Repair Costs

My only beef is the oil change. At least it is every 5000 miles. The first

5K was $70, the second one at 10K was $100! Maybe Jiffy Lube next time? I hesitate on that one since my last experience with them was a really cheap oil filter with virtually no backflow valve and the car started with all kinds of valve train clatter until the oil lines filled up. The dealer's filter quieted it all down so I made them use the dealer's filter instead of their cheapie one. I could do it myself and save a bunch as I have all the tools, but I'm lazy.

However, as pissed as I was about the $100 oil change, I did see the tire rotation and wheel balancing along with weights on the invoice (yeah, I checked and there are some weights on it). As I drove down the freeway away from the dealer, the steering wheel was rock steady as was the car. Maybe the wheels were out of balance from the factory? Runs smoother. I did have to pay extra for the synthetic oil at the 10K (they put in Mobil 1, 5-30w as I recall). Took maybe 2 1/2 hours of waiting at the dealer too (no appointment).

Other than that, no problems - other than my affinity to constantly forget the damn key fob in my pocket which has been through several washer and drier cycles without incidence. Not much to do to the thing other than gas and oil changes (okay, the tire rotation thing).

Be forewarned that some items on the car are terribly expensive should they fail outside of warranty, namely the MFD (around $4000?). You may want to add the premium insurance that can take you out to 7 years. Cost varies from dealer to dealer: $900 to $1700. The big-ass battery is warranted for about as long as you'll own the thing: 10 years, 120,000 miles in CA as I recall, so don't worry about it.

Also, if you get 44 mpg you are doing about average (ignore the claims of

60mpg on the sticker). That watered-down gas with ethanol takes its toll on a high mpg vehicle as the Prius.

B~

-------------------------- It depends on how you look at it. The probability of failure for the usual high ticket items are slim to none. Some items found on a typical vehicle either don't exist or are very simplified. For instance, there is no separate starter, and the transmission has only 13 parts versus 300. I found maintenance to be relatively inexpensive. The carpets haven't held on to stains steam cleaning couldn't get out or a simple wet cloth couldn't get out. So far the only irritating thing has been the fuel door not wanting to open enough and sometimes I have to solicit the help of another to grab the door as I pull up on the lever inside. Oh yes, the first set of tires lasted only 33,000 miles but the replacements have gone 40,000 and still have a lot of life left. They're a different brand, a little less expensive, and a little louder. Every person I've either had approached me or me to them simply are very happy to have made the jump over to this hybrid. No regrets whatsoever. mark_

That's very steep! At my dealership I pay only $44 (including taxes) for the oil changes and tire rotations.

You can get the US scheduled maintenance guides for any Toyota here:

The vast majority of the the 6 month/5,000 mile services is just an oil/filter change and a tire rotation. There are many people who DIY. (Interval is longer in other countries.)

If you're talking about unscheduled maintenance, note that the Prius rates very high in Consumer Reports for both a new and a used vehicle.

That's what I thought. This time it was a different service writer and I'm beginning to think they got into the commission game as well. Funny how it went up by $30 in only 4 months.

But she sure does ride smoother now so I ain't complaining too loudly. Somebody back there done sumptin' (new wheel weights) and just didn't do the "oil and filter switch" and grab 100 bucks for doing so. They did do some draw test of the 12 volt battery since I've had one bad experience with that (dome light maybe?). When that 12 volter goes, the car just sits in the dark. No boot up, just silence.

I've been spoiled by the $35 Jiffy Lube experience for too long. Least it isn't anything like a $450 oil, filter, and service on a BMW motorcycle! With those, you just ride it until it needs a oil change and throw it away and buy another. >:-(

B~

I pay $89 here in Massachusetts. Was informed that my next (15K) maintenance will be ca $239 (give or take $10 or so).

That has started me thinking.... Do I recall correctly that one can get prepaid maintenance? If so, is this a set fee around the country/one of the things one can purchase online for the lowest price and have honored at all Toyota dealers? If so, it may make more sense for those of us who have higher maintenance fees to get them. I will ponder this until the

2008 model comes out (if it keeps looking like that one will get radically higher MPGs).

Same here.

I told my dealer to put 42 psi in the front and 40 psi in the rear tires. After the last change I had 32 psi in the front and 30 psi in the back but they didn't overfill it with oil like the previous change. The guy who had to remove the excess oil was really pissed. He said curtly "Exactly how much oil do you want?" to which I replied "I like it on the full line, not

3/8" above the full line, what did you think?"

Jean, we use Herb Chambers Boston and we've been running between $35-$40 for the oil changes.

Russ

You might want to look at the hybrid mileage database. I'm driving the earlier model, NHW11, a 2003 model:

I'm only getting 50.7 mpg after seven months and 8,920 miles with my used Prius. Your mileage may vary but we've got a FAQ describing how:

Bob Wilson

Not worth it, you wont see savings since the car is priced much higher than the equivilant sized cars that do 30mpg. and those batteries will cost 4,000 if they fail.

Get the Prius if you want a Geewiz techy type car but if you want to save money over the life of the car get something else.

Batteries cost $2195.00.

The replacement cost, new, is a little over $2,100 not counting shipping and handling. Economies of scale have significantly reduced the replacement cost of new batteries. BTW, use batteries are half the price on Ebay.

Would you like to try another myth?

Bob Wilson

Equivalent sized, but not equivalently featured. Plus, the Prius gets at least 15 MPG more than them, typically 20 to 25 MPG more, and some people have been getting 60 MPG regularly.

If they fail within 80,000 miles (within 100,000 miles in California, NY, and most New England States) they will be replaced or repaired for free. And by the time you have more than that mileage, they will cost even less.

*If* they fail. There is about as much chance of them failing as there is of an engine failing.

But to answer the original question, they don't cost more than a regular vehicle to maintain.

Bob, check the CR link:

There's also a federal one that points to 44 mpg as the reported norm for the car from its owners (probably the ones complaining they should be getting the EPA 50-60 that appears on the car's sticker). Most on the greenhybrid forum tend to fudge their figures I find. If I were fishing, I'd claim mine was bigger than yours in a fishing forum.

If you are in the 50's in mpg's, you're doing pretty good. Where I'm at in CA, we've got the watered down ethanol stuff that takes a toll on mileage. My last trip to LA put me in the 39 mpg range going over the Grapevine at

4400 feet. I was going to the dealer for service. I told him I was getting 44 mpg thinking he would say "We need to improve that." Instead, he said "That's pretty good." hmmmm....? No doubt the new hybrid Camry will present disappointing numbers to their owners from the sticker.

B~

I love postulated myths.

B~

That's what CR reports, but that's much less than what the overwhelming majority of Prius drivers get.

How did you determine that?

I've been doing in the fifties since last September or late August. Previously to that, I was doing about 46 to 48. As one keeps driving with attention to mileage, one learns how to get better mileage.

We have MTBE (or is it MBTE? I keep forgetting) half the year and ethanol the other half; it doesn't seem to affect my mileage all that much, if at all.

Where did I leave my shovel?

Egad! I asked and they (Lexington) said it was regional. I'd better check around. I don't know that I want to go to Boston, but if I can't find a cheaper place....

What is it like getting the car serviced there? Do they have loaners/shuttles? Oh, I'll just find their site and see what they hyave to say.

Thanks, Russ.