Quote:
Originally Posted by JSH
Hybrid batteries don't magically quit at 15 years old. Some will die sooner, others later. There was someone on Ecomodder that worked at a Toyota dealer and if I remember correctly he said most Prius batteries die at 16 - 18 years.
That said - even today a 15 year old car is pretty much worthless. As I mentioned above it is a major failure or even several minor failures away from going to the scrapeyard. It is the reason why people like Xist end up with 3 broken old cars. They buy a cheap car, something breaks and fixing it is more than the car is worth. So they buy another cheap car, something breaks - rinse and repeat.
That is the reality we live in right now. Less than 25% of vehicles on the road are older than 15 years. In 2021 1.2% of 15 million used cars sold in the USA had more than 200K miles on the odometer.
Another thing to consider is that a hybrid with a dead battery isn't necessarily dead. A Prius will drive with a dead battery as will other hybrids. They won't get the fuel economy they would with a working battery but they will go down the road. They will also have the dash lit up with warning lights so they won't pass inspection in areas that require inspections.
There is also the option to replace the battery either with a new one, junkyard one, or aftermarket battery. If all vehicles were hybrids people that drive 15 - 20 years old cars will have to learn new skills to keep their cars on the road. Instead of learning how to swap in a junkyard automatic transmission they will need to learn how to swap a battery.
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I think that's maybe what I've done with the Prius. Sure, it cost me $300, but needs a hybrid battery, a California compiant catalytic converter, and if I want the catalytic converter to last, either new piston rings or possible a whole new short block, not to mention it also needs a wheel bearing, the body looks pretty terrible and the interior isn't great either. Just the parts to make it roadworthy would be in the $6,000 range if I tackled it all by myself, plus several weeks of work. So I think I'm just going to sell it and that's that. At least I shouldn't lose any money on it.
And no, I still don't believe in junkyard batteries or aftermarket batteries. Tell me of one person who's aftermarket hybrid battery lasted more than 3 years, unless it was close to OEM price. Most people seem to be doing good to get a year out of one that's $600 to $1,000.
Anywho, compared to my 1985 VW Golf I had, I got 7 years out of it and never had any major problems except for a wheel bearing that failed and problems with aftermarket CV axle boots and door handles breaking every winter. The Golf had way more miles and was much older than the Prius, and it still runs to this day. Is it because the Prius is a hybrid and Golf isn't? Or was it just luck? Or was making sure the engine never ran out of water or oil, regular oil changes and always checking the transaxle oil and replacing seals or hoses when necessary that did it?
But regardless, now what do I do?. It's easy to say "car's 15 years are pretty much worthless" but how do I keep owning a car that's not 15 years old? I got the Avalon when it was 5 years old for $15,000 with $5,000 down from the money I saved from driving an old VW Golf for 7 years. That gives me a loan of $180 per month for five years. The Avalon will be paid off in less than a year and will be 10 years old soon. I think I could sell it for $10,000, maybe a bit more, and put that down on a newer car.
But what car? The Avalon Hybrid had just over 50k miles, was accident free and was 5 years old. The cheapest accident free Hybrid Avalon with less than 60k and at least 5 years old that I can find now on Autotempest in the entire country is $30,500. (There is only one cheaper one, it's $25,000, but was in a major accident.) If I put $10,000 down on it (the $30,500 Avalon) and drove it in from Minesota where it's at that would put me into a loan of at least $20,000, twice my previous loan! So $360 per month for 5 years. (I didn't even mention taxes.)
Why? Just covid related shortages?
Of course I have a custom welded tow hitch, a second set of rims with snow tires that may or may not fit a newer Avalon, and the all seasons I bought look pretty good still too. I don't think I can just swap all that over to a newer Avalon, so that's a couple grand right there more I'd have to spend to get the exact same thing, maybe with the money I make from selling the Prius.
But what if I wait, say, another 5 years after paying off the Avalon and save up $10,000 in that time by saving what I would have put in payments. The Avalon would be worth even less, maybe $5,000 or less. But I'd have that plus the $10,000 I saved. If I put $15,000 down on a 5 year old Avalon then, maybe they'd be a little cheaper than they are now and payments would be about the same as now, or I'd be making a little more then????
Or since this is the Maverick thread, maybe I should sell the Avalon, take the $10,000, put it down on a new Maverick and have the same payments I have now of around $180... A family of 4 could fit, technically, right?
Sometimes I wish there were a giant neon sign in the sky saying "Do this!"