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Has ANYONE at all had a positive experience with their gen 1 prius?

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by Pristina, Aug 29, 2012.

  1. Pristina

    Pristina Junior Member

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    I am curious because I have only heard of one. I have read a lot of tough luck but am wondering if they are all just eating people's money endlessly....?
     
  2. sbiddle

    sbiddle Junior Member

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    I've only had my Gen 1 for one year, but I can't say enough about my Prius. It's been a great car with the original battery, inverter and transaxle. It's easy to work on, well engineered and so far very dependable. Last fill up yielded 52 mpg and the car has 236,000 miles.
     
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    gosh, they were great when they first came out. and people have had many ,many years of good service. don't forget, most of what you see here are problems. all the good talk was way back when. you'd have to search some really old threads.
     
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  4. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    That doesn't reflect reality. I had one and new countless others who did too. They were great.

    Where exactly did you read this?
     
  5. joedirte

    joedirte Member

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    What the poster is saying is... I bought a ten year old NHW11, and now everything that breaks costs a shit ton of $$$.

    This is probably true, but it was great during those other 10 years and 200,000 miles.
     
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  6. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Well I'm married too . . . <rim shot>

    We bought our 2003 Prius, used, in 2005, with 49,300 miles and it has been my hobby and a lot of fun ever since. Sure I've spent a lot of hours and my 'fun' money playing with my car but that is what hobby is all about. Pure fun and entertainment.

    My wife loves fishing, trips, and her dogs. I don't begrudge her pleasures and am happy we can still enjoy life's little pleasures.

    Now I do believe in managing user expectations. Someone who buys a used NHW11 Prius expecting it to be as reliable as they were when new . . . 100,000 miles ago and 10 years . . . well they are likely to be disappointed. However, we can mitigate some equipment failures and gain more useful life from the car.

    In our case, we've put 100,000 miles on our used Prius that now has 150,000 miles. We bought new, a 2010 Prius and it just passed 32,000 miles.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  7. hybridtwins

    hybridtwins Member

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    I'm just 3,000 miles shy of putting 100,000 of my own miles on my Prius. This is a first for me... before now, the longest I'd ever kept a car was about 5 years, but the Prius is by far the most reliable car I've ever owned. So far none of the hybrid components have failed, and the only maintenance needed has been primarily scheduled oil changes, with a few recalls taken care of by Toyota. I hope to get at least another 100,000 miles out of it.
     
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  8. NinnJinn

    NinnJinn Member

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    Positive experience... hmmmm well lets see here....

    Compared to the last vehicle I had that my 2002 Prius replaced in the 6 months of ownership, My prius has saved me $702 in fuel. It has or is near 150,000miles, I have replaced the inverter, which if I would have done my research before purchasing the car, I would have known that it needed one before I bought it. (reason for previous owners trading the car in.)

    While the HV battery failure is in the back of my mind, this is the only vehicle that I have owned and has the most mileage on that it would NOT bother me one bit to jump in it and make a 1700miles trip in a moments notice!!!!

    Except for the first 2 1/2months that I owned a brand spanking new car, (turned into a lemon) have I ever had complete faith in my car as I have in my prius.

    It is so nice to jump into my prius and drive without thinking "what is going to break on the car today?" Or saying a little prayer that I make it to my destination without something going wrong.

    What other motor vehicle can I take on a 380mile trip without stopping and only average paying 7.8cents a mile in fuel????

    I know the days are numbered on "Betsy Blue" until she needs to have some work done, (HV Battery) But after the first of the year I will replace the battery and expect her to be good as new again, And I am looking forward to many more miles of reliability and passing by gas stations and telling the foreign oil people to kiss my a$$!!
     
  9. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I bought my 2001 in 2008 at 125,000 miles. The odometer passed the one-light-second mark some time last May (very sorry I didn't take a picture) and is currently around 192,000. My maintenance has been limited to replacing 3 light bulbs (about $10 total) and the right rear wheel bearing (about $260 as I recall), and the usual filters, fluids, tires, and spark plugs. To tell the truth, the old plugs looked pretty darned good when I took them out last year. I put never-seize on the HCAC valve shaft shortly after I bought the car, and maybe I should do it again before this winter just to avoid trouble. I have not had to clean the MAF sensor or throttle body, though that's often mentioned here as a common minor issue.

    It looks, drives, and feels like a much newer car, and fools people routinely. The only issue at the moment is the known trouble with the steering-rack torque sensor, and I got a letter from Toyota a year ago offering to cover replacement, seven years and 140,000 miles after the rack went out of warranty. That's what I call standing behind a product. The offer is good through December 2013. I haven't had the work done yet, partly because the problem isn't very annoying and partly because I'd have to be without my car a few days. I will have it done before the offer expires, probably this fall.

    When I rotate tires I measure my brake lining thickness and project out to when I'll have to replace shoes and pads. Current projection is 2018.

    The battery still has low voltage deltas between pairs and has given me no sign of trouble. I have not had the lid off to check for corrosion. I do understand problem onset can be sudden and I could be looking at a battery any time. Four years ago, when I bought the car, there was much less known about battery refurbishment, no reman operations like Re-Involt, and the dealer price was higher. At the time, I picked up some spare battery parts from Bob Wilson (which was very entertaining to the local police), just in case. I haven't needed them. If my battery codes tomorrow, chances are I'll buy a Re-Involt and be done with it. No big deal.

    Similarly, MG2 stator failure could come on without warning. As with the battery, that has become less scary with time, as Jack Rosebro has figured out how to replace the stator alone. I would like to learn the details (as I am nowhere near Luscious Garage), but at least I know it is possible. Back when my wheel bearing went, I worried at first it could be MG2, but it turns out the sounds can be told apart.

    I may eventually experience the failure of a part that's hard to get, or expensive enough that I'll just decide it's time for my next Prius. I won't have regrets. I have never had a car so reliable, or looking and feeling so new at its age. At the time I bought mine, I hated the way the newer model looked, but I've had more time to get used to it, so I'll be able to move on when the time comes.

    -Chap
     
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  10. youngnbald

    youngnbald Junior Member

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    I bought a 2001 with 223,000 miles on it in May. I love how the car is going to pay itself off from fuel savings alone when comparing what I would have spent driving my Envoy. I will use the Envoy to pull my toys and 4x4 in the winter snow, but the Prius is now my main drive and I don't have fears with it. With a scan gage plugged in and knowledge from this site, I love this car. I get told it looks like a Corolla and people can't believe it is a hybrid or the year. Great shape yet. The battery was still original and I replaced the 11 year old battery for good measure. Replaced known issues (bearings, CV boot, engine seal and fluids) and now the car has history to me and trust is there. No rust and the car is solid to drive!!!!!! Never had a car with this many miles and so solid at this age. I can see rolling 300,00 on the dash! LOVE IT!
     
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  11. Pristina

    Pristina Junior Member

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    Here, heard it from Toyota as well as other mechanics, see a lot for sale with low mileage which rings a bell for a high fuel efficiency car. Not trying to dog them, just curious.
     
  12. Pristina

    Pristina Junior Member

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    How I wish this were my experience!! This is the first car in 10 years that has me wondering if I am going to make it safely to my destination :(
     
  13. Pristina

    Pristina Junior Member

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    Easy way to look at when you're not in my shoes
     
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  14. youngnbald

    youngnbald Junior Member

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    When you bought, you should have known as with ANY car....until you create your own history with the car, you will need funds to repair it. Buy new and let a warranty repair it for you. Look at my first post when I came on this site. I had two mechanics look at the vehicle and created a thing to do list of repairs. Who was to say more wasn't going to show up???? I took the chance. Do the repairs and let the fuel savings pay it off. What other vehicle were you driving? Did they get 50-60 city consistant? Fuel is going up and the time to recover your lost money with shorten. Cheer up. It is stressful but have a goal on the other side. Go back to a 20MPG car with $4-6 gas. Enjoy that.....plus ITS repairs.
     
  15. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    The Gen 1 (US) was a high-economy, low-maintenance subcompact which made it a good urban runabout for people with enough money and leanings that made them favor the high economy and utility over TCO. I think that's why you see so many with low mileage.

    As far as I'm aware there were some maintenance issues with them, but they were one-time things like fixes for an electrical problem and a higher battery failure rate (replacements use Gen2+ cells that are cheaper and better). The rest comes from aging. There's a house near me with 2 Gen 1 Priuses and a Gen 2 and there's a pizza delivery guy in town who it seems only replaced his Gen 1 when the Prius c was released.
     
  16. Pristina

    Pristina Junior Member

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    I agree with you, and would be glad to do just that as long as the rest of the vehicle is not just "failing with age", which understandably I can't fight. I did spend the anticipated initial repair money already and am quoted at least 5600 in additional repairs, which is thousands over the value of the car. To answer you I had a 15 year old corolla for 8 years which I only replaced because it rolled over 200,000 and I figured I should be ahead of the game and get some money out. I was just spoiled with not having to worry about the mechanics.
     
  17. Pristina

    Pristina Junior Member

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    I looked into buying a reinvolt battery, but also read that I may have a transmission repair code, and that people were buying the refurbished batteries and still having to replace transmissions when the cars didn't drop codes. But the decision is all still up in the air. Just trying to gain general knowledge about the car at this point. Then I will feel more prepared to decide whether the repairs will end the troubles with it.
     
  18. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    When I was younger and had less money, I bought used cars 3-5 years old. I always took the car to a mechanic for a thorough check, and I set aside ~ $3000 for repairs. I figured I would eventually buy a lemon despite my best efforts, but some of my savings over time from my successful purchases would cover the loss.

    Somewhat like buying on Ebay. Once in a while I am defrauded, but the savings the rest of the time more than make up for the rare loss. To keep losses down, I avoid any seller who gives me any hint of possible trouble.

    OP: you gambled in buying a fairly old car. Perhaps it will turn out to be a good choice, and perhaps not. You will be happier if you learn about the car and take advantage of this forum to lower your repair bills, rather than second-guess yourself.
     
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  19. youngnbald

    youngnbald Junior Member

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    Research and save. The dealer and another mechanic would have cost $2800 in repairs, I did the work for $1500. $1000 of this was for the A/C and I let the dealer do the work. After fixing the A/C, I found people stating how to fix the clutch and I may have spend more than I needed for the A/C. That money has already been saved with fuel cost savings verses my Envoy. I take my time researching the items and found the repairs are not hard to do on your own.
     
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  20. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    Hang in there Pristina. I have had great luck w/ my Gen I. Hopefully we can get you back on the road.
     
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