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What repairs should I expect @ 155k+ miles?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by fakester, Feb 18, 2014.

  1. Rich12

    Rich12 Member

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    "...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."

    Absolutely. What concerns many owners of hybrids are the ADDITIONAL points of failure...like the battery.
     
  2. PriusGuy32

    PriusGuy32 Prius Driver Extraordinaire

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    Rich, let it go. You think the cars are problematic, data suggests one thing and you suggest another. Nobody here is losing sleep over any of your assertions.

    Opinions are like ... well you know. :sneaky:
     
  3. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Sure, but they neglect to consider the improvements and substitutions in a Prius that remove concerns present in a conventional car.

    No starter
    No alternator
    No complex transmission
    No array of belt driven accessories
    No interference engine
    Reduced engine wear
    .... ....

    The list is a long one, and most people do not know enough about cars to make a meaningful comparison. E.g., A lightly used traction battery AND inverter together cost about the same as a transmission replacement, yet conventional transmissions fail much more frequently than the mentioned Prius parts. The Prius advantage becomes even more apparent when you realize that although the parts are more complex, the car servicing tends to be pretty straightforward. An inverter replacement is a moderate complexity DIY job; a traction battery swap not much more (although there are a lot of bolts to remove.)
     
  4. salguod

    salguod Member

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    Are you deliberately ignoring the two reliability studies mentioned above with dozens if not hundreds of data points that add up to the Prius being one of the most reliable vehicles out there? Yes, it has more systems that are expensive to repair if they break, but the data suggests that it doesn't happen often at all.
     
  5. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    Rich12 had a bad experience with a mechanic who botched a repair. He's bitter (obviously). I'm sure that he'll get over it - eventually. If he's smart, he won't use the same mechanic again.
     
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Per The Electric Me: "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."

    Yes. If the Toyota HSD is not working perfectly, it usually will not work at all, typically a "degraded" or "limp home" mode is not available. Some vehicle owners are used to thinking that they can wait for degraded driveability symptoms to appear before they need to worry about vehicle maintenance, and that approach doesn't work well with the Prius - unless you enjoy calling for a towing service and waiting an hour or more along the side of the road...

    Or, consider a part as simple as the 12V battery. Everyone has substantial experience with batteries. We know a battery is a means to convert energy from a chemical reaction to electrical energy and we are used to thinking of a battery as an analog device, one which slowly degrades from fully charged to discharged state as the battery is used and time elapses. For example, a battery-powered flashlight produces a bright light with new batteries, and over time the light intensity gradually diminishes until it gets to the point where the user decides to install fresh batteries.

    People also have experience with a 12V starting battery installed in automobiles. In most cars, the 12V battery gets a pretty good test each time the driver tries to start the engine, as a starting current of up to several hundred amperes may be required to spin the starter motor, depending upon the size of the gasoline engine and ambient temperatures. Usually an alert driver can notice the starter motor spinning at a slower rate than normal, which is a big clue that a new 12V battery is needed (or at minimum, a charging cycle is needed.)

    With the Prius, since the 12V battery is called upon to provide only ~30A for a few seconds, the battery in degraded condition can continue to perform - until it gets so bad that the Prius does not start due to insufficient voltage supplied to the various ECUs. Hence the interest here at PriusChat regarding how to measure 12V battery voltage, the correlation between voltage and state of charge, etc., from owners who desire to have some advance notice of a failing 12V battery.

    Therefore, the Prius 12V battery makes the Prius starting system appear to behave in a digital manner (either works great or fails to work at all) even though the battery itself is an analog device.