Busted 2002 Prius -- what now? (needs transaxle and maybe inverter)

[canadiandriver]

Well, after following through with HV transaxle fluid inspections (full of burnt metal) and code checks through Toyota Canada, it's official. My 2002 Toyota Prius (256,000km on it) is kaput.

The repair cost up here is $11,200. Mostly parts -- at least $4600 for the new transaxle, and another $4100 if the inverter is shot (the code for inverter malfunction is on, and the mech suspects a voltage surge would have accompanied the transaxle burnout). And then $2500 or so in labour. Not only do I not have the money for this job, but with 250,000 km on the clock, is it worth it?

And now I'm left with the question -- what to do with the rest of the car? I can't find another donor car that might have a good HV transaxle, and I don't have the cash to put in to labour anyways (nor do I have the skill). The car did good in terms of what we paid for it 3 years ago, so it doesn't owe us anything, but I really don't want to just bin it.

So, any thoughts? Anyone want to make an offer on this machine? The body panels are in great shape, so it might make a good parts car for a wreck. The battery is in good shape, and so is the ICE, and the interior is great. I can send pictures...

I'm also open to other options -- part out on eBay? Is there a Prius wrecker in Canada or the Pacific Northwest of the States?

Ideas please?

Don
(in Calgary, Alberta)

[Michgal007]

Wow, that's a lot of miles. You should probably ask a dealer what to do. You can certainly sell the parts. Perhaps that will be a good way to put a down payment on a new Prius.

[Prius Limo]

Like someone said earlier, your car has a lot of valuable parts if you can find a buyer. You might look on line to see if there are still rebuilders that specialize in the classic Prius. There was one in my home state of Missouri until recently. Every day several classics sell on the salvage market as rebuilders with light front or back end damage. Those cars need body parts, suspension, frame rails, radiator, condenser compressor, air bags, wiring and lights.

Individuals and professional rebuilders look for parts on e-bay. I think you would do much better parting it out yourself if you have the interest. An example from my experience: I bought a 2004 with heavy front end damage on eBay for $1200. I used most of the parts rebuilding other cars. Then I sold the scraps that were left one at a time on eBay. Everything sold and I received more than $2000. And your car has most of the highest demand parts in tact.

Perhaps you could hire a young aspiring mechanic to take it apart for you and pack the boxes as things sell (have the dealer or someone qualified take out the high voltage battery). The dealer may even pay you for your used HV battery. If you list everyting at once, you will get a lot more traffic because buyers interested in one thing will see the other things you have listed.


That is my opinion.

[Tideland Prius]

wow, 256,000kms and several years in AB winter! Nice.

You could sell it for parts and I'm sure you can get quite a bit back (esp. the battery cause if it's in good working condition, you're gonna be somebody's hero when their battery is shot and needs a new battery). The same goes for the MFD, another costly item.

Of course the small items like seats and alloys can be sold more easily (I don't think we ever got side airbags in Canada so taking the seats out should be a piece of cake without the airbag wiring + sensor to worry about). The mudguards can be sold as a used accessory. Ditto the lights, bumpers, even the emblems!