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Driving a Prius 2006 with 215700 miles for a 1300 miles trip

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by hipchick, Jun 22, 2019.

  1. hipchick

    hipchick Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2018
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    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Hi All,

    Need some advice, I am moving from Florida to New Jersey and checking options to transport my Prius car which I am not planning letting go yet because it does its basic job. I also bought this car used and when I bought it, it was around 206,000 miles. It had some issue where one of the battery cell needs to be rebuilt and now it is still fine. It has 215,700 miles and I am thinking if I will just drive it for 1300 miles from Florida to New Jersey instead of paying another 800 dollars or so for transport which I can use for any maintenance I can do with my car. Do you think it will still perform good and can be reliable for long range driving? I haven't done it since I bought it and the longest it did was 130 miles trip. I used it for my daily commute to work which is around 30 miles per day.

    Let me know what you think thank you!
     
  2. oil_burner

    oil_burner Active Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    I would make sure the oil is topped up and drive it.
     
  3. ChrisFaehrtPrius

    ChrisFaehrtPrius Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2019
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    Location:
    Hamburg, Germany
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Absolutely, drive it. Check oil, water and tire pressure and then go for it. 85mph is a bit on the high side, but possible. I would probably travel at ~70mph.
     
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I would first make sure that all rubber parts are good:

    Wiper blades
    Tires - tread depth and inflation
    Radiator hoses
    Serpentine belt

    Then make sure the engine oil level is full, and check periodically as you proceed on the trip.
     
  5. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Go for it, as long as you keep an eye on your speed and the oil/water and tyre pressures the Prius will enjoy the long run. My ex taxi Prius had run around the city all its life, 700,000kms of it. It was delivered to me on a car carrier and for 2 yrs it was only moved from one spot to the next around the front yard.
    I needed a vehicle to do a 2,000km trip from where we lived to where we had moved to and it was the only vehicle available. I fitted a s/h wheel and tyre from an auto dismantler and replaced the two front seatbelts because they were frayed from so much use.
    The Prius ran like a dream, the oil consumption was nil and the fuel economy started at 7.5ltr/100km and improved to 4.5ltr/100km by the time I reach our new place in Mannum South Australia. Lots of hills and long straights involved, I didn't use the cruise control because I didn't want it to rev too high on the hill climbs. After the long trip it was a much better car to drive and we have covered another 25,000km since then.

    T1 Terry
     
  6. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    Location:
    Torrance, CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    1) You are on borrowed time. One of the modules went bad. There are others that will go bad in the near future. Just a matter of when and at what inconvenient time this happens.

    2) Since you plant to dive, get a high mileage towing plan from AAA or whoever. Hopefully you won't need it. But prepare for the worst, hope for the best!
    upload_2019-6-30_23-49-56.png
     
  7. Brian in Tucson

    Brian in Tucson Active Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Tucson AZ
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You aren't necessarily on borrowed time. You've driven it for 8000 miles, have they been trouble free? If so, the chances are that a trip to NJ won't hurt it. I drove my 02 (with 205k on it) to Oregon for the eclipse, and back. Did fine, the inverter coolant pump threw a code, but it made it home just fine. Yes, there is a chance it will break down, but even NEW cars can do that. I say, go. Have a contingency plan, like maybe a clean credit card so you can rent a uhaul and a tow dolly if it breaks. Do all the needed maintenance in advance. But, GO! It'll be fine.
     
    Aaron Vitolins likes this.
  8. Cheffaz

    Cheffaz Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2011
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    Location:
    Woodlyn
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    the first mistake is moving to new jersey