odd parts like fender, hood, & one door due parking lot dent. My goal was to drive as long and as hard as possible to show those f'n naysaying dinosaurs - but I think Elon will have done that before I hit 500,000 miles....

I would have gotten another Gen 2 except for the sound & telephone system, I always keep the factory systems in cars as aftermarket tend to get stolen. One of my mechanic buddies would swap a drivetrain into it for $200labor (he's already done one so all good there) - my time is more valuable right now and I needed a nicer car

Rock on Prius! I believe the best and most economical vehicle available. Yes I do my own wrenching etc.

Oh yeah, get out of the fast lane, I'll be passing you in a Model S converted into a pickup with a rack.

 

Got wife's 05 prius for $750 with a bad HV module and 237k. Changed the one module and now she's at 267k. I can monitor the modules in techstream and they're very close to each other in voltage and impedance, implying a well-matched set.

In those 30k I did both front wheel bearings. More dramatically a rear strut spring broke while she was two states away, no fun there, but she limped it on the bump stop ~30 miles to get repairs.

The 12V battery went goofy, easy fix, but $150. Now the instrument panel is going to need a capacitor as it's starting to flake out.

I consider myself an enthusiast and parts are cheap enough on ebay. Sudden failures like the spring are obviously more annoying than things that I can see coming-- but this is true of any car.

Liked her car so much I bought two more, LOL:

-- another 05 prius with 257k that needed a coil pack and wheel bearing to be roadworthy. I then discovered it needed front struts but had new rear quick-struts including springs that were just put in by previous owner. It's starting to get tender from rust underneath-- I did gas tank straps, e-brake cables, and rear brake lines. Had an EVAP issue in the summer but it's dormant for winter. This car has the snow tires on it and I'm treating it as a winter beater. Has 267k miles now.

-- So I got an 06 prius that needed an HV battery module and rocker panel to pass state inspection. Seller butchered this car up with goofy LED headlights so I went back to incandescents. Had a TPMS failure so he put a rubber valve stem in. Has only 198k. Needs a transmission seal-- showed up with .75 quarts of ATF, I did a drain and fill (mostly fill) and will get to the seal when it warms up. New rear brake shoes were $15. PO also did some shenanigans with the plastic in the front end and left most of the pushpins out, so if you grabbed the fender liner/ bumper corner it would shake like a total beater.

All three of my prii were under $1000 to buy and under $200 in parts to bring up to spec.

That all said I'd get one if you're handy. There are fan forums and youtube videos for doing everything. You can rebuild the HV battery pack with the $10 socket set from harbor freight as it's an inside job with no rust to fight. Parts are cheap on ebay. Tires are cheap because they're small. And it's nice to have a well-engineered small-to-midsize car-- someone like GM would make the thing a penalty box (like a cavalier) on purpose to shame you into getting a cadillac.

 

I would not say you brought them up to spec. You have been fortunate being able to just replace one battery module and get it matched & balanced. The car still has an old battery that could leave you stranded. A kit of new cells of a new Toyota battery is the ideal fix to bring them "up to spec". There is a link to the kit of new cells ($1600 delivered) in my signature.

 

I am in the process of buying a 2004 Prius, singled owner and all maintenance records at hand. It has 220k miles and owners claims in 2014 it’s battery was replaced it.

Is there a way to check if the battery was replaced?


They’re asking for 2.8k

 

Who do they say replaced it? If it’s the dealer there is a way.

 

We will find out once they checked the paperwork

 

Looks the battery was NOT replaced

 

That's what I said about a car with a CVT transmission. I loved the CVT, & I'm glad I experienced it. As the car aged tho, I didn't want to pay a big tranny repair, more than the car was worth.

 

I guess Priuses aren’t tank like older Toyota’s vehicles. My old previa has 457k and I don’t remember doing much other than regular oil changes (5000-6000 miles) and I’ve it since 2008 ( my parents bought it new in 1991) still runs fine

 

Important that the car has one owner & a maintenance record. I would not buy it because the
repair work on let's say replacing a generator(2.5-3 grand),the hybrid battery(2-3 grand), is prohibitive.
Buy a used Camry or better yet a Corolla.They last a long time.