Would you buy a Prius with 100,000+ miles?

It is easy to DIY replace the transaxle ATF if you have the correct tools and the motivation to do this. Pls do a search if you need detailed info on how to DIY.

 

I have a 2005 that has 122k miles on it (I bought it w/90k on it) & I have zero problems with it. It had a sparkling Carfax report & maintenance history & I've had to do nothing but change the oil & the headlamps (although I did put a 125kmile warranty on it just incase being I bought it w/high miles). I just listed it on here yesterday for sale since I decided to get another Prius.

My advice is check carfax, if you can afford, get an extended warranty for a little added peace of mind, and enjoy your new to you car!

 

To much emphasis is placed on mileage on the ODO.

Pretend there is tape over the mileage reading and you don't know how many miles are on the vehicle.

Now,.....how do you tell if it is a good one or not?


Short story: One of the best trucks I ever bought had 409,000 miles on it when I bought it. I did not know the history, and did not talk to the prior owner. And I am telling you, it drove and ran as good as a brand new truck.

It is based on how well it was taken care of, and the repairs made. I am very good with vehicles and know what I am looking at, and my saying has always been: "If you keep fixing it, it will run forever"

Oh, and the truck with 409,000 was a 2001 Chev crewcab with a 350 v8 engine. Now those motors do not run for 409k, but the motor in this truck had NO blowby, strong compression, and did NOT tap on cold starts. It passed inspection with fiying colors. What did that tell me? (with no paperwork to prove anything)...this was a newer motor with plenty of life left. Also, the transmission was the same way. All the maintenance had been done/parts changed when wore out.......this was a tight truck.

But if I heard the mileage first before I saw the truck, I never would have bought it. Why? Because I never would have went to look at it.


So, base a vehicle on its on merits, and not what is on the ODO.

 

If your savings is low, you cannot afford a 100-175K mile Prius !!
The cost of Prius parts and service is not at economy car levels and worse still, many are dealership only work. If you buy a used Prius with a bad battery, that's thousands of dollars to replace and the Prius does not run without a battery.

Carrying stuff on the roof rack is very detrimental to the Prius' mpg. The Prius is designed with a very low Cd=0.29 and the bike, kayak (!) just throws that away, perhaps doubling the wind resistance.
You'll be disappointed at the resulting mpg.

 

This is true. However at some point the cost of repairs exceeds the market value of the vehicle. This point is reached earlier with a vehicle like Prius that has extraordinary electronics content.

When you get to that point, unless you have a sentimental attachment to the vehicle, why continue to pour money down a rat hole?

An old pickup truck has a relatively small number of potential failure points. If the engine and transmission are in good shape, there's not much else to consider - brakes, suspension and body/frame integrity are about it.

 

That doesn't make sense. If the hybrid battery is already bad, the dash is a Christmas tree of warning lights, it won't go in reverse, and will barely move forward. Surely the buyer would notice this and either pass on the car, or buy it at a deep discount and DIY battery repair on the cheap.

Please read the posts in the 299,999 club. How many of them are spending thousands at their dealers to replace hybrid batteries and transaxles?

On average, the Prius has a lower operating cost (fuel + maintenance) than other cars. Perhaps the most annoying repair issue are the HID headlight bulbs, but even there it is possible to DIY replace for less than $100.

For the battery, in most cases it is possible to find a fresh one from a wreck, and get back on the road for $1000 or less. Same ballpark cost to have the hybrid battery serviced by an independent shop with that level of specialization.

As far as I know, the only thing that a shop like Art's Automotive cannot do and would be dealership only is free warranty/recall repairs. There are services that require a factory-level scantool, but many non-dealer shops have Techstream. The number of independent shops that will work on a Prius is constantly growing.

 

Not many, because it would not be very smart to pay a dealer $6K to replace a transaxle or $3K to replace a traction battery, if the car is only worth <=$5K. Hence, those who have failures of that magnitude either DIY, find an independent to install salvage parts, or tow the car to the salvage yard and walk away.

Although it is true that some Prius have logged 300K miles it would be questionable to conclude that most Prius will reach that level. This is like looking at the few humans who have reached or exceeded 100 years of age and concluding that this is a typical lifespan that all can expect. Some amount of luck is associated with both outcomes.

I think in general, a used Prius with a high odometer reading is a bad choice for an owner on a limited budget. If that owner can DIY or has access to an independent repair shop knowledgeable in Prius repair, then maybe such a purchase would make sense.

 

for the record, tpfun finds no redeeming value about anything Prius.

I'd evaluate it like any other used car, but Patrick's point about a risk of large dollar dealer-only repairs is well taken. I'd tend to go for it, but that's just me. I know I will save with every mile. I MIGHT give some back with a costly problem.

 

Seilerts, Just a heads up from what I've read tpfun is a diesel troll so no point in arguing with him. Also the 2005 HID bulbs are D2R and not the D4R that are problematic in 2006 and up.

 

Yeah, I know he's a troll. Unfortunately, what he writes sounds plausible, even when it is not true.

 

I've never seen a Gen II Prius at any salvage yard near here that hadn't been in an accident. Maybe freidawg can comment on seeing dead Prii at auctions and/or towed to his yard.

I agree, it is sheer stupidity to pay a dealer for major repairs. But, particularly, 2 fas 4 u has logged 325,000 miles on his 2009 with very, very little maintenance. Out of a million cars, we see a few reports here of failed batteries, engines, or transaxles at, generally, 100,000+ miles, and a few reports of people making it 200,000+ miles without major issues. I think a decently maintained Prius has an average expectancy of 250,000 miles without a problem in one of the three major systems: transaxle, hybrid battery, or engine. Because of this, it will always be possible to source low mileage salvage replacement components, with the upper limit being about $2000 on having a salvage trans installed. Thus, the Prius is really no different from any other car out there that might have a major breakdown.

Any car with over 100,000 miles is a crap shoot. But I have run five Toyotas over that mark so far in my life, and all are still running strong, or were running strong when I had to part with them. If a high mileage Prius runs and drives well, there is no reason to believe that it will not continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

 

It's the truth.

http://priuschat.com/forums/generation-1-prius-discussion/89446-inconsolable-need-gen1-help.html

Try hunting for a salvaged battery from the junkyard without a ride.

Even the remanufactured batteries run in the thousands.

 

^^ Try hunting for a salvaged anything without a ride.
How much does a transmission + labor cost for a regular car, keeping in mind that the failure rate for this component in regular ICE cars is 100x the battery failure rate ?

Only idiots or trolls cannot see the obvious: Prius on average is really, really, inexpensive.

 

Ok provide your sources where the batteries cost thousands? Re-Involt sells the remanufactured battery for $1,500 + S&H. They will install for an extra $300. A battery from Toyota for a gen I costs $3,000 and a gen II costs $2,600. My Gen II with 110k miles so far has needed a new 12v battery, wiper motor and brake pads.

 

FWIW, I bought my 2005 with 119K on it two weeks ago. It has been very well maintained and I have all service records from the dealer dating back to 2005. The previous owner took it to the dealer for everything, even oil changes. The previous owner never changed the transaxle fluid and that's the first thing I did to the car. To be honest, it really didn't look as bad as I thought it would look but I'm glad I changed it anyway.

I get about 54 MPG and really enjoy driving it. The only thing I'd change is the seats, which I will do with seat covers and an air bladder for my lower back but other than that it's a fun car to drive.

I agree with the other posters. Treat a used Prius purchase like any other car purchase but there is one thing to consider with buying a used Prius. I'm speaking for myself but it seems like driving this car you get into the habit of being gentle with the gas pedal which, in my opinon, translates to a greater life expectancy on the engine and transaxle.

 

Look ....

the Prius is packed with high end electronics and electrical systems each one will cost hundreds if not thousands when they fail. These systems are not found in any other car and are dealer only parts.

Most Prius enthusiasts here will tell you not to worry about them but
don't just listen to me, Consumer Reports also rates the electrical systems on the Prius poorly.

Do not think the Prius is the ole Toyota econobox beater which will run forever with oil changes.

 

1500+SH+300+Towing+Tax is not thousands ?

 

The consumer reports overall rating of the Prius is one of the highest of any car you can purchase. Honda's, specifically Civic's, have high ratings as well. The high rating and gas mileage are the reasons why I selected the Prius as my new vehicle.

Do you have a black cloud over your head?

 

My 05 w/122k miles has not needed a bettery replacement or any other major repair. Maybe I've been lucky?

 

^^ As lucky as 99.9+ % of Prius owners.