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What killed YOUR 2nd Gen? Approaching 170k miles

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by SRQ, Mar 11, 2017.

  1. SRQ

    SRQ Member

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    My 2nd Gen saw me through the days of $3.50 a gallon gas, and allowed me the ability to afford the commute from my military base to the house I bought two blocks from the beach that's now a rental property that has helped me through college. It's helped me through college, through all my road trips, and now I'll be driving it all over the country to get to flight school and subsequent training bases. It'll be my daily driver to keep the miles off my weekend money pit cars.

    I'm planning on driving this thing until it explodes; right now we're at 170k miles and it still runs like it did when I first bought it at 30k miles.

    How did everyone else's 2nd Gen go? Accident? Expensive repair? Upgrade? I'd like to hear other people's stories, this vehicle has been simply the easiest and most reliable vehicle I've ever owned with the lowest maintenance costs. Which I wish would be the case with the money pit's I'm going to buy, but sometimes you need to have a few toys to stay entertained.
     
  2. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Left rear wheels of a semi trailer pulled through a red light, dragged it two blocks.

    Crease in passenger rear door, split in metal in the passenger front door, ripped off the passenger front fender and front bumper.

    3.5 years and 115,000 miles at 42 MPG. I miss it.
     
  3. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Letting it run low on oil as its a high mileage car that now eats a little oil . That will toast the motor. Keep the oil at the full mark at all times and it will run relentlessly. Run it out of oil once enough to log a check engine dtc and its done.
     
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  4. AzWxGuy

    AzWxGuy Weather Guy

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    Traded mine in at 190009 when I found a good Gen III deal. I was hearing a possible rear wheel bearing going out, the steering wheel clock spring needed replacement, and I think my HV battery was starting to show the rapid high-low cycle of death. When I traded I should have kept the nice zippered Toyota Owner Manual case, and I should have grabbed the rear area tonneau cover which was missing in my Gen III. Oh well ...
     
  5. SRQ

    SRQ Member

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    That's why I keep a quart in the car at all times! Learned the hard way not to store that quart laying down in the tool compartment though, ended up discovering an empty bottle along with an oil-soaked spare tire/tools.
     
  6. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    My 2004 was running well at 288k miles, but it needed new tires and was coming up on a lot of required maintenance at 300k mles, so I traded it in for a bright shining 2016 Prius.

    JeffD
     
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  7. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Congrats. What's the trade in on a car with that many miles?
     
  8. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Wife's '05 had about 174,000 on it when we were waiting at a red light on a 55 mph highway and some doofus thought whatever was going on on his phone was more important than what was going on on the road. He never touched his brakes. EMS was amazed we survived, much less walked away from it. Back of the car was basically disintegrated up to the rear doors. He even bent our roof!! We replaced it with an '07.

    My '05 got traded in at about 149,000 when it was needing about $3,100 worth of repairs and I found a good deal on a 2013 PiP with only 52,000 miles on it. My old '05 got fixed up and is back on the road with another owner now.
     
  9. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Me too. Only hit me doing maybe 35 then I got pushed into the guy in front of me. Busted both bumpers. That was the 2nd time I have been tagged in the rear on this car.

    I then installed a motorcycle blinker kit on the top center 3rd brake light and haven't been hit since. Have it set so that third brake light blinks 4 time every time I step on the brake. Side lights go on as normal. Very noticeable. I think it has helped as have not been hit since.
     
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  10. wrprice

    wrprice Active Member

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    Mercedes C-class killed my '05 at 9 years and 111k miles. Driver was under the influence of something, I think. Hit me as I was a half block from a red light and slowing. Impact was hard enough that I still slammed into the car already waiting at the intersection. Then the Mercedes caught up and slammed into me again. Doubt the driver ever touched the brakes; drove off after exchanging info but before the PD arrived.

    The next day the driver reported it to their insurance, but couldn't remember the details like the location of the accident -- just that it happened "in Houston".
     
  11. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    That blinker is a good idea! I don't know how much it helps either since most times, when I check my mirror, I just see the eyelids of the drivers behind me. But it can't hurt.
     
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  12. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Are you in the habit of backing up to the rear of other cars? :eek:
    I usually drive the same direction as others on the road. I would not see a rear facing light in my rear view mirror.
     
  13. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I had a heck of a time figuring out what you were talking about. :LOL: Then I figured out that you didn't get what I was talking about.

    It has nothing to do with me seeing anything, except I'd like to see some eyeballs back there for a change. The idea of the flashing light is that it MIGHT get that idiot back there to glance up from his cotton pickin' cell phone for a second. :mad: Next time I get rear ended by someone messing with a cell phone, I'm probably going to sue the bozo for everything they have and then some. I've had with with them.
     
  14. Gen 2 Tom

    Gen 2 Tom Active Member

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    My 2006 at 200K was given to my grandson. Waiting for his license, It was rarely started. That killed the battery. And when we started it the HV had an issue. We found a bad cell. So maybe we can fix it.
     
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  15. Christopher Lynch

    Christopher Lynch Junior Member

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  16. Christopher Lynch

    Christopher Lynch Junior Member

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    Hi Generation 2 Owner,

    I have just traded my Gen 2 in recently for a Gen 3. As a professional driver here in the UK, I managed to travel just under 1/4 million miles (almost to the Moon) in this superb vehicle, without a failure.

    However, I should emphasise that I had the car regularly serviced (every 10,000 miles) by Motorline T/Wells, drove it responsibly and carried out my own frequent level checks, top ups etc. My hunch is that this car could, if maintained properly/regularly, reliably drive another 100 a 200,000 miles. I had. A water pump changed early on (known weakness), 2 front o/s wheel bearings, front discs/pads and drive belt renewed @ 200,000. Truely, a fantastically reliable, enduring vehicle, and still had a good deal of torque when I last drove it.

    I only hope that my latest Gen 3 Prius serves me as well, if not better.

    Enjoy your Prius.


    Chris J L
     
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  17. MilkyWay

    MilkyWay Active Member

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    Yes, I have a 2008 with 178k and it burns oil....2 times there was practically nothing on dipstick through winter months when I went to change oil at shop (being too lazy/cold to check in between)....

    I have got my money out of it and I am going to have it looked at after 2k miles from now on instead of 3k.....I went like 7k miles when I first got it.

    These things love to eat oil.

    Still runs like new with no check engine lights and starts every time....So far so good
     
  18. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Me too jerry.....the guy who hit me was texting. I was stuck at a light and saw him coming in my rear view. Never slowed down and he never looked up. I saw it all and really tensed up for the impact that made it 100% worse for me. 1 hour later I couldn't move.
    It made my bad back really bad and had to have L1 back surgery. I sued the shite out of him and won a judgement on him. He paid 2 years later.

    People who text and drive should die.

    All kids do it here. No one ever explains it to them that your only covered to the max rate on your insurance dec page. Usually $10,000.
    That's a ambulance ride and an MRI. After that it's all on you. A car accident with serious injury
    Will ruin you financially if found liable. Injured party gets a $300000. Judgement on you they take everything u own and attach all future earnings. Your ruined. In an instant.

    Is that really worth an Lol text at 80 miles an hour?
     
    #18 edthefox5, Mar 23, 2017
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2017
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  19. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Real similar here. I was unhurt, though, but wife still has neck problems. Guy had no insurance or money for insurance. Hit us doing about 60 while we'd been sitting at a red light for at least a full minute. Texting while driving should be a primary offense in every state and a minimum $50,000 fine or 2 years in jail. Five years if you hurt someone and life if you kill someone. There is absolutely no reason for it whatsoever. I've read that primary offense gets knocked down in the Florida legislature year after year and the carnage continues to worsen. Same with putting on mascara, shaving, and the other totally stupid things people do because they don't care who they kill.
     
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  20. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Wow 60 miles an hour. Incredible you didn't get killed. Glad to hear at least your ok.