prius owners

[historian]

does anyone here own a prius with over 100.000 on it? I ask because mine has just passed that and im very concerned about the batteries. If they fail i cant afford to have them replaced. Yes i know i should have thought of that when i purchased it but since then finances have changed dramatically. In any case just want to know if anyone has had any problems when over 100.000 thanks

[MineralMan]

1. If the batteries in a Prius fail, does the car continue to run

in an engine-only mode? If so, then you'll still have a working vehicle.

[hatrack]

4. No, the two systems are too tightly integrated . . .

Instead, you get the Glowing Icon Of Death.

[MineralMan]

5. Not a good thing, IMO.

If it were mine, I'd trade it in and get something with great mileage on IC engine. The Mini comes to mind.

[NYC_SKP]

16. Don't know, but I can say that if you run out of gas you've got batteries for a little bit.

And every light on the dash telling you what an asshole you are for running out!

OTOH, the fuel gauge is suck in my 2007, that and the seats, otherwise a fine utilitarian vehicle.

Ten foot 2x6 lumber or ten foot pipe? Not a problem.

[hatrack]

2. Nothing yet . . .

I was at about 105 last time I looked.

[vadawg]

3. im more concerned with the owners who watch the MPG rather than the MPH whilst driving the left lane

drives me nuts to be behind you as you go 10 under the speed limit... :)

[historian]

6. what makes you think i do that?

thats what wrong with people today. Ask a simple question and get back an instant judgment comment or some other snide remark.

[RobinA]

39. Prius Owning

is one of the official "Ok for derision" characteristics on this board. Drive your Prius to Wal*Mart while smoking and I think your computer self-destructs when you log on. It's some new kind of "liberalism" that's really conservatism with different talking points that add up to the same "my way or the highway" mindset.

[sharesunited]

9. If you use the word "whilst," the right is the passing lane.

[vadawg]

12. feck i hope not i have been using the left lane to pass :)

might help to explain the priiiii or whatever the plural of prius is :)

[kctim]

18. I especially like it when

when you move up behind them doing the speed limit in the left lane, (70 here) give them a few moments to get over but they give you the finger instead.

[Winterblues]

25. Blatant disrespect for the Law

Respect is supposed to be a Hallmark of Liberalism..:shrug:

[kctim]

26. True

but I've come to expect the "its all about me" attitude from them, so I just smile and bide my time until I can get by them. Doesn't raise my blood pressure at all any more. Well, other than the prius chick who flashed me, it doesn't.

[Winterblues]

27. Maybe I misunderstood your post but I got the impression it was all about you

and your desire to exceed the posted speed limit, and were pissed because people were in your way..:shrug:

[Romulox]

30. Hey! A passive aggressive Prius enthusiast. *That's* a rarity!

:rofl:

[kctim]

33. Yeah, you did

70 is our speed limit and them damn prius drivers love to do 60 in the passing lane, especially when next to a semi and going uphill.
As for myself driving, I don't speed and am usually the one in the right lane being passed by those damn kids in their hondas with those damn fart cans on them.

Just an old fart I guess. You damn kids stay off my lawn.

[Winterblues]

34. I apologize then

I understood you to say that at seventy miles per hour you got on their ass and were mad because they either would not go faster or else get out of your way. I understand how frustating it is to get behind someone doing ten miles under the limit. Not sure it is always a Prius though. :-)

[kctim]

36. Naw, not always

other times its those ugly ass cube things or them damn "drivers" from Iowa.

[northoftheborder]

7. prius

I just bought a Prius this year and that was one of my questions: the cost of replacing the battery. I think mine is only covered for 8 years. The salesman told me that often a completely replaced battery is not necessary, just certain parts (sorry my brain is still asleep - can't think of the element of the battery that can be replaced). so --- for what that's worth ---- I would have it tested now, in order to know what you might be facing, and how soon. I LOVES my Prius!!! :)

[ProdigalJunkMail]

8. interesting article on the issue...

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-batteries-none-the-worse-for-wear-cga.htm

sP

[historian]

15. thanks for the article

now im really worried! Just joking it was interesting thanks

[Renew Deal]

10. Mine is at around 37K miles

So far so good. They have a factory 3 year warranty. You can extend it out to 7 years. After that you're on your own. Get rid of the car within 7 years if you're worried about it.

Have you ever visited www.priuschat.com? It's a pretty busy Prius forum.

[HopeHoops]

11. I don't own a Prius, but with any rechargeable I would be more concerned with age than mileage.

Overall age and number of charges are the usual reasons for rechargeable battery degradation and failure. Obviously it depends on the composition of the battery and I honestly have no idea what's in a Prius. Older batteries (and some current ones) last longest if completely discharged and then fully recharged. Those are the ones with "memory" (in a chemical sense, not an electronic one). A lot of newer batteries can be topped off at any point, although with time they still degrade. One would hope that an EV or EV hybrid would use the latter of the two kinds.

You might try hitting a car magazine site and posting the same question. You'll probably get some responses from mechanics who have dealt with dead or dying Prius batteries.

[Fumesucker]

13. Prius batteries are all over ebay..

At surprisingly reasonable prices.

Which kind of tells me the batteries are outliving the car..

The computer charging/discharging system only lets the batteries cycle from about 30% state of charge to 80% state of charge or so, it is designed to make the batteries last as long as possible. What kills rechargeable batteries is being run all the way down and then charged all the way.

Toyota claims they have not had to replace any battery packs due to them "wearing out"..

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-batteries-none-the-worse-for-wear-cga.htm

[historian]

17. thank you!

a good bit of news for a change and good point there fellow duer about ebay BUT if the batteries themselves are being sold what happened to the rest of the car? I want my 66 bug back!

[Fumesucker]

22. Lots of Prius parts on ebay..

I suspect they are coming from totaled cars sent to junkyards.. It really doesn't take all that much damage to make even fairly expensive cars more trouble to repair than they are worth, crash repair is a highly skilled and time consuming trade.

http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1023454_toyota-prius-taxi-tops-340000mi-dispels-battery-myth

Worries over the serviceable lifespan of battery packs have been at the forefront of many critics dislike of hybrid cars. With doom-and-gloom scenarios of pricey replacements and short service life, the pundits have posited the Prius' long-term impracticality. But an Australian taxi outfit has compiled enough real-world data to put that idea to sleep.

With 32 Prius taxis operating in his Cairns, Queensland fleet of Black and White Taxis, owner Graham Boundy knows the truth about high-mileage hybrids - and it's surprisingly good. Each car racks up about 200,000km (125,000mi) each year. Two of the older examples have managed a lifespan of 350,000km (218,000mi) and 550,000km (341,000mi) before needing replacement of their nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. The only problem even at the end of their battery pack service life was a low voltage reading.The cars have been in service since September, 2005, and Bounds has ordered another 8 to bring his fleet total to 40.

According to Toyota Australia's manager of hybrid sales and fleet strategy Vic Johnston, the use seen in the highest-mileage car during those three years equates to roughly 36 years of normal road use. The math works out a bit differently across the pond in the U.S., with a 15,000mi per year average equating to roughly 16 years of use. Still, that's impressive for a hybrid, and in fact equal to or better than a person might expect of trouble-free service from a similarly priced standard combustion-powered car's engine.

[Romulox]

28. Ebay is also the home of Chinese counterfeits. Caveat emptor! nt

[Xithras]

35. Wrecks happen to every car.

Wreckers are pulling the batteries and reselling them.

Someone just put their Prius into a tree a few miles from my house last month. If the battery survived, I'm sure it will end up in the secondhand market. Functional batteries are too valuable to just recycle.

[Fumesucker]

40. Of course, but the prices are quite good on the batteries..

If there were a lot of people buying Prius batteries then the price would be higher I think.

[NYC_SKP]

14. Check out priuschat, a very good forum for Pruis owners like ourselves.

I've solved every problem and answered every question searching their site.

Like, what to do if you leave your radio on but the engine off and you need a jump!

Or where the damned microphone is for the bluetooth phone.

And shortcuts for the nav and computer that Toyota doesn't trust us to know...

http://priuschat.com/

Forums here: http://priuschat.com/forums/

It's worth setting up a free account.

[DemoTex]

19. Victoria BC Prius taxi has over 410,000 KM (254,000 MILES) ..

North America's Highest Mileage Hybrid Taxis

Consumers often have concerns about new vehicle technologies, especially about features that may be costly to repair, such as a hybrid system. Canada’s highest mileage Prius, a 2001 model, has operated for over 410,000 kilometres with only a few maintenance repair issues. Jatinder Parhar, owner of a Empress Taxi in Victoria, British Columbia, operates this vehicle.

North America's first hybrid taxi was a 2001 Toyota Prius operated by Andrew Grant in Vancouver, British Columbia. Grant's 2001 Yellow Taxi Prius traveled over 332,000 km (205,000 miles) before it was replaced with a 2003 Prius. Grant now operates a 2004 Prius Taxi. View the 2001 and 2004 Yellow Taxi Prius’ detailed service and maintenance records.

http://www.hybridexperience.ca/Toyota_Prius.htm

This article is a few years old, but you get the idea. I found articles about this Prius taxi fleet when I was researching the vehicle a couple of years back. I bought a 2007 Prius that now has 19,000 trouble-free miles.

[NYC_SKP]

21. I've got a 2007, too. 66,000 miles.

You must be not be driving it during the fire season, eh?

[DemoTex]

31. I gave the Prius the summer off and took the pickup tp Oregon.

I didn't want to subject the Prius to this:

[NYC_SKP]

37. I figured as much.

I haven't gotten it stuck or taken it anywhere risky, I know it has issues with very steep grades, too.

People have asked why I didn't get a Highlander Hybrid, I've got an old El Camino for hauling bigger stuff and can get surprisingly large things in the Prius, like 10 foot lumber, with the hatch down (front passenger seat back).

:donut:

[EndElectoral]

20. I have 148000 miles on mine. Needed a new battery at 144000.

Bttery ran about 3000, but I liked the car. If I still get 144000 more I'm satisfied.

[Tommy_J]

23. Prius battery failures are rare

Overall these are very well built cars.

A lot of the concern about Prius batteries arose from propaganda a fews years ago that claimed a Hummer is greener than a Prius because the Prius will landfill toxic batteries every 30k miles. The battery is probably good for 7 times that.

[Romulox]

32. NiMH batteries have a finite lifespan; the Prius does not defy the laws of physics. nt

[kwolf68]

24. I own a Prius

I have 122K on it and it's running like a top to this day not a single thing wrong with it.

Toyota service guy says they've been getting well over 100K on the batteries. That said...Id start saving now for one just in case and have 1500 standing buy for when the battery does fail.

Not the prettiest car ever, but the best car Ive ever owned hands down.

[Kalyke]

29. You mean yours hasn't been recalled?

[NYC_SKP]

38. Many have gotten notice regarding the floor mats, if that's what you mean. nt