Transaxle Failure: no ICE, no codes, no go.

Yeah, that's a ton of bias. As per that article, issues either come from wiring deterioration in MG1/2, which consistent PSD fluid flushes ought to minimize based on what I've read in this forum, or from a needle bearing around the input shaft failing, either the thrust or non-thrust, which is going to routinely see high speed or load (or both) operation due to taxi drivers being lead footed on top of SF having a ton of hills. My WAG is a conservative driver in a flatter area would see that failure much later than a cab drive in the city. They might not even see it in the car's lifetime because bearing wear may not be linear.

 

That's good to know in general. Do you think heat (or cold I suppose) might also affect the transaxle by failing earlier? I know the heat affects the HV battery, to a great degree, although do you think it affects the transaxle like it does the HV battery?

It is interesting that in the article, they post their experience as a "routine failing" in Generation 2 Prii. It says the following, "LG currently operates an overnight shift 7 days a week dedicated to hybrid taxi cabs. With this experience we can describe Gen 2 Prius transmission failure as routine, somewhere between 150-250k miles."

That is strange that they seem pretty convinced from that that it is "routine" for the Generation 2 Prii. I suppose that since they are specialists in the hybrid cars, that they are able to post a general idea from their experience.

 

Thank you! So more than likely, this deals with the engine over the transaxle? Thanks again for the information. That is good to note, as 67,200 miles or so would be a very early transaxle failure (although the warranty is definitely helpful). I would just be surprised to have a Prius transaxle fail early on.

 

If you just found out about Luscious Garage, you may not understand how many Prii they service.

 

They definitely service a lot of Prii. It just depends on conditions though of when certain service items happen. It's even said that Luscious Garage pretty much can diagnose anything in a Prius because they service so many cars. So they are definitely to be regarded in terms of the quality of cars. And no, I didn't just find out about Luscious Garage. I was just doing research on the transaxle in the Prius, and their Web site was one of the places where it was talking about transaxle failures, and more.

Although I do have to note I am just becoming familiar with it. I heard about it not too long ago and it sounds like a pretty awesome repair shop.

 

In terms of daily operation I don't think extreme heat or cold as defined by people would cause premature PSD failure like they do with the battery packs. Of the two, really extreme cold might result in lack of lubrication, but even then I'm guessing that's nothing compared to much higher loads because that's only at startup.

I'm pretty sure LG was restricting their statement to Gen II taxis, but if they weren't they need a lot more data than their taxi info to back it up. FWIW excessive arcing can also cause premature bearing wear, so the motor windings arcing and the needle bearings failing may not be independent. I wish LG had more info than just "This bearing failed". A breakdown of the condition of each bearing set (pitting, discoloration, etc), would be very helpful, especially for taxi owners in the city.

 

That's a good point. I guess I was misreading the statement. Knowing their expertise, I am sure that they have a good general idea of when battery packs/transaxles fail. Of course, conditions still would make a difference.

 

Mine just failed at 86,000 miles. Who do I report it too? Too early for me. Over $5000 repair estimate.

 

A Delaware coworker of mine recently had a transaxle failure with his older 2G Prius with only 65K miles. His repair bill was $4,600 and I understand that the Toyota Customer Experience Center offered him $1K off that amount. He was not happy with the outcome and told me he would never buy another Toyota - hybrid or otherwise.

To reiterate, a less costly approach would be to have an independent install a used transaxle from a salvage yard, but you would bear the risk of a repeat failure - a used part might have a dead-on-arrival warranty, but not much more.

 

Thanks for the info. I was very happy with my Prius before this but expected to have another 50,000 miles before major worries considering I do the regular maintenance and I am a boring driver. Not sure what I am going to do but I will definitely study the hybrid warranty info before I purchase another hybrid, any brand. Like to do something good for the planet but can't afford 2 or 3 times more than regular maintenance costs or having to buy a new car so often. Would be much happier if Toyota made the CARB warranty effective everywhere.

7-28-12 Just learned that Maryland IS a CARB state! I guess Toyota isn't covering this repair for everyone consistently. Too many?? Any ideas how to resolve this?

 

It was unlikely a design defect, and more likely that the owner of that car changed the transaxle fluid, but put back in less than what came out. We need to know how many quarts of AWS Toyota fluid came put.