Expected reliability of 2010 Prius?

[Boji]

I tested out the new 2010 Prius last Thursday and was thoroughly impressed. It's definitely the car for me, but I'll need to save more since I was going for a Corolla!

A concern I have about the car though is about its reliability--yes, I've read about the high mileage Prius taxis in Vancouver, which sound almost too good to be true for me, but I want to know what everyone else's experiences have been so far. In any case, a friend of mine was talking to a Toyota engineer who said that a conventional car has sensors to monitor the different parts of the car. In the Prius, however, there are two tiers of sensors--the same ones we'd find in a conventional car, but also, sensors that monitor the first tier of sensors. To me, that sounds like a LOT of sensors! With this in mind and all the electronic gizmos in the Prius, what do you think the long-term reliability of the Gen 3 Prius will be, and why? Are you worried about its reliability and all of these gizmos "going wrong"?

In the same line of thought, would buying the extended warranty from Toyota be a good idea?

[qbee42]

The Prius is one of the most reliable cars on the road. Chances are that you will have very few problems. The maintenance requirements are also minimal.

On the down side, the same automation and sophistication that make it reliable and easy to maintain can be expensive to repair or replace if you do have an out of warranty problem. Problems like this are not common, but they can be expensive if you are one of the unlucky few.

Tom

[Felt]

Consumer Report predicts lower than average maintenance issues ... based on previous experience with older Prius. We all hope so.

If you read some of the threads herein .... you may leave with a bit of concern. You will read concerns about sounds, dash readouts, rpm, temperature, battery charge, oil, fuel and etc. I have found my G3 IV, to be everything I had hoped it would be. It does require a bit of learning how to drive it economically, and it takes some getting use to the idea that the ICE stops and starts. We are all more familiar with how the "old" car worked ..... the Prius is really a remarkable example of engineering technology.

[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by Boji

. . . what do you think the long-term reliability of the Gen 3 Prius will be, and why? Are you worried about its reliability and all of these gizmos "going wrong"?

In the same line of thought, would buying the extended warranty from Toyota be a good idea?

Going down your list:

• long-term reliability - I'm more concerned about the risk of an accident when a traditional vehicle and driver crashes into it
• all of these gizmos - high tech becomes more reliable and cheaper over time
• extended warranty - wasted money

Bob Wilson

[neilz]

Originally Posted by bwilson4web

Going down your list:

• long-term reliability - I'm more concerned about the risk of an accident when a traditional vehicle and driver crashes into it
• all of these gizmos - high tech becomes more reliable and cheaper over time
• extended warranty - wasted money

Bob Wilson

I was rear ended in my Lincoln Town Car by a dump truck. I survived but with serious back and knee injuries.
4 years later, my son had to stop short on a highway in MD due to a drunk driver cutting in front of him. My son was in his 2007 Toyota Corolla. He was then rear ended by a tractor trailer doing 50 mph who could not stop. When I received the phone call from the MD highway rescue, I was besides myself. I am in NYC and he was in MD. The officer gave me the hospital that my son was taken to and I called there. I was able to talk to my son in the ER. He said his car was really smashed but he was fine. Just a little sore.
That incident taught me that there are times that a car is made well enough to protect the driver. Even if the car is small.
I hope our Prius's are like my son's Corolla.

[Boji]

Originally Posted by neilz

I was rear ended in my Lincoln Town Car by a dump truck. I survived but with serious back and knee injuries.
4 years later, my son had to stop short on a highway in MD due to a drunk driver cutting in front of him. My son was in his 2007 Toyota Corolla. He was then rear ended by a tractor trailer doing 50 mph who could not stop. When I received the phone call from the MD highway rescue, I was besides myself. I am in NYC and he was in MD. The officer gave me the hospital that my son was taken to and I called there. I was able to talk to my son in the ER. He said his car was really smashed but he was fine. Just a little sore.
That incident taught me that there are times that a car is made well enough to protect the driver. Even if the car is small.
I hope our Prius's are like my son's Corolla.

Wow, well I'm glad both you and your son are safe, and that you're here to tell this story. It amazes me that your Town Car, one of the largest cars out there, wouldn't have protected you more than the Corolla--I've often read that the simple laws of physics will make it so that the larger car always wins in a collision. That's why I'm currently considering the Camry or the Prius. The Camry is larger (i.e. thus safer?) than the Prius in the event of a collision, and the Camry happens to also be slightly cheaper, given that it's an older model than the new Prius. Still, the Prius is a nicer car, but I'm definitely concerned about safety as well.

[neilz]

Originally Posted by Boji

Wow, well I'm glad both you and your son are safe, and that you're here to tell this story. It amazes me that your Town Car, one of the largest cars out there, wouldn't have protected you more than the Corolla--I've often read that the simple laws of physics will make it so that the larger car always wins in a collision. That's why I'm currently considering the Camry or the Prius. The Camry is larger (i.e. thus safer?) than the Prius in the event of a collision, and the Camry happens to also be slightly cheaper, given that it's an older model than the new Prius. Still, the Prius is a nicer car, but I'm definitely concerned about safety as well.

Accidents are weird. Injuries are hard to pin down by car. My town car had only $1800 damage while my son's Corolla had $7,000.
I think the size of the car matters when they collide with each other. The 2 rear end accidents that my son and I were in might have so many variables that the cars might have only played a part of what were or were not injuries. Age, physical condition, medical conditions play a factor also.
I am sure you will be happy with either a Camry or Prius. Enjoy your choice.

[Boji]

Originally Posted by neilz

Accidents are weird. Injuries are hard to pin down by car. My town car had only $1800 damage while my son's Corolla had $7,000.
I think the size of the car matters when they collide with each other. The 2 rear end accidents that my son and I were in might have so many variables that the cars might have only played a part of what were or were not injuries. Age, physical condition, medical conditions play a factor also.
I am sure you will be happy with either a Camry or Prius. Enjoy your choice.

Isn't that typical of North American vs. Import cars? NA cars tend to be less expensive in repairs it seems. I wonder, in the eventuality of an accident, how expensive the Prius would be as well, given that it's an import AND has the technological complexity of a space shuttle.

[timo27]

Originally Posted by Boji

Isn't that typical of North American vs. Import cars? NA cars tend to be less expensive in repairs it seems. I wonder, in the eventuality of an accident, how expensive the Prius would be as well, given that it's an import AND has the technological complexity of a space shuttle.

I suspect the difference may be due to the fact that the Town Car is one of the few remaining body-on-frame cars out there; unibody construction is more expensive to repair--or so I've been told. My guess is that the Prius would be more expensive in general to repair than a Corolla or similar non-hybrid, but not so much as a high-end Euro car. Again, just my hypothesis, but I don't think it's as much domestic vs. import as it used to be. Plus, the newer safety engineering in most cars these days includes design so the car crumples--it "gives its life, that you may carry on," so to speak. I had a bike helmet that did that for me once. Darn glad about it, too.

Happy motoring
T

[Felt]

I think it is all important to remember that modern cars are designed to crumble, (absorbing the energy) while protecting the passenger compartment. Race cars can be completely destroyed and the driver walk away. Repairs will be expensive, yes, but it is better to scrap a twisted, crumpled vehicle, and live to buy a replacement.