2011 -13 Prius

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looking at Priuses . i can find them in my price range ($10 -11k) with about 100 to 120k miles. Never owned a Prius before . like the gas mileage. So when looking at them , what are the issues to look for? are the batteries an issue ?
 
The 3rd gen cars have issues with head gaskets going out at that age - it's a $1500-2000 job to get it done. The Critic did one recently on his that hit 190K. Brake actuators are a sore point on the 2nd and 3rd gen models. HV batteries are always a thing to look at higher mileage but I wouldn't worry until you're well past 150K, when the batteries are degraded you can feel it. Oil consumption is a known issue, I'd run a synthetic in these no more than 5K.

Other than that, a Prius is a good city car and as much as people make fun of them and they are numb feeling, they are pretty practical and surprisingly durable. It's no longer an Uber darling, as those drivers moved onto the Altima or Sonata but cabbies thrash Prii into the ground and they take a hard licking on the streets.

Here's The Critic's write-up: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...ew-my-2011-prius-turned-200k#Post5293377
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
One that age will be needing a battery soon, Don't bother with a rebuilt one. Buy a new one.

Out of curiosity, why do you say so? I thought these rebuilt batteries do have warranties, still not worth?
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
One that age will be needing a battery soon, Don't bother with a rebuilt one. Buy a new one.

Has anyone replaced a Prius battery recently? I'd be interested in the mileage at the time of replacement, the cost and whether it was new or rebuilt.
 
I replaced one cell at 237k and am up to 286k on otherwise original parts in my 05.

The rebuilt ones (dorman etc) they break apart a bunch of old batteries and mix and match modules with similar remaining amp-hours and impedance characteristics. For that kind of money/ hassle, it's worth it to just get a stack of new modules that haven't been cycled.

I'd be more afraid of the oil burning, head gasket blowing 1.8s than any battery problems. My 1.5 liter 2nd gen prii are awesome motors.
 
Originally Posted by nthach
The 3rd gen cars have issues with head gaskets going out at that age - it's a $1500-2000 job to get it done. The Critic did one recently on his that hit 190K. Brake actuators are a sore point on the 2nd and 3rd gen models. HV batteries are always a thing to look at higher mileage but I wouldn't worry until you're well past 150K, when the batteries are degraded you can feel it. Oil consumption is a known issue, I'd run a synthetic in these no more than 5K.

Other than that, a Prius is a good city car and as much as people make fun of them and they are numb feeling, they are pretty practical and surprisingly durable. It's no longer an Uber darling, as those drivers moved onto the Altima or Sonata but cabbies thrash Prii into the ground and they take a hard licking on the streets.

Here's The Critic's write-up: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...ew-my-2011-prius-turned-200k#Post5293377

Cool . I prefer gas mileage over pep these days. How do I check the state of the battery? I want to look for one was not used in a commercial environment.
 
Originally Posted by ecotourist
Originally Posted by Chris142
One that age will be needing a battery soon, Don't bother with a rebuilt one. Buy a new one.

Has anyone replaced a Prius battery recently? I'd be interested in the mileage at the time of replacement, the cost and whether it was new or rebuilt.

I did a Gen 2 (04-09) about two years ago. My cost on the battery was $1600, but list price for the battery from Toyota is $2k. The job bills 4 hours. Between the diag charge, labor, parts mark-up, etc, usually the job ends in the low $3k range for the Gen 2 if done at a dealer. The Gen 3 (10-15) battery is a bit more ($700-$900 more) so those are closer to $4K. Usually the battery is not a problem for the first 10 years unless the car has very high mileage.
Originally Posted by WhyMe
Originally Posted by nthach
The 3rd gen cars have issues with head gaskets going out at that age - it's a $1500-2000 job to get it done. The Critic did one recently on his that hit 190K. Brake actuators are a sore point on the 2nd and 3rd gen models. HV batteries are always a thing to look at higher mileage but I wouldn't worry until you're well past 150K, when the batteries are degraded you can feel it. Oil consumption is a known issue, I'd run a synthetic in these no more than 5K.

Other than that, a Prius is a good city car and as much as people make fun of them and they are numb feeling, they are pretty practical and surprisingly durable. It's no longer an Uber darling, as those drivers moved onto the Altima or Sonata but cabbies thrash Prii into the ground and they take a hard licking on the streets.

Here's The Critic's write-up: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...ew-my-2011-prius-turned-200k#Post5293377

Cool . I prefer gas mileage over pep these days. How do I check the state of the battery? I want to look for one was not used in a commercial environment.

The real issue on the Gen 3 Prius (10-15) is the head gasket. Failures are not uncommon after 150K. The cost to replace the head gasket can exceed the cost of the battery if the job is done at the dealer. The battery would be the least of my concerns.
 
You need to do a cost benefit analysis if you are planning on buying a new battery. At $2.80 per gallon (fill in the correct number) that would be equivalent to about 1430 gallons of gas you could buy in a non hybrid car for the same price.
smile.gif
 
Saw a video on youtube where a guy took you through the entire replacement of a Prius battery. It didn't look that difficult.
 
Originally Posted by loneryder
Saw a video on youtube where a guy took you through the entire replacement of a Prius battery. It didn't look that difficult.

...our own Saturn expert El Jefino has a thread about tweaking his first Prius. I think he has 2 Prii now.
 
Originally Posted by loneryder
Saw a video on youtube where a guy took you through the entire replacement of a Prius battery. It didn't look that difficult.

I helped The Critic replace one on a 2nd gen. It's not a terrible job but attention to torque specs and reasonable care around electricity(ie, don't do stupid stuff) applies.

The packs from Toyota have a new bus bar, the hard part is swapping over the sidecar with the control modules/relays over. Clean the battery cooling fan while you're in there. Toyota, unlike Tesla or GM have air-cooled HV batteries and keeping that fan clear of crap helps keep the battery pack live a happy life.
 
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