Pruis Maintenance

Damn cheapest car to maintain I've ever owned; here are my costs for 50,000 miles.

1. Oil change, filter and tire rotation every 5,000 Miles costs around $50.
2. Trashed the OEM tires at 10,000 miles for Goodyear ComforTreds from TireRack for $300 delivered, plus $50 dealer mount and balance
3. Self installed new Toyota air and cabin filters every 10,000 miles cost $25
4. Last week, at 50,000 miles, bought Goodyear ComforTreds from TireRack for $312 delivered and paid the dealer $213 for tire installation, balance, NitroAir, 4-wheel allignment, oil change, filter and wipers (70 MPH commute and Florida heat/roads are murder on tires)

That's $1,500, or $.03 a mile for 50,000 miles, and my new tires should last me to 90,000 miles. I did buy the 7-year/100,000 mile Toyota extended warranty from Troy for under $1,000 and I'll be happy to never use it.

 

I would definitely not recommend HID headlights with all the problems with them listed on this site. If one burns out your looking at 300. to replace. They also have not been lasting like they should.

 

Costs less to maintain because there's less to go wrong. No belts or an alternator to break. Friction brakes only used when <7 mph or in an emergency stop, so they take forever to wear out. So far I've only needed oil changes and tire rotations out of pocket. Front end alignment under warranty so no charge to me. (It did cost me $10.00 to have the "oops" fixed.:embarassed

 

My '04 has over 201,000 miles on it. It is by far the least expensive car I have ever owned to maintain. That's not even factoring in the high MPG. Brakes seem to last forever. Mine are still original. My wife has a '03 Murano. Great car, but maintenance is ridiculously expensive.

 

I agree with what the others said about maintenance. And repairs are very infrequent. Consumer Reports (and others) rates it as very reliable, so odds are you'll have nothing break.

IMHO, the only downside insofar as repairs are concerned is that there aren't many independent shops that have learned the hybrid system well enough to be competent and confident in its repair. So in the unlikely event of an out-of-warranty repair to anything related to the hybrid system, you're stuck with the dealer -- and its prices.

 

I can't answer the question directly from experience because in 67,000 miles I've only had 1 repair and it cost me under $1 (burned out tail light bulb).

 

In four years and 30,000 miles I've spent $250 on scheduled maintenance (every 5,000 miles/6 months) and bought four tires.

 

49,000 miles here. Oil changes and tire rotation/replacement are the only maintenance performed.

 

As Prius routine maint. is so light, some of us suggest that you add a periodic transaxle fluid change to the list.

 

Costs the same, if not less.

Brake pads last a LOT longer, 5000 mile oil changes (10,000 in europe and their synthetic-like oil), just a few fluids and other stuff to top off/replace as needed. Past problems have been largely addressed with design flaws, and the prius is very reliable.

As for repairs... Depends on what breaks out of warranty. Keep in mind: If you jump the car incorrectly, your looking at a very expensive repair bill, as you fry a lot of electronics. But hey, with a normal car, its expensive to repair a transmission or some other part

 

One thing to note, which I did not realize until I picked mine up -- my dealer told me that if you take the Prius to a non-Toyota dealer for oil change or whatnot it will void the warranty (eg no Jiffy Lube). My nearest dealer is a 30-min drive so it will be more of a hassle for me, but I'd rather not void the warranty or take a chance of someone unfamiliar with the synergy drive screwing something up.

Interested if anyone else has had an issue with this, anyone taking chances and hitting their local Jiffy Lube anyway?

 

Sounds like you need a new dealer, as the one you currently have lies to your face.

 

What Snowdog said. What your dealer says is hogwash. For there to be a warranty issue there must be an engine failure caused by or contributed to by not changing the oil as Toyota specifies, not as a dealer specifies. Just keep good records.

The oil change is straightforward and has nothing to do with the hybrid system. Having said that, I'm not sure I'd trust Jiffy Lube. Too many reports on the web of them not doing it right or even ripping folks off. I'd suggest either a reputable independent shop or doing it yourself. The latter is easy; the drain plug and the filter can both be reached without lifting the car.

 

Ugh, I was hoping that wasn't the case as I really liked the guy. I'll probably call over there tomorrow and speak to the service manager about it ... Thanks for the heads up!

 

DO NOT GO TO JIFFY LUBE

just take it to the dealer, or find a reputable garage that will do it if you bring your own oil and filters in. keep your oil receipts and work orders

or you could do it yourself inbetween major services i.e 30,000/60,000

they really dont do a whole lot more in the 30,000 mile except replace airfilter and cabin, which is very easy to do yourself. Though they supposedly give the car a more through check over.

 

Jiffy lube has earned itself a bad reputation in my books. I'd rather do the changes myself.

 

What do some of you think about the scheduled maintenance that recommends changing/flushing the transmission fluid and anti-freeze? It's recommended at around 60,000 miles. Have you all been doing it?

 

Your dealer is a lying sack of sh!t. Anyone can do an oil change, basically drain the oil, remove and replace filter, fill with oil. Has nothing to do with the HSD. The Firestone guy told me they aren't qualified. Why not go to the mechanic who serviced your last car?

 

Speaking as one of the fans of transaxle fluid changes. The cautious would perhaps do the first change earlier than 60k and subsequent one on longer intervals, assuming that the fluid analysis supports the decision. But gravity drain only, no flushing.

Both coolant loops should go 100k on the first fill (50k subsequently) and I see no reason to alter that.

Above numbers for NHW20 Prius. For NHW11, or if blurred vision develops, see your doctor.