2023 Toyota Prius - WOW!

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

That's the thing. KBB says the most I could get out of my Prius would be $3,915 (highest Private Party at fair condition). Even in prestine condition the highest price would be less than $6,000. I don't know what the insurance company would give me if my car were totaled, but I doubt it would pay for a new battery and catalytic converter and semi-used engine I could put into it right now.

You are making my point. Your Prius is only 16 years old and the need for two $2000 repairs have basically sent it to the scrap yard (or in this case the side yard waiting to go to the scrap yard)

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by JSH

You are making my point. Your Prius is only 16 years old and the need for two $2000 repairs have basically sent it to the scrap yard (or in this case the side yard waiting to go to the scrap yard)

Possibly three $2,000 repairs (as long as the $2,000 brake actuator doesn't go out too).

Or I could just keep driving it until it no longer moves at all without doing any repairs. I just don't like having to reset the ECU and add a quart of oil every time I go to drive it.

But on the other hand, what can $4,000 (or $6,000 or $8,000) buy instead? (Maybe that manual minivan I've always wanted.)

If all I need to do is unstick the rings with some Chemtool or something and wash out the catalytic converter, then I'm golden. Well, except for that battery that I've been playing whack-a-mole with.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Possibly three $2,000 repairs (as long as the $2,000 brake actuator doesn't go out too).

Or I could just keep driving it until it no longer moves at all without doing any repairs. I just don't like having to reset the ECU and add a quart of oil every time I go to drive it.

But on the other hand, what can $4,000 (or $6,000 or $8,000) buy instead? (Maybe that manual minivan I've always wanted.)

If all I need to do is unstick the rings with some Chemtool or something and wash out the catalytic converter, then I'm golden. Well, except for that battery that I've been playing whack-a-mole with.

Not much. Most people take what they can get for their old car and use it as a down payment on a new car or new to them used car. $20,000 at 5% for 60 months is $378 a month

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by JSH

Not much. Most people take what they can get for their old car and use it as a down payment on a new car or new to them used car. $20,000 at 5% for 60 months is $378 a month

That sounds about right. The Avalon was a $10,000 loan for 60 months and still is about $185/month.

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

That sounds about right. The Avalon was a $10,000 loan for 60 months and still is about $185/month.

What all is wrong with it and how many miles? I think at this point since i was broke for so long i specialize in cheap vehicles. I also agree, i stick in the money pit range where if someone hits me im good with it.
Right off the bat just try a piston soak, optional: soak the catalytic converter and blow it out a couple times, and your best bet: get a new oxygen sensor and put it back in with a 90 degree spark plug anti fouler. You can also try cleaning your pcv valve as thats the same as replacing it, and/or you can just delete it from the intake and vent the pcv to a can so you don't burn so much oil. $40 right there and time depending on if you want a catch can. Also, if the spark plugs aren't worn and are just fouled you can clean them and then reuse them. How much oil are you burning?
Don't buy counterfeit oem parts either. If you buy oem go to an online toyota dealership or rock auto. Ebay and Amazon are only counterfeits unless it says dealership.
I agree with the whack a mole battery. As they age they fail one by one, once you get to like 12 years they really start failing depending on how you cycled the battery during its life. I drain mine like once a week while driving to knock the dust off and only really use a couple percent of soc when i drive for bump starts lol. I still get phenominal gas mileage doing that though. I would do the above fixes and then track how the car does and revisit the battery. Also, take your brakes apart and lube the sliding pins and the clips. 99% of prius owners i see running around are doing it with frozen brakes because they think the cars don't ever need a brake service.

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by JSH

You are making my point. Your Prius is only 16 years old and the need for two $2000 repairs have basically sent it to the scrap yard (or in this case the side yard waiting to go to the scrap yard)

Or the next owner? A lot of guys will call it a mechanic special lol

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by hayden55

What all is wrong with it and how many miles?

The Avalon? Its infotainment center has bugs in it and doesn't do everything it's supposed to. It has 125,000 miles.

• The Prius has 215,000 miles.
• It burns a quart every 500 miles or so IIRC.
• It needs a 12V battery.
• I've already replaced 3 modules in the HV battery, But so far it hasn't given me the red triangle again. Of course I haven't driven it hardly since either.
• It needs a front wheel bearing, which I have everything to do it, though I'm not 100% sure which on it is as I lift the car and try to shake both wheels but can't notice any difference in them in movement, only it makes a loud sound as I drive that sounds exactly like a bad wheel bearing.
• It needs a windshield too.
• The check engine light comes on and the code is "catalyst failed". I don't remember the DTC number off hand. I do live in a place that does not do emissions checks, but anything other than a new California compliant catalytic converter is illegal to buy or install.
• It also needs tires as these are about bald and it needs an alignment.
• It's also past due for maintenance items like transaxle fluid change and brake fluid flush and radiator fluid flush and all the filters and such.

Other than that it's not too bad of a car.

[hayden55]

Cat is probably good its your oxygen sensor fouling out.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by hayden55

Cat is probably good its your oxygen sensor fouling out.

That can be tested, but I have a feeling it's not the sensor.

There are two sensors, one before and one after the cat. The one before has to constantly vary it's signal because that's what O2 sensors do after an engine as it gets hit with pulses of unburnt fuel and air, otherwise it'll set an O2 sensor code.

The second one has to stay flat, since after the cat the pulses of oxygen and unburnt fuel are now catalyzed and don't vary as much. If the second sensor varies like the first then it will set the failed catalyst code. It's kind of hard, or maybe even impossible, to set such a code with a bad O2 sensor.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by JSH

Not much. Most people take what they can get for their old car and use it as a down payment on a new car or new to them used car. $20,000 at 5% for 60 months is $378 a month

Back on topic, I'm not sure what the new Prius Prime's price will be or if it's out yet, but Google says the 2022 PP starts at $28,770 MSRP, whereas the 2023 Chevy Bolt starts at $25,600.

Edmunds doesn't have any TCO info on the 2023 models yet, but places the 2022 Bolt LT1 at $33,367 for 5 years ownership and the 2022 Prime at $34,189. For the 2023 model year the Bolt should be quite a bit cheaper than the 2022 model, so it should be even cheaper to own a 2023 Bolt than a 2023 Prime.

Back off topic, it seems that gone are the days of getting a $30,000 to $40,000 car for a third of that price 3 to 5 years and 50,000 miles later (like I did with the Avalon). The good news is my current car should be worth more if sold or totaled any time soon.

I'm not going to sell the 2006 Prius and get a new car. If the Prius is trash, it's trash and we'll just keep using one car as we have been. If the 2013 Avalon suddenly needs a replacement then I'd have to decide between the new Prius, Bolt, Maverick or maybe something else. I don't know if a semi-used vehicle would still work out due to pricing, but that may be a good route if I can find a used car for a decent price and not at a new-car price.

One question that comes up is where would I get service done to my new vehicle if there's a recall or something. There used to be two dealerships in town, a Ford and a GM, but they are now gone. The next town over that has dealerships used to be an hour away, but is now 3 hours away for at least the next two years due to road construction.