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2006 - seeking general advice about good time to sell vs. repair

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by D Doernberg, Jun 30, 2020.

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  1. D Doernberg

    D Doernberg New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2020
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    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Our 2006 Prius (166,000 miles, not sure the model) just had its replacement Dorman battery die (after about 20 months), and we're at a crossroads. We've had great luck with the car, had to make no major repairs... and now that it's 14 years old we're wondering if we should get out while the getting is good, before lots of expensive things (transmission, brakes, dashboard circuit boards, etc.) start to fail.
    1. Probably it makes sense to buy a replacement battery, even if only to sell the car right away... any situation where we might want to sell it unrepaired (e.g. if parts are really valuable)?? Can't imagine so, but asking.
    2. Assuming we replace the battery, how likely are we to experience more than just 1 or 2 major expenses (one after another) over the next 1-2 years? Not looking for any guarantees on such advice, just curious this list's general sense of when things start to go downhill fast.
    3. My sense is that people have generally had good experience with new battery from NewPriusBatteries, but want to reality check that vs. Toyota (new? reconditioned?).

    Sorry to ask such general questions without many details, but rule-of-thumb general answers will be really helpful!
     
    #1 D Doernberg, Jun 30, 2020
  2. Aegean

    Aegean Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2019
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    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    If the car has been maintained regularly and has no other issues than the hybrid battery it will probably last a few more years without expensive repairs. My experience with 2 Prius and total 18 years of ownership between them is that an average of $500 repairs per year is more likely now for a 2006 model year.

    However, the golden years for low ownership cost and without repairs was between years 4 and 12. A replacement with a 2016-2017 model would also be a viable long term option.
     
    #2 Aegean, Jun 30, 2020
  3. Metrolens

    Metrolens Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2012
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    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    My two cents, I would just get a new 12v battery, and drive the car until you are forced to make the decision.

    I have a 2005 Gen2, and I've been using the ACDelco ACDB24R Advantage AGM, which has been flawless for 2 years, and runs around $150 on Amazon. (This battery is for the Smart Key Prius, just be careful as I believe the non-smart key Prius uses a different 12v battery size).

    Have you ever replaced the hybrid battery? If not, I would expect that will die somewhere in the not too distant future. That is an expensive repair, which might facilitate your decision.

    EDIT:
    It occurs to me that perhaps you were talking about the hybrid battery all along. If so, feel free to ignore...
     
    #3 Metrolens, Jul 13, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2020
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