1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Need advice on 1st Gen 2002 Prius

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Hannahkh, Jul 11, 2017.

  1. Hannahkh

    Hannahkh New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2017
    3
    1
    0
    Location:
    New Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2002 Prius
    Model:
    One
    Hello!

    I have a 1st generation 2002 Prius with about 186K miles on it. I went to the Toyota service dealer and they said I need to replace the front struts, shocks, and bushings, which would cost about $1300-1400. I was hoping to keep my car going for at least another year, is it worth it to get it fixed at this point and if so is this a reasonable cost?
     
    #1 Hannahkh, Jul 11, 2017
  2. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2016
    3,709
    5,184
    0
    Location:
    Cornwall
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Hi Hannah and welcome to Prius Chat. Sorry I can't help you personally, @bwilson4web used to have one of those (I think), so I just pinged him for you and hope he can help you out. Ok?
     
    #2 RCO, Jul 11, 2017
  3. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,755
    6,555
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Why did you go to the service dealer in the first place?

    A teen-aged car with worn suspension bits is hardly noteworthy, but this quote is longish for the items that they're replacing.
    My guess is that your car is in pretty good shape and they're trying to spook you into a four figure repair (that ought to cost $500 or so) just to try to shake you over to their primary business: Car sales.

    Tell them I said so, and see if the "service manager" (a.k.a. commissioned sales generator) can defend the diagnosis or the estimate.

    Advice:
    1. If you have a car that really has suspension problems, then take it to a place that fixes suspension problems...like a Goodyear or Firestone store that is reputable. They will give you a highish guestimate on the cost of getting your suspension bits back into geometry.

    2. CR says that it's not dumb to spend up to the hull value of your car in repairs. Many other "financial experts" also give a value between half and full street value-but you have to remember that the rule of thumb for rules of thumb is that............wait for it!...........they are just a rule of thumb.
    Your car is just about worthless as a trade-in, except of course for the dealer who will use it to muddy the waters when you buy the replacement car.
    Get an idea of its real street value (kbb.com) and expected future utility before sinking $1200 into a repair....and some repairs in some cases (HVAC for example) are not warranted for this car.

    3. Keep checking your oil and coolant regularly!!!!
    Your car may be a teenager in human years, but it's Methuselah in car-years.
    If you want to use it for another year......keep up to date on maintenance, NOT to be confused with things that crooked sales people will try to sell you like Injector cleaning, AC refreshorizor, and blinker fluid changes.
    Cars that old DO tend to develop coolant leaks that can lead to over-temp conditions.
    Oil checks are also more vital.
    Self checks are the......;) rule of thumb.

    4. Don't trade this car in when you're done with it.
    Sell it in this forum or on the streets.


    Good Luck!
     
    #3 ETC(SS), Jul 11, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2017
    RCO likes this.
  4. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,398
    15,524
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Just curious, was there something not right that led to visiting the dealer?

    If they changed the oil, can you share the receipt?

    Bob Wilson
     
    #4 bwilson4web, Jul 11, 2017
    RCO likes this.
  5. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2016
    3,709
    5,184
    0
    Location:
    Cornwall
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks for helping out guys. (y)
     
    #5 RCO, Jul 11, 2017
  6. Hannahkh

    Hannahkh New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2017
    3
    1
    0
    Location:
    New Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2002 Prius
    Model:
    One
    Hi everyone,

    Thanks so much for all of your help! I am not a car expert but I will try to answer all your questions to the best of my ability!

    I brought the car in for it's regular maintenance check-up, oil change, tire rotation, etc. I brought it to the certified Toyota service place where I usually bring it every 3-6 months, or whatever date or millage they tell me to come in next.

    Usually there's not many problems with the car, although about 3 years ago I had to replace one of the batteries and about a year ago I had to replace the catalytic converter. Additionally, the AC system is broken but since that is not essential for the car to run I decided not to get it fixed.

    I usually get all my repairs done at the Toyota certified service place because my family have been going to them for a long time and as I know nothing about cars, I figured any other auto repair shop would try to overcharge me as well. I called the Toyota service guy again yesterday just to get clarification on everything and get his opinion and whether it was worth fixing. He seemed pretty objective and didn't try to sway me in either direction. I really love this car and would like to keep it going as long as it makes financial sense for me.

    Hope this helps and thanks again for the advice!
     
    #6 Hannahkh, Jul 12, 2017
    RCO likes this.
  7. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2016
    3,709
    5,184
    0
    Location:
    Cornwall
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Best wishes. Remember, there always somebody on here to answer your questions. (y)
     
    #7 RCO, Jul 13, 2017
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)