Hi,

Their rates are a little steep. Still, self-maintenance is not for everyone.

BTW, having replaced the transaxle fluid and gotten it tested, we were surprised at the amount of 'dirt' (aka., silicon) in the used oil. My recommendation is to have it replaced soon.

Bob Wilson

 

heh bob you can say I'm kind of used to paying those high rates. Been paying them ever since on my previous car, which has over 35000 km trouble free miles well since I paid for them hehe. But what I'm worried about is, even if I do pay the high fees, will that totally insure I will have a running car 24/7? Since its kind of like that on my car right now and I can't afford to give up personal transportation! :p

good bundle of replies though,you guys still keep me pondering about going for it...

 

Hi,

Ok, there are times when the dealer is the best choice. Personally, I'd look for a non-dealer shop that survives on a reputation built upon skills. Dealer repair shops are fine organizations but they are there to support the sales department. Keeping an older car rolling is not necessarily in the dealer's best interest. An independent repair shop wants the repeat business but the conundrum is finding them.

In life, there are no guarantees but risks can be mitigated. If 24/7 is required, I'd recommend having at least one backup plan in place: (1) second car, (2) motor cycle / scooter, (3) rental car service, or (4) public transportation.

Good luck!

Bob Wilson

 

Hm wow bob you sound like you know all about your prius classic and the politics of owning one. I assume your into doing all the regular maintainence yourself right? How about you Schwa do you do your own car work or do you still have warrenty on yours? I mean how hard can maintaining a prius be if taken care properly it can run till the battery is dead correct? From my understanding most of the maintainence comes from changing fluids and checking for any car irregularies. Man I wish hybrid car repair shops exsits by now, then maybe owning a used hybrid car wouldn't be such a risky choice.

Although from my understanding a lot of prius problems can be resolved if you replace old parts with new ones since it contains updated code (prius I had to be updated by replacing parts, as opposed to prius II you can just reflash the software) like the ECU for instance. I guess what's left to do is to check the car out in person and look through the history records to see whats been done on maintainence. My personal checklist so far is:

- Check battery for postive terminal seal
- Maintainence records for a ECU upgrade
- Any problems with the power electrical steering
- Transaxle repair, wheel bearings, steering column

and of course ask him why such high mileage, I know he isn't the first owner too so I'm sure that's going to be fun finding out the history of the car. I just hope the car's interior needs fits my lifestyle and hope the biege colour won't make me look too old (from black on my previous car). And of course ride quality which I hope to be more comfortable than my 04 civic coupe. We'll soon see I guess thanks for the helpful replies.

Phil

 

Our dealer has tossed in an incentive to get the scheduled service done at the dealer. If you follow all the recommended service intervals at the dealer they will replace your tires for as long as you follow the service recommendations. I know this isn't a biggie.... but it's better then nothing at all.

 

Hi Phil,

I've only had our 03 Prius for 3 1/2 months. At the same time, I ordered the maintenance manual and joined this and another Prius discussion group. The 818 drive back from Texas on a flat Interstate was used to measure MPH vs MPG and since then, I've been studying the car and learning about its systems and performance.

Originally I too was worried about the traction battery until I realized who was spreading the FUD about hybrid batteries, the anti-hybrid, hydrogen-fraud advocates. Considering the source, I knew this was another area where they were wrong and I started shopping for a used Prius. After buying our 03 Prius, we learned the traction battery is never fully discharged or over charged and this gives the battery an unusually long life. The 80,000 to 100,000 mile warrantee is not at risk.

You've got the basics and understand how to approach the problem. GOOD LUCK!

Bob Wilson

 

I have an '06 Prius that is just turning 30K miles and is running fine, but a friend has on '02 with over 100k. He told me just today that he is going to have to replace the computer and the transmission and since he is out of warranty it will cost about $6000 unless Toyota is willing to do something. Prior to this he has experienced alert lights on the display advising him to take the car to the dealer, but after driving a sort distance they would reset, and the dealer could do nothing. I'm waiting to hear how this turns out. This expense would pretty much negate all that good fuel economy.

Errol

 

It might, but in the mean time, how much has he helped the environment, and how much convienience has he had not having to stop at the pumps all the time. Also, what is stopping him from getting the parts from a junkyard and having them installed?

 

Errlin, concerning the computer replacement, it is probably the engine control module. If these give the warning lights before 80k miles, they are replaced free, so this is a bit of bad luck. The auto dismantlers (like LKQ) may have them more cheaply, so if friend would go that way, it is part number 89661-47054. The last two numbers change with new installed software versions, and you don't want anything less than a "54". It may be a feasible DIY parts swap.

On the transmission, this is more difficult. First thing we need is a second opinion from another Toyota servicer. There have been misdiagnoses of major Prius problems by shops that were not "adequately skilled". There have been at least 2 transmission failures on classic Prius out of warranty, but I understand that Toyota shared the cost in both cases. Maybe we can discuss this further?

DAS

 

I don't know how available parts for a Prius are at the local wrecking yard; it would probably be a good idea to check it out. But maybe a person could do their bit for the environment by getting a non-hybrid that got 35 mpg but was less expensive to repair? I hope my friends problem is not typical 'cause I do enjoy driving my Prius and would hate to feel like I had to get rid of it before the axe fell.