Thinking of buying a brand new Prius

A recommendation would be to rent one and drive it before buying.

 

Hi Silly Girl, The 110k on battery replacement if the main traction battery is cared for properly is a myth. If you discharge it to zero several times you may shorten the battery's life. For repairs on the drive system I would stick with the dealer, other stuff it's still a regular car with most of the same parts. Oil change any place you trust. Like any car if it is well maintained there are should be no surprise expenses. In fact a Prius is usually cheaper to run than most other cars.

 

Hello, Silly Girl. I've been in my 2010 since October and I love it. As for your questions:

1. Rumor. The battery is under warranty for eight years (IIRC) but that doesn't mean the battery gives up the ghost at eight years and one day. There are older Prii cruising around with more than twice that on their original battery. Like any part, it may eventually require replacement, but that day is a decade or more away, if ever.

2. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to. This is still a relatively new technology and, frankly, I'm not sure your average grease monkey would know what to do with it. I used to own a car with a much simpler engine, and I could do the majority of repairs myself with a shop guide and some parts salvaged from a wrecking yard for next to nothing. I kind of miss that, but there is no way I'd ever trust either myself or the average mechanic with my hybrid engine. There may be some actual warranty issues there, too. I'd have to look it up.

3. Everything I said above again. And the 2010 Prius only requires an oil change every 10,000 miles. That's seldom enough that I don't think it will be a problem.

4. None that I can think of. I went a little bit crazy with options, but I don't think that's what you were talking about.

Good luck!

 

For CARB (California Air Resources Board) states, which the OP is clearly in, the HV battery warranty is for 10 years/150K miles, whichever comes first.

 

Review the 200,000 miles owner club thread. That will give you an idea of what to expect.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/57091-200-000-mile-club.html

The real owner report starts at post #15.

 

Is it true you will have to replace the battery after 100K miles or is that a rumor?

No it's not true. There is no exact mileage inwhich a battery is guaranteed to either last or fail. You have the warranty that will cover the battery, which is longer in California. Reliability of the battery is reportably very good. However, no battery lasts forever and if you keep the automobile long enough(past warranty)..eventually you will be faced with the cost of battery replacement. However the arguement is that this is not too much different than any ware part of any automobile. Keep any automobile long enough and eventually you will probably have to rebuild or replace a transmission or face some expense. From what I've read? I'd expect reliability from the battery for the life of the warranty and beyond...but it's not so much total miles, it can have a lot to do with enviromental conditions and overall useage. Just like any battery powered product, eventually it will need replacement.

Can I take a Prius to a non dealer for repairs or am I stuck going to a dealer?

You own a Prius, your still a free citizen. Of course you can take your automobile to any service professional you wish. However, your average Joe Mechanic is likely to not be familiar with Hybrid Technology. The Prius utilizes a lot of computer controled systems and diagnostics. This plus maintaining your warranty IMO leaves the reality as the dealership becomes the best and primary place to have your Prius serviced. Some people in this forum are lucky enough to live close to a few highly specialized independent hybrid shops...but I'd say overall those are rare, and even if I was convinced that my problem was 100% not Hybrid component related, I'd still hesitate to have a mechanic unfamiliar with hybrids working on a Prius.

Can I do oil changes at any oil change place?

Like above. Sure you are free to go ahead. The Prius does use a O weight synthetic oil, as well as employ a oil filter cartridge and have a irregular fill capacity. I've heard too many stories about Toyota Dealerships failing to do an oil change correctly, so again, I'd be really, really hesitant about allowing a Jiffy Lube jump through the hoops of a Prius Oil Change. Between the 0 weight synthetic oil, the slightly less capacity to fill, the oil filter cartridge AND the fact that on the 2010 underbody plates need to be removed to access everything...I'd really NOT take it anywhere but a dealership and even then I'd be a little nervous. There are many threads where many owners discuss doing the oil changes themselves, and/or looking for overfills after the dealership screws up and siphoning out the overfill.

Are there any unexpected expenses I should be aware about?

My observations after being part of this site and watching this site for over a year, is that The Prius seems to be as reported in JD Powers and numerous consumer satisfaction surveys...a very reliable automobile. Most people seem to go for several years with just routine, or basic maintenance.

However, and this might be argued by the Prius Hybrid Faithful, it is also my observation that eventually like with any machine you are likely to have a problem arise. A hybrid is a more complex system than most standard ICE automobiles. So when that day arrives, it often is met with the dashboard suddenly lighting up, several icons and a tow to the dealership. Could the problem be minor? Could it be major? You never know. You are dealing with a machine that employs computers and a carefully orchestrated duality of power systems...engine and battery, engine and electric motor/generator. Along with a regenerative braking system. The reliability of these systems through about a decade of Generation 2 Prius has been very, very good, but they can fail.

The only other relative immediate potential expense you might encounter is potential tire replacement. Many Gen2 owners complained about the quality of the OEM tires, some going so far as replacing them almost immediately after purchase of the automobile. Haven't heard many complaints about the OEM tires on the Gen3, so maybe Toyota has improved them. But when Tire replacement does become necessary it will be recommended you purchase a Low Rolling Resistance Tire, to help with the gas mileage. There are a rapidly growing number of options in this area.

 

Electric Me,

In reading this forum I notice you frequently post and sound knowledgable. However, one cannot help noticing that you don't own a hybrid.

My question is, how are you so knowledgable, and, how come you don't own a Prius? What is it about the Prius that keeps you away?

 

Sorry, I'm laughing to myself. I'd like to answer you, and if you take all my posts here as a whole you could probably form your own answer. Sometimes, I don't know why I hang around here and given my obssesion with Prius and Prius Chat, I don't know mysef why I don't own a Prius.

I'll try to keep it short. About 2 years ago I decided it was time to replace my still reliable, but rapidly aging 1993 Accord which did have some issues that needed to be faced as far as repair and maintenance.

I started researching and actually discovered the suprisingly rich and diverse world of Hybrids, Prius, Electrics and Prius Chat.

Fortunately, or Unfortunately depending on how you want to look at it, my discovery coincided with the timeframe of the impending release of the new 2010 Prius and The New Honda Insight.

By the way, this was a very dynamic time within Prius Chat. It was exciting to be part of the discussion and speculation and celebration of the release of the Gen 3.

But what happened was that while great deals existed on new Gen 2, and I think if it had been a year earlier without the reality of the Gen 3 approaching, I might of just bought a Gen 2 Prius and be driving it today, I was too intrigued by the reality of the unknown Gen 3 and improvements such as "regular gas tank" and adjustable seats and beltless engine. So I waited...while my 1993 continued to age...

So I let last winter pass, while simply watching and continuing to learn about Prius and Hybrids...come spring I knew I almost HAD to make a decision. Without making a relatively significant investment into repair, my Accord wouldn't of lasted much longer.

Why didn't I buy a Prius? I don't know. My logic is probably flawed. But as much as I do like Prius, my immediate thinking was that I believe the entire Hybrid, Electric, automobile genre is on the verge of some pretty significant change. Primarily full electrics, and Lithium Ion Batteries as well as "Plug In" hybrids.

Basicly, I just kind of want to see what happens in the next year or two. I also honestly had some insecurities about buying a first model year of a new redesign.

So I bought a Honda Fit. I really like it. More than I thought I would. In the meantime? I can continue to monitor Gen 3's success and improvement, and see what happens within the entire Genre.

I kind of see my Honda Fit as something economical, reliable and relatively efficient that allows me to reset the timeclock on watching the Hybrid world.

So basicly, I commited to short term less advanced technology, so that I could wait on the potential options and improvement I think is rapidly approaching within the Hybrid world.

But I will also admit...sometimes I have no idea why I'm still hanging around Prius Chat while driving my Honda Fit...and I do feel like the outsider at the block party.....

But I think Electrics, Hybrids are the inevitable future. To not keep yourself informed and aware regardless of what you are actually driving or using as transportation would probably be unwise.

And as Forrest Gump would say, "Ma ma always wanted me to try to be wise".

 

Very interesting and answers exactly what I wondered. Thanks.

:rockon: