Hello, I got my prius at 17 years old from my late mother who bought it new and did routine oil changes at a good mechanic. Now it needs a new Hybrid battery. I'm not well educated on mechanics/ cars and wondering what your opinion is on getting the new battery? It would cost about $3500 at my local mechanic total. Here is the thing: If I sell that and my 2000 Sienna, I could MAYBE get what/ Like $4-6000 total? My Sienna has been given Hospice orders... those repairs would cost $1500 but I'm also wondering if that would be a better option. Or that I would keep both because my daughter still needs transportation to college in town. If I buy a newer car for about $8-10,000 it will probably have issues right away because people sell their cars when they need repairs. I have gotten my last 3 cars when they were 17 years old. I needed to do repairs. BUT the insurance is cheap, registration is cheaper. I am weighing doing this repair vs buying a newer car that I will likely need to put $2000 into right away anyway and I don't know its maintenance history. I am a single woman trying to save for retirement and don't have extra to buy a $25000 car and pay that high insurance rate. What do you think? (yes, I'm sort of decided on going ahead, but I'm worried I'm making the wrong decision) Thanks
What's a hospice decision on the sienna van ? Sienna year 01 to 03 yes you want to keep that series van . Sounds like it's time for timing belt etc. the Prius . You should be able to beat 3500. Putting in HV battery should be 1.5 hrs shop time at 135 hrly . That ain't much . but HV battery online thru Toyoda to get max discount . There is done debacle over selling batteries to regular humans you may have to push thru that . The internet will tell ya how usually call dealership setup acct . Send yer son or boy friend over to pick up in a blue work shirt . That sort of shiet . just have to act like one knows what's going on. I know more about what's going on at toyoda dealer than the office staff over they're. He he
tough decision. two very good cars with a lot of potential. I suppose the Sienna is cheaper and easier to repair by any mech vs Prius
I think you're downplaying the effort it would take to sell two used cars and buy another used one. 3500$ is also the going rate of a new hv battery installed in my state. Since you know your 2009 was properly and gently maintained by your late mother, at least the 3500$ represents "a devil you know." I don't see how the sienna should figure into your decision. Selling both will not fetch you a higher price than selling each individually. If your daughter drives infrequently than perhaps she could make do with the sienna.
the Sienna can be repaired by your ordinary on the corner shop like Scotty K.. if the timing belt breaks your engine will still be fine (non-interference) brakes and electrical stuff are simple on these vans.. only the trans is a liability at higher miles. With the Prius, you can't even sell that a premium with a bad hv battery but you can try putting in GreenTec or greenbean refurbs for $1000 before selling or even try that route. Few shops will repair a Prius, worst diagnose it (and you could get screwed by bad diagnosis)
How many miles on each car? What is the problem with the Sienna that is so bad the car has to go? How much do you drive? If you put in a lot of miles the Prius can save some money on gas compared to most cars. However if you only drive a little, and especially if it is only short trips (like <5 miles, then it sits), then that advantage no longer offsets large costs like a battery replacement. Do they salt the roads in Indiana? If so, check underneath, one or both cars might be rusting out. Goshen seems to be a pretty small place, and even the nearest "big city" of South Bend is only 100K population. That suggests your choices for repair shops for a Prius may be limited to just the dealers, and they are $$$ for repairs people here do themselves for $. Do you see many Prius's around there, like in a parking lot you visit? If so it would be a good idea to wait around and ask a few owners who they take their car to. We owned a Subaru once, pre-Internet, and buttonholed some other owners, to find that literally everyone we asked was going to the same mechanic, except to the dealer for warranty stuff. So we went to the same guy, he was excellent albeit very busy. If you have a friend who works on cars they can probably swap the battery for you. It isn't hard, but it does require a bit of muscle to drag the thing out of and then back into the car. Note it isn't like putting in a 12V battery. For the HV battery the OEM sells the case with all the modules and new wires, then all the electronic pieces are moved over from the old battery to the new. There is a substantial core charge, returned when the old battery is returned. But only if that was an OEM battery. If the car has already had a battery swap with some other proprietary innards putting in a new one will be more involved. If the HV battery isn't all grey metallic on the outside, other than stickers, that may be the case.
