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My 2006 Prius used to be so reliable but lately not anymore!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Aegean, Oct 17, 2020.

  1. Aegean

    Aegean Active Member

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    I bought my 2006 Prius brand new and now I have 146k miles. It had been remarkably reliable for several years but lately I have one issue after another. I really like this car so I hope it stops braking down so often.

    These were the issues with this specific Prius by year.
    2006 None
    2007 None
    2008 None
    2009 Water pump $500 at dealer, DIY $40
    2010 None
    2011 HID headlights $400 at dealer DIY $70
    2012 None
    2013 None
    2014 12v battery $300 at dealer
    2015 None
    2016 HID headlights $400 at dealer DIY $50
    2017 None
    2018 3-way valve $550 at dealer DIY $125
    2019 wheel bearings $1200 at dealer DIY $250
    HVAC fan $400 at dealer DIY $60
    2020 Hybrid battery $3200 at dealer, rebuild service $550,
    Combination Meter $900 at dealer DIY $150
    Hatch garnish $600 at dealer DIY $75
     
  2. bat4255

    bat4255 2017 Prius v #2 and 2008 Gen II #2

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    Age happens, dump and run.
     
  3. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    If you went for the so called rebuild service you just killed dependability. For reliability either the $1600 kit of new cells or a battery from a low mileage junkyard Prius would have been better options.
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    looks like cents/mile is still very low
     
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  5. Moving Right Along

    Moving Right Along Senior Member

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    If you still have a choice on those 2020 repairs, I’d agree with the “dump and run” philosophy bat said. For not much more, you can get a newer car that has not yet hit the time of high repair costs.
     
  6. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Old cars don't get any younger, especially true for a complex little beast like the prius. If you're paying the DIY rate for repairs that's not too bad for almost 15 years and 150k.

    However, I wouldn't expect fewer repairs just because you have done a bunch of work so far. Any older car can have problems crop upat any time- brake actuator, AC leaks, fuel tank, etc. That rebuilt battery might last a year. Again, if you do DIY you can likely keep rolling along while spending less than a new(er) car. At dealer rates you are going downhill on the slope of financial feasibility.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  7. Aegean

    Aegean Active Member

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    Yes this is definitely true. The Prius has one of the lowest ownership costs.

    In my case, I did a lot of DIY work and shopping around so my repair cost so far in 14 years/146k mi is just $1,700 but if I was paying whatever dealer was asking it would be $8,500.
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    are you up for the $1,600. diy?
     
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  9. kenoarto

    kenoarto Senior Member

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    $1500/year vs $5000/year. And your insurance is cheaper.
    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  10. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Some people get several years from a rebuild, some people don't. You can't categorically dismiss that much more affordable option as bad, especially if the person who got their pack worked on is part of our collective where friends and family can have a loaner pack put in their car in less than an hour at first sign of trouble...
     
  11. Aegean

    Aegean Active Member

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    86941600-41BD-4289-AC65-A86346A5D067.jpeg
    I have used a reputable rebuild service in two different Prius and have been very satisfied. I did 15k miles/ 18 months on my Green Prius before I sold it and the battery was running strong without issues.

    This year in March I used them again on my red Prius HV battery and replaced 4 modules based on the attached data. Modules on the rebuild battery including the replaced ones were able to achieve over 6000 mAh after 4-6 discharging cycles. The 4 modules highlighted in yellow were replaced. One is obvious it is not achieving capacity and the other 3 modules because they were losing voltage faster than the rest. So far I get an excellent mpg similar to when the car was 3-4 years old. I hope it would last for some time. Do you see any issues with their work based on these numbers?
     
    #11 Aegean, Oct 18, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2020
  12. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    The only other reputable rebuilders I know of here are hobbyists not for profit companies.
     
  13. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    The record of their methodology looks good, the only concern would be that in the end you have used modules- the pack can perform great but is possible to have any module short out and fail. Ya pays your money and takes your chances. ;)
     
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  14. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Any chance you can find out what those numbers represent, as well as methods used to generate them?
     
  15. Aegean

    Aegean Active Member

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    I agree and took a calculated risk. New OEM battery at the Priority dealer installed was $3200, new aftermarket cells $1600 plus installation, late model modules from junk yard were $1200 plus installation to my battery case and rebuild service $550 total. We will see how long the battery will last.


    I am sure there are members that know this staff way better than me. My understanding is that the numbers represent capacity, in other words how much energy each of the 28 modules can store in mAh. This is measured by fully charging and then discharging the module. Each cycle they told me takes 12-18 hours and they did up to 6 cycles. I do not know what specific equipment they use but I assume it gives the values. The goal is to rebalance the battery or in other words to put all modules in equal capacity and by reading the numbers it appears they were close. I also checked with Techstream voltage difference between higher and lower block was very small and resistance in all blocks was identical.
     
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  16. Calimobber

    Calimobber Member

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    humm.. $200 maybe per year verse $400 per month payment or @25k for new car?

    If your doing the DIY cost, less than $100 per year is crazy cheap for an older car.
     
  17. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Well, that list covers the "Prius specific" repairs. It doesn't have normal things like oil (and other fluid) changes, tires, brakes, etc. Still pretty good overall.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  18. ConcreteJimmy

    ConcreteJimmy Junior Member

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    Then they're charging +$1,200 for the install. Shop rate for that battery direct from Toyota is $1,500. Public rate is $1,700 to $2,000.
    For that kind of price differentiation it becomes a DIY job very quickly!
     
  19. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    To charge $1200 to install means you'll be paying them $600 dollars an hour because it's only a 2 hour job... And while some attorneys and doctors bill at that rate, a mechanic should be thrown in jail for charging that rate.
     
  20. Aegean

    Aegean Active Member

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    When dealers charge $120 for cabin filter change which takes 3 minutes and costs $9 nothing surprises me anymore!
     
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