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Are these true drawbacks of a Toyota prius or just myths?

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by wantprius, Jun 7, 2009.

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  1. wantprius

    wantprius New Member

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    Are these true drawbacks of a Toyota prius or just myths?

    Hi! I am in the market to buy a used car and over the last couple of days I did some serious amount of research on couple of cars. But the car that caught my eye is Toyota Prius (2001 model for only $4500!) I think for that price it's a deal. But when I told me friends they told me about some drawbacks of a hybrid car. They told me that--

    1) Since hybrids are new, I can't get them repaired in an ordinary mechanical shop. I have to go to Toyota dealers in order to get the car repaired, in case I run into any problem.
    2) The battery of a hybrid car goes bad within 1 year or two or by 200k. But the biggest concern is that the battery is EXTREMELY expensive (about $2000-$3700).
    3) DMV doesn't treat hybrids as regular cars. It takes about 1 week to two to get the license plate for hybrids while the regular cars take only 2-3 days.
    4) Parts for the hybrids are EXTREMELY expensive and they are very hard to find.

    So, my questions are:
    Are those myths true??
    Should I buy a Prius or go with Honda civic (2001 model) or corolla (2001 model) or Toyota ECHO (2002 model)??
     
    #1 wantprius, Jun 7, 2009
  2. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    1) The first hybrids were patented and built in the 1800s. At the turn of the century (1900) there were more electric vehicles on the road than diesel powered. However, gas was cheap and easier to transport to remote areas than electricity so electric vehicles and hybrids went away. So no, this is not new technology.
    1a) I would never take a hybrid-related issue to Joe the Mechanic for work. I would, however, take my Prius to a muffler shop for a new muffler, for example. I change my own oil. It's a hybrid, after all. Some parts are hybrid related and others are standard car parts. I take hybrid issues to Toyota and car problems to the cheapest provider. For the record, however, I have never had any hybrid problems with my Prius.
    2) There are hybrid taxis that have exceeded 250,000 miles with no noticeable degradation of the battery. This is not to say that there are a few that do in fact go bad. But that same argument holds true for everything from axles to tires to mechanical pencils.
    3) To my knowledge the DMV treats a hybrid like any other vehicle. And what's the rush? Or for that matter, what's the big deal?
    4) I wouldn't know. I have had no need to find replacement parts.

    Now, you say that you are looking at a 2001 Prius. Make sure you understand that the car is 8 years old. I hesitate to buy an 8 year old car of any make and model. So as far as I'm personally concerned, you're pushing the envelope with that criteria alone.

    And if you are looking for a really good source of really bad information, try these links. I made them as part of the Chicago Prius Group website:
    I Would Buy a Hybrid, But. . .
    Hybrid Myths and Their Rebuttals
     
    #2 TonyPSchaefer, Jun 7, 2009
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  3. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Read the stickys at the top of this forum section and it will answer all of your questions. The've been answered 100s of times. :)

    In short, they are all wrong.... Except for the last part of #2. $2000-$3000 is not extremely expensive. If youv'e ever priced out a new GM transmission or engine replacement you would be tickled to only have to spend $3,000. lol

    Here is the other sticky you need to read. :) http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/26050-prius-myths-their-rebuttals.html
     
    #3 F8L, Jun 7, 2009
  4. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    I realize these are your friends, but you should ask them to state their source of information. You'll come to find some vague, convoluted answers (I talked to a guy.....I read it somewhere.....I saw some silly british car enthusiast TV show....etc).

    You were wiser to come and register at this site and ask people who own the car what their opinions are. There are those on this site who don't much care for the Prius, and their opinions are valuable as well, because you will hear the short comings of the car as well. But for the items you've asked about, the shortcomings would be few.
     
    #4 Codyroo, Jun 7, 2009
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Codyroo makes a good point and one that I missed because I was anxious to start typing replies.

    When I hear someone telling me all the drawbacks of hybrid ownership, I ask then which hybrid owner told them these things. They usually tell me that they read it online or heard it somewhere or the things Cody mentioned. No, I insist. I want to know the first-hand report you received from a hybrid owner. I want to talk to that person and hear their complaints for myself. So far, every time they fall back on third-party reporting.

    Only here on Priuschat have I heard from real-life hybrid owners who have had problems with their cars. Some are easily explainable and others require repairs by the manufacturer performed under warranty.
     
    #5 TonyPSchaefer, Jun 7, 2009
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    :rofl:

    hello and welcome to PriusChat!

    To answer your questions...

    1. They're not new as Tony has described in his post. The Prius was launched in Dec 1997 in Japan so the Prius has been around for 11 years. For the regular stuff, feel free to take it anywhere (by that I mean oil changes, coolant, brake fluid, spark plugs etc etc). It's only the hybrid system that will need the Toyota dealer (e.g. battery, high voltage wiring, inverter, electric motor). Given that they're all electronics, there's a smaller chance of them going wrong.

    2. If that's the case, then the 2001 Prius that you are looking at should be on its 4th battery :D. Seriously, do you really think that made sense? 1 or 2 years or 200,000 miles. I don't know anyone that does that kind of mileage (unless it's a taxi) in 1 or 2 years. Speaking of which, we have plenty of taxis that run 500-700,000km without much issue. In fact, we have a few taxi drivers or taxi company owners here on PriusChat! The current battery price is about $2,200. Why don't you ask them how much a transmission costs for their 4x4?

    3. Never heard of it

    4. Maybe because they don't breakdown very often??? Most of the hype surrounds the battery. The rest of the stuff apparently doesn't pose a big concern (despite the fact that I think the electric motor is a more crucial part of the system than the battery). Or maybe because the public doesn't know much about electric motors but know more about batteries because we use them in our daily lives.


    However, given that you're looking at a 2001, I want to make sure that you know all the issues with the 2001 (and you can browse the Gen I forum for more information). The 2004 imo is easier to live with.


    1. Note that the tyres (175/65R14) need to be XL (extra load) tyres. This is because the tyres are smaller than what is normal for a car of that weight so XL tyres are designed to be able to carry more weight on each tyre. IT's not hard to find. There are plenty of tyres that come in XL form as well as regular form.

    2. The battery and engine isn't as powerful as the Gen II (or Gen III) so there will be times where you may see a "turtle icon". This means the battery is low and cannot provide assist to the car so take care when passing. It doesn't happen very often, usually when you're climbing long steep gradients.

    3. The seatbacks don't fold at all


    That's all I can remember.

    On the plus side, it has a ridiculously tight turning circle (you can do u-turns almost anywhere) and the trunk is surprisingly large for a car of that size.
     
    #6 Tideland Prius, Jun 7, 2009
  7. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    1. That's crap, the mechanicals are just mechanicals. I wouldn't mess with the electrical power train but who needs to, it is a Toyota after all.
    2. 300,000+ on some cars, because others are still on their way to those numbers. If your unfortunate enough to have a traction battery fail, get a salvage battery for a few hundred.
    3. Crap, it's like any other car.
    4. Not really and who needs parts for a Toyota anyway?
    5. Depends how you drive and where.
     
    #7 patsparks, Jun 7, 2009
  8. prioki

    prioki Member

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    You've gotten some really good responses so far. I just wanted to add my two cents, fwiw. I bought a 2001 Prius last year at a great price, and it has been worth every penny. The hybrid battery did die a few months ago, but I was lucky that it happened at around 95,000 miles. It was covered under warranty until 100,000 miles. Now I have a brand new battery that was free and I think I'm good for a few years now.

    I kept the plates of the previous owner, but I got my registration paperwork pretty quickly. I can see no reason why plates for a hybrid would take any longer than for any other car. They are just standard plates. My husband ordered vanity plates for his non-hybrid Suzuki, though, and those took a long time. ;-)
     
    #8 prioki, Jun 7, 2009
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  9. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    the car that caught my eye is Toyota Prius (2001 model for only $4500!) I think for that price it's a deal.

    What's the mileage? Condition?


    But when I told me friends they told me about some drawbacks of a hybrid car. They told me that--

    Re: items 1-4. Your friends don't know jack about hybrids.


    Are those myths true??

    No.


    Should I buy a Prius or go with Honda civic (2001 model) or corolla (2001 model) or Toyota ECHO (2002 model)??

    Don't know about the Hondas. I found the Echo yawnworthy.
     
    #9 kenmce, Jun 7, 2009
  10. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    I think what you are saying here (correct me if I'm wrong) is that your friends are implying that

    A) The battery will die quickly from new (1 to 2 years)

    OR

    B) If it didn't die quickly, it may last 200,000 miles.

    In california, you get a 150,000 mile warranty on the battery. 100k elsewhere (so that should address #1, and if #1 was correct, the battery would be replaced for free...joy!)

    As far as a corolla, echo, civic, buy what you can afford, enjoy driving, and fits with your values and ethics. It's a balance. If you are concerned about emissions, global warming, fuel consumption, the prius would be a strong candidate. All the cars will get good fuel mileage if kept tuned up, tires properly inflated, and driven conservatively.
     
    #10 Codyroo, Jun 7, 2009
  11. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    I'd sure be looking at a 2001 for 4500. But, by looking, I mean reading the complete maintenance history, getting the HV battery load-tested at a shop that knows what they're doing, and dropping the transaxle pan for a look inside.

    If it passed my tests I'd probably want to buy it. But personally I am now out of the US and not in need of a car. My 2001 is in Santa Fe NM and doing fine. It would pass all the above tests but is not for sale, sorry :)

    If your 2001 candidate was originally sold in CA or another CARB state, it's hybrid-related emissions warranty would be 100k in those states. If an 80k/100k issue is a factor in your purchase decision, find out the facts.
     
    #11 tochatihu, Jun 7, 2009
  12. Vincent

    Vincent Don't Wait Until Tomorrow

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    Wantprius,

    Your friends forgot to tell you that Prius' explode when hit in the rear (that's my favorire myth).

    If the 2001 checks out, buy it and have fun.
     
    #12 Vincent, Jun 7, 2009
  13. sorka

    sorka Active Member

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    I wouldn't touch a gen 1 with a 10 foot poll. We took a 2003 for a test drive way way back when and I couldn't get out of it fast enough. The slowest weakest worst handling car I've ever had the displeasure of driving. Every corned felt like the car was going to flip. Press the pedal to the floor and nothing.
     
    #13 sorka, Jun 8, 2009
  14. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Interesting... I've never had a chance to drive a gen 1 but the "Every corned felt like the car was going to flip" sounds like my dad's 02 RAV4 (sorry RAV4 owners).

    My dad's RAV4 has got to be the tipsiest feeling vehicle I've ever driven. It feels like one could roll it over very easily. Despite his RAV4 being relatively trouble free, I would never want one of that generation.
     
    #14 cwerdna, Jun 8, 2009
  15. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    What's your vehicle history?

    The older model Prius was a drastic (quite profound, in fact) improvement over the early 80's junk from Detroit I grew up with. Remember those cars? Fast forward to the 2010 and you'll find yourself in an entirely new league of personal transporation.

    I really enjoyed my 2001 Prius. Getting "nothing" back from dropping the pedal was an intriguing sensation. It felt like you were just barely moving, but looking at the speedometer confirmed you were actually accelerating faster than it seemed. No gears downshifting is quite misleading.
    .
     
    #15 john1701a, Jun 8, 2009
  16. Doc Willie

    Doc Willie Shuttlecraft Commander

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    . . . and electrocutes everyone withing a 2 Km. radius.
     
    #16 Doc Willie, Jun 8, 2009
  17. prioki

    prioki Member

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    That's interesting. My car doesn't feel like that at all.

    I presume that a ten foot poll would include a lot of questions. ;-)
     
    #17 prioki, Jun 8, 2009
  18. a priori

    a priori Canonus Curiosus

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    Well done. Though I think we both know he likely just didn't want to get the car anywhere near the pole barn, and felt it wasn't worth questioning anyone within 10 feet of him at the time.
     
    #18 a priori, Jun 8, 2009
  19. prioki

    prioki Member

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    ;-)
     
    #19 prioki, Jun 8, 2009
  20. a priori

    a priori Canonus Curiosus

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    If you are comparing cars all of the same age, and you are comparing the first generation (U.S.) to the Civic, Corolla or Echo, I am thinking that you are looking to cut costs in many ways. One of them may be by doing all of the repair work yourself (or with one of your friends). If that is the case, then you may want to stick with one of the more "conventional" cars. You should be able to get a Civic, for example, for less than $4,500, and that car is very reliable. While the Prius' hybrid system is likely to go just as far as the Civic's engine/transmission (maybe farther), you won't be able to work on it yourself.

    I am a BIG Prius fan, and I am on my second one, but I don't want to see someone get more (or less) than they bargained for when purchasing a Prius. If you do buy the 2001, please go in with your eyes open. I also suggest you check out the vehicle history VERY carefully.
     
    #20 a priori, Jun 8, 2009
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