Prius V maintenance cost Pre Buyer question

When I sold my 2008 Prius last year, it had about 100k miles and was almost showroom perfect. But I sold it to a stranger rather than a friend because the friend would want to keep it for as long as possible. And I knew that a major repair would be likely during his ownership and that could cost thousands. Of course, he could buy a used Civic or Matrix and keep it until it needed an engine or transmission, which would also cost thousands. Some people are ok with squeezing the last mile out of a car while others want the utmost reliability while they own it, especially if it's their only car or they have long commutes. With that said, a Prius v is a very reliable car. It has no alternator, the brakes last an incredible long time and rarely do we hear about transmission or suspension issues. Some have blown head gaskets, some burn oil, and some require a hybrid battery occasionally. Headlights are just a bulb and are cheap.

My Prius v with 195k miles has the original brakes, which is absolutely unheard of in any non-hybrid. This is because of regenerative braking charging the hv battery rather than wearing out the brake's friction material and rotors. Many people have gone 200k without any large repair costs. Taxi companies love them but they are willing to spend the occasional repair time because long term it's a good low cost per mile vehicle. Don't forget it will use half the gas of an alternative. For a taxi company, the gas savings alone could save them $10,000 every 200,000 miles. So repairs are worth it to them.

On a personal level, it's the unexpected repair that can kill you if the hybrid battery or the power inverter/converter itself goes. A taxi company would take it offline for a couple of days and then run it another 150k miles and do it again. In certain areas, a new Toyota hybrid battery is available for maybe $2500 while "rebuilt" hybrid batteries with a warranty may be $1500. Dealers charge more.

If my single sister asked me about these two cars, I would suggest she buy a lower mileage Prius v or a lower mileage anything for reliability. I would suggest she plan and budget to replace it around 150k-175k. She lives in the country and it is her only car. If she lived in a city with good mass transit and she drove less than 5k miles a year, I would be ok with a high mileage anything. If I were buying another Prius v (which was discontinued in the US after the 2017 model), I would buy a low mileage version from 2015 through 2017. But I usually buy new and am likely to get the all new 2019 Rav4 Hybrid when available around the end of the year.

PS: Prius prices skyrocket when gas hits $4 a gallon which has happened a few times over the last ten years. It is likely to happen again. At that point, low mile Prius models will sell for new prices and new examples may get higher than sticker in some areas.

 

While the Prius v has a great reliability record on average, you will be buying just one, so averages don't count.

What is true, is that few mechanics can actually repair a part of a hybrid, so the entire unit gets replaced. It is much more expensive to replace the entire transmission than to re-wind a motor, so Prius repairs do run high when needed.

You live in CA, (and I assume you will register for CA plates) so if your car was originally purchased in CA (or another CARB state) you have a 150,000 mile, 10 year hybrid warranty. So an AZ car is worth less to you than a CA car.
The 2014 list of CARB States in the US | PriusChat

Quick list:
Transaxle $5000 (change the fluid at 30,000, 90,000 and then every 90,000 miles)
Inverter $4000 (never jump start another car, if you have to jump start your car, replace the 12 volt battery)
HV Battery $3500 (try to keep it cool, use B mode on long steep downhills, use A/C if you are warm, if you have pets clean the fan)
Brake Accumulator $2500 (I do not understand how it fails)

None of these happen often, burning up the Inverter by jump starting is most common. (buy and carry a jump start pak, not jumper cables)
www.amazon.com/SUAOKI-Starter-Flashlight-Motorcycle-Automotive/dp/B077HQ3RMC

If you want to use the brakes every so often, put the car in N at highway speed and stop. that will really brake as opposed to regenerate electricity.

Gen 2 Prius have difficult to reach bulbs, the dealers initially removed the entire front bumper. Youth and women however often have small enough hands to replace the bulb with out disassembly.

Luscious Garage is an excellent independent repair place, somewhat distant from you, in SF I think there is a well regarded Toyota dealer in Auburn, Roseville less so.

Should you decide to buy a Prius, download the owners manual and read up on customization, some you can change, some the dealer can change.
https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM47840U/pdf/OM47840U.pdf 2014 Prius v manual, page 525 starts the discussion.

As an example, I am a large man who parks in a garage 98% of the time. I have the headlights set to turn off after 0 seconds. If I was a young lady who parked away from my apartment, I might want 90 seconds of headlights to light my way. I have my fob and door handle to open all the door with one click, you might want only the driver door to unlock. Some models and years you can make R beep only once, the dealer always can.

 

I agree with Jimbo on most things but I see no reason to put the car in neutral at highway speeds and stop just to exercise the brakes. The Prius v is a Gen 3 model and the headlights are not difficult to change even with my XXXL hands. Jimbo is right about the earlier gen2 being a little more difficult to change but I did it without ever removing the assembly. The prices quoted are probably right for a dealer repair but each could be reduced in half by a good independent hybrid shop. You are close enough to LA to find quality independent shops. Nevertheless, I would think twice about a high mileage car of any type.

 

And this is what is great about PriusChat, honest discussion based on each posters personal experience. Not some cookie cutter responses.

My highway speeds may be 20 MPH less than Texas, so R J Parker may be at speeds where the battery cannot absorb all the energy, so the brakes get used every time. We are each telling what we learned.

 

The Prius v is a very reliable car in general. One (insane) owner put over 330,000 in a 2012 v in 2 years. (I have 111,100 in 6 years)

Prius v: 300,000 miles club | PriusChat

My worry is that you may get the one lemon. The CA warranty would help some with that worry. You would still have 20,000 miles to find issues.

older Gen 2 Prius have exceeded 400,000 miles
400,000 Mile Club | PriusChat

 

The c will be much smaller than the v, and get better mileage.

Here I am carrying 96 10 inch cheesecakes across Mississippi. (back seats are down)



I do not find a c photo with the back full of cheesecake , so you can compare. This year I have only carried 23 cheesecakes so far, I bet a c would have done fine.

 

A reliable car - especially one from the 2010s - only stays reliable when you keep up on maintenance items like oil and fluid changes, regardless of brand. You love your car and it will love you back. The difference with Prius models is that you may have one or two very expensive repairs over the course of the car's life (10-15 years), as opposed to a bunch of niggling problems as with other cars.

The hybrid system components are obviously the parts that make new potential Prius owners a bit squeamish. The good news is that the traction batteries degrade more with age than mileage, so you are unlikely to have to have the battery replaced until you are close to paying your family off if you get that 2014 you mentioned in another thread.

What you need to do is go to a local Carmax or no-pressure dealer that has any of the cars on your list, regardless of price or mileage, and test your child seat and one of your instruments. If they don't fit, you know which car not to get!

 

I always enjoy when you trot out the cheesecake photo.

 

It is a very easy to measure cargo, you can count cheesecakes and know if YOUR cargo will fit

 

While a unit of measure, not sure how many of us will have enough of them to get an accurate assessment .

Or if I have that many, I have other things to be mindful of.

 

The problem with the Prius c is that you won't get the 10 year/150k mile warranty for your hybrid/traction battery. If you get a hatchback, take advantage of that hybrid battery warranty, especially because you cannot afford $2.5-$3k for a replacement. And this is the most common expensive repair for the Prius- something that you won't have to worry about with the Fit.

While you could drive a '98 Odyssey for many years without a major repair, you will have to replace a hybrid battery sooner or later. Prius is a very reliable vehicle- but the trouble free, reliable ones have owners that tend to keep them. With the ones that are up for sale, the odds of a repair looming increases. Many times, that's why the previous owner sold the car.

You've hinted about having a limited repair fund. Do you have an estimate of what it will be and your price range for a purchase? Then you'll get some advice on whether or not a Prius is for you.

 

Nope.

Just the 100 k mile warranty as it is a different class of hybrid.

Our 2017 RX450h has a 8year /100 k mile warranty on its battery, but I have plans on preventative maintenance that will extend that.

Good luck with your purchase decision .

 

Gen 2 (2004 -2009) Gen 3 (2010 - 2015) did. So did v (2012 - 2015) It was a feature of CARB rules.

c never did, not Gen 1 or Gen 4