Is it dumb to buy a 2002 Prius? And who's a good hybrid mechanic? for Questionland Seattle

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Is it dumb to buy a 2002 Prius? And who's a good hybrid mechanic?

My husband and I are in the market for a used car, lord help us. And I saw a 2002 Prius for sale that piqued my interest, but I've read mixed reviews on its reliability and safety. What gives? And who are the Seattle mechanics who could give me an honest assessment of a hybrid? Thanks, folks!

Jesica asked in Cars & Motorcycles 8 months ago | Report

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Jack

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It's still not entirely clear what the expected lifespan of the batteries are. There are still plenty of 1st-gen Priuses running around with their original batteries 200,000+ miles later (and some taxis with far, far more). It is seeming more and more like the batteries can last the life of the vehicle. Not that they never fail, but there seems to be little rhyme or reason to when exactly they fail, so it's not necessarily true that battery death is imminent or even inevitable on an older Prius. Of course, it might turn out that the magic battery death age is 15 years or something down the road.

I think the way to look at it is this. A normal car has two high-dollar components that can potentially fail as the car gets older: the engine and the transmission. The Prius's battery means it has three (well, there's also the electric motor, but I think those failing is almost unheard of). So in my book, a Prius of this age would be 50% riskier than a normal used car. It wouldn't be my first choice if economy and reliability are your main priorities, but those are some of the same compromises you make with a brand new Prius.

You might be interested in this Consumer Reports article from earlier this year where they bought an '02 Prius with 200k miles on it and compared its performance to a new one they tested in 2001. There was basically no degradation of performance: http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/02/200000-mile-toyota-prius-still-performs.html

Jack answered in Cars & Motorcycles 8 months ago | Report

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I own two Priuses (Prii?). Great cars. I would call Moss Alley Motors on Cap Hill for a good opinion.

Alex J. Higgins answered in Cars & Motorcycles 8 months ago | Report

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Tom

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I'd be hard pressed to recommend it. How much $$ do they want?

There are several batteries in the prius. the main one is the on board hybrid battery pack (not the regular 12v starting battery) and they are only warrantied for 8 years or so IIRC. This prius may need a new one soon and they cost $2200 new or just under $1000 or so used.

Just about any decent wrench can give you a decent run down on the car but I like the fellows at number 1 japanese auto repair in Greenwood at (206) 782-0711. The one thing they may not be able to check is the main battery. They can tell you if it is holding a charge, taking a charge, etc but they can't tell you if it will go kaput 10 minutes from now. Modern batteries are a bitch. the old lead acid technology battery did usually give you plenty of warning but is not suitable for these high capacity high amp low weight and size (comparatively) batteries.

Check out cartalk.com and priuschat.com for much more detailed discussions on these cars.

Tom answered in Cars & Motorcycles 8 months ago | Report

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My wife has a 2003 Prius with 90,000 miles on it. Maintenance costs have been minimal and she intends to keep it for at least 200,000 miles. One thing she really likes is the small turning radius. It makes it very easy to park. Also, it can U-turn on most roads without backing.

(I have a 2007 Camry Hybrid, myself. We're partial to Toyota hybrids.)

Michael Turner answered in Cars & Motorcycles 8 months ago | Report

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