My 2007 Prius just got towed to the mechanic - it surprised me with the Red Triangle of Death yesterday (along with the Check Engine light and the red car/exclamation point on the top left of the display screen). I immediately parked it and made an appointment at the shop but this morning it wouldn't even go into gear for the short drive there. I'm awaiting the diagnosis, but I'm wondering, what would you all be willing to pay to save it? Some details: - Low mileage (under 85,000) - Body is in good condition - I don't think the hybrid battery has ever been replaced, at least not in the last 12 years that it's been in the family - Gas mileage isn't great for a Prius, usually in the low 40s, but then again I live in Florida and use the A/C pretty much year round - Has not needed any repairs in the 5 years I've owned it, but it has gotten regular maintenance, new tires, etc. - It frequently starts up with a dark dashboard. This has been going on for a year or two, but has only increased in frequency and now only starts up with dashboard lights about 1/3rd of the time. - Gas tank and gauge are a little funky; it won't take more than 6 gallons at a time and the gauge will go from 3 bars to beeping empty unreasonably fast. - We are not proficient mechanics so we must rely on professionals for anything more than basic maintenance (oil changes, etc.) I'd like to keep the car, but I'm reluctant to put a lot of money into it unless I can reasonably expect to keep it on the road for another 5 years or more.
it's only worth a few thousand, so i wouldn't pay much, since the repairs will only get more and more expensive. but if you really want to keep it, it's a great low mileage car that will run forever, but will eventually need a brake actuator, battery, inverter, a/c compressor and engine.
I paid $2500 for mine in about the same condition as yours. Dark combo meter most of the time (repaired it for $35), about the same thing with the fuel gauge (repaired itself miraculously). Low 40s mpg is pretty good if the a/c or heat is being run. I get 49.7 in the summer (don't run the a/c) and 40 in the winter because the heat is on all the time. I still think my car is worth $2500 so I'd probably spend up to that amount. It is a crapshoot at this point in time though.
You probably got a P0AA6 ground isolation fault. It lets you keep driving, but once you turn the car off, it won't let you go READY again, unless you reset the codes or disconnect the 12v battery for a few seconds. This is usually an HV battery problem due to electrolyte leakage, but it can also be other areas of the hybrid system. 95% HV battery though. There are some (very cheap) fun DIY ways of getting rid of that code, but the best way is a new battery, which will help the car last 10+ more years, especially if you only have 85k miles. Your Gen 2 isn't even broken in yet.........
If you have to replace it with a car that requires payments then you're almost certainly better off paying to have it repaired. 12 months of paying $500/mo car payments is $6000 and if the repair lasts you a year then......
