What repairs should I expect @ 155k+ miles?

You are not far from Taylor Automotive : Automotive Service and Maintenance in Sanford, NC where a quality rebuilt HV battery can be installed for about $2300. Other repairs that seem to crop up in older Prii:

• ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) coolant pump, but this is common in all cars Replace when you drain and refill coolant (due now) along with the serpentine belt that drives the pump.
• Some have reported wheel bearing failures (my 2004 has not at 254k miles).
• Many report that oil usage starts at about the age of your Prius, keep an eye on the oil level between oil changes an put in some oil as needed.
• I assume that you are up to date in all recalls (there was a critical one on the steering assembly)
• Have you been periodically doing a drain/refill of the transmission fluid, if not DO IT NOW to hopefully avoid a costly transmission failure.
• The MFD (MultiFunctional Display) is known to be prone to failures. It can be repaired at a reasonable cost if required.
• There is a warranty extension on the "Combination" display (speedo/odo) that will run out soon as they are also prone to failure (mine has not).
• Prius brakes last a long time (mine are still original)

JeffD

 

Headlights, brake actuator, struts, rear brake shoes, water pump (ICE), trans-axle fluid.

 

new car payments.

 

new car payments.

 

OK..you cant just post that without an explanation!!! lol

Sorry to hear about your battery. $2300 is a big pill to swallow - I'd consider buying a rebuilt one, the last I hear they for $900-$1200 and come with a 1, 2 or 3 year warranty (I forget which).

OR you can buy a salvage yard battery out of a much lower mile Prius and have it installed. That might be $350 for the battery and another $200 for installation maybe?

 

If you can afford it, fix the car and keep driving it. If you can't afford to fix it - sell it as is on Craiglist. You should be able to get at least 3500 for it. I would ask $3950 and haggle, but don't give it away.

Current listings on CL in your area range from $6795 to $11000 for a 2005 model

Source: southern MD all for sale / wanted classifieds "2005 Toyota Prius" - craigslist=

 

None

 

At 155K the rest of the car has a lot of life left. Some things will go wrong at that age/mileage, but a Prius is one of the most reliable cars out there. If you were happy with it and had planned on keeping it for some time, I'd go with one of the cheaper rebuilt or used batteries and keep driving it. Cheaper than payments on something newer. If you can afford the payments, fix the Prius and open a savings account and start putting them in there each month. Then you'll have money set aside for future repairs or to put down on the eventual replacement.

 

...a Prius is one of the most reliable cars out there.

Okaaaay...C-Bus. I'm torn between asking you what meds you're currently on or off at this point.

 

I will buy it.
or take it on trade on another Prius.

 

LOL, check the numbers at True Delta or Consumer Reports (subscription required). Michael Karesh, the owner of True Delta, has called the Prius one of the best in their survey and I believe CR has said something similar.

 

My 2004 Prius will be 10 years old in a few months. So far repairs total $160.
That is about 4.6 cents a day, or about one penny every 10 miles

This is the complete log of repairs & maintenance.

 

1) Confirmation bias fallacy
2) The plural of anecdote != evidence

 

No, fact. My 04 Prius runs great, and all repairs to date are in the log I posted, along with my cost.

Of course an anecdote is evidence. You may have been trying to say that an anecdote may not be extrapolated accurately to a larger group. That of course applies just as true to your experience as mine, but you will find most owners who post in this forum mirror my experience. Given the strong bias of the web to attract bitching and whining, that says a lot.

Moreover, my experience is typical if you care to review large group owner data from CR or Karesh's true-delta. Look at the 'nada' and repair frequency metrics for 10 year old Prius in the True-delta. You will see that a 10 y/o Prius on average has had 2-3 repairs over it's lifetime -- right where my car sits. You can also use the True-Delta data to calculate the weighted average cost of a repair. It is more than mine, but not by much. Eyeballing, I'll estimate another $500 over the past ~10 years.

 

OP -- if your car is otherwise in good shape I would not hesitate to buy a good rebuilt* battery as the smartest money option. The recc to buy from Sanford is spot on.

*Specifically, with lightly used G3 cells.

 

The aggregate data support what Sagebrush says. Prii are among the most reliable cars.

 

...but you will find most owners who post in this forum mirror my experience.

Just the opposite; I see plenty of issues for the Prius. Example: the two coolant loops are a multiplier for failure as are the multiple coolant pumps. Also, your fact is just that: one data point.

 

I wouldn't of purchased a Prius if it didn't have the reputation of being reliable. When I first started to investigate Hybrids that was one of the factors I investigated as closely as possible.

The Prius does have the reputation and I think legitimate history overall of being a very reliable vehicle.

I know I'm hoping for good/great reliability, as I would with any Toyota.

I think there are some differences just because of HSD and it being a hybrid, in comparison to a ICE vehicle.
As has been pointed out in numerous threads...all older vehicles can start needing expensive repairs...to engines or transmissions..whatever.

But with a Hybrid Battery in a Prius, it is always a bit of a "Sword of Damocles". Anytime out of warranty it can become an issue..and if you own and operate a Prius long enough eventually it does become an issue. You just have to live with that reality hanging over your head and be prepared to face that if it happens. If I keep my Prius beyond it's Hybrid Battery warranty, I plan to move $3000 dollars into a totally separate account...for the inevitability that the Hybrid Battery fails. It won't cost me that much...but you just have to be ready for that day.

Also from reading posts here for years, I think The Prius is a little different from the majority of regular ICE vehicles in so much is my observation is that they are incredibly reliable...until that day you go out and press the button and The Triangle Of Death appears and several codes.

It's a breakdown...just like could and will happen with any machine, but often with a Prius you can get less warning that one is coming. So it seems with a Prius a little more Black and White...usually less warning. Very reliable-Then down for the count.

Which is why we get so many...I've driven my Prius trouble free for 6+ years...HELP! posts.....

I don't think this means the Prius is any less reliable than anything else, just that the computerized nature of the HSD system sometimes creates scenarios that make it seem like the vehicle has gone from FINE to Totally Inoperable in an instant.

Where with a ICE and perhaps less computerized systems...sometimes the problems give you more warning that they are coming. Sometimes...not always.