Why Not to Buy a Used Hybrid Car
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 พ.ค. 2018
- Hybrid cars explained and why not to buy a used car. Why not to buy a used hybrid car, car review with Scotty Kilmer. The best hybrid car to buy. Toyota Prius versus Honda Insight, which is better? The pros and cons of owning a hybrid car. There are advantages to buying a used hybrid car, but also a lot of downsides. New hybrid cars can last a long time, but you should stay away from used cars. Repair bills and the price of parts for used hybrid cars can make owning one a nightmare. DIY car repair with Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic for the last 50 years.
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Scotty Kilmer but why would you reccomend a prius over a honda? Prius's look retarted are slow as hell and also most people who drive them tend to think theyre better than others
smokey the human Lexus ct200h great car
Scotty Kilmer Hey Scotty! What's your professional opinion on Tesla motors vehicles? Maybe you can do a video talking about them?
Joe Johnson you know you can switch between using gas or batteries right ?
Scotty Kilmer
Another really good video. Please where did you get the wind chimes that hang in your garage? They are exactly what I've been looking for. And if you don't think that style is hard to find them help me find some please. You are probably way better at research than I am. You get a lot of practice.
Thank you from your new subscriber!
I Bought a used 2008 Prius with 130k On Craigslist for $800 with a bad Hybrid Battery. The owner was scared out of it by her douchebag mechanic who told her it was going to cost $3500+ to fix. Turns out the only thing wrong was all the copper Hybrid battery terminals were corroded, causing the battery to run hot and throw the Hybrid code(triangle of doom). Fixed it just by soaking all the terminals in vinegar and salt and cleaning them really well. Cost me $5 and about 3 hours of removing the battery. I've put 80,000 miles on it since with no problems. I'm an Uber driver and this car makes me over $1000 bucks a week!! Scotty is referring to 1st generation Prius..
Great information there, aaron. Thanks.
1000 dollar after taxes or before? I saw a documentary about Uber driving mostly making less than minimum wage. Can you shed a light on that?
@@HermanWillems i was an uber driver and the pay was worth it. Definitely not minimum wage at all.
Smart man.
Hello good evening, I am thinking about buying the Toyota prius 2010 with 171,429 mileage for 5,600 bucks. Do you think is a good idea since I am thinking about using it for Uber?
If Scotty Started a Dealership he would only have Celicas.
Lol
You mean empty lot. Because everyone of thosee Celica be sold fast. Scotty be in his office waiting for someone to trade there Celica, wait what to trade if his lot empty. Lol
I heard on Thursday April 1st that Toyota is coming out with the Scotty Kilmer signature Celica, made to his exact specifications
@@earthsteward9 It'll have to be tagged for like $3500.00
And Matrixes and Lexus…
1st Gen Prius is the most reliable car on the road. The epitome of reliability.
I just bought a 2007 Prius with 127k miles. Has absolutely nothing wrong with it and I really like it!
@@jeremycross7737 Do you do mostly city driving?
@@toddlehman1 omg
What about the problem/expense of replacing the batteries? That's something that can't be avoided, unless you miraculously find one that's hardly been driven.
@ki0ng if it's a used Prius with significant mileage, then it's going to need the battery changed as the performance becomes poor. That means significant cost. Does anybody offer cheap replacements now? The prices seem quite high.
He's talking about a 1st Gen Prius (1999-2004) so it could have been nearly 20 years old. Plenty of Priuses on the road. The batteries are time tested and rarely ever have issues. In fact the Prius has one of the lowest costs of ownership of any vehicle. I like Scotty and his channel but I think he's using one very old Prius as a bad example for all of them.
Ryan Peters Finally a sensible comment. Prius gen 2 are rock solid cars.
I think what Mr. Kilmer was saying is that it is much more risky to buy a used hybrid than a used gas fueled vehicle. He wasn't talking about the costs of ownership for new hybrid vehicle purchasers. Also, all batteries go bad, it is just a matter of time, usage, and environment.
I researched the battery "problem" before buying mine. The average so far is above 300k before needing replacement. This was with their test fleet that is apparently some Taxi's somewhere.
Yeah, true. I rented a 2005 Prius from a local second hand dealer in San Antonio. It has 200,000 miles on it. I never had a problem with it.
But he also had a 2007 Prius which showed a warning light and shut down on me without shifting into drive. It depends on many factors
I hate prius. Not because I'm a Jesus fanatic, gun totin, beef eating, loud farting, heaving towing, living contradiction in Texas, but because it's damn ugly and the interior is built in such a way that you have to ask yourself why did they take my interior space away!? I can stand the 1st gen, but the newer ones are worse.
I bought 2011 Prius with 95k miles used for 8k and now it has 220k miles. All i did just oil change. It still runs on the original battery, and i am getting ****50mpg*** love it.
AutoMotoCha9L I got my 2003.5 Focus 2.3 Liter for $1000 3 years ago and has only need brakes and oil and filter changes.
Just hit 158K. 35MPG highway works for me.
AutoMotoCha9L my VW Bora from 2002 with a 1.9 TDI PD130 engine does over 50mpg. How'd you feel now?
Dominik in USA diesel cars not popular. Trucks is a different story.
AutoMotoCha9L there is nothing stopping cars in the USA from being just as or more efficient from European cars.
I still drive my 93pick up, I get 14 mpg, but maintenance and repairs are dirt cheap. Works for me!
Can't think of a more reliable car that gets good mpg than a 2nd gen or newer used Prius😊
Got ours at 95k, now has 228k.
I just bought an 05 with 130k miles for my daily commmute. At 228k have you had to replace the hybrid batt. Yet?
The people want to know your status!
Sydney Epps, based off other stories I’m pretty sure he hasn’t. They typically go for a little over 300k miles. But it is case by case.
Just got a 07 prius with 106k miles for $3500 on craigslist. Got lucky
That is awesome
I have seen Toyota's hybrids with 600k on the clock and stil driving..More and more taxi drivers buy Toyota Hybrids because they are reliable.
Sure you do....lol
@@tom11zz884 even many german Taxis are Hybrids now. The Prius+ is really popular and easily over 500.000k kms
And PWR mode
Makes sense why I see them often with ubers
They need to be maintained properly
We bought our 06 Prius like 8 years ago, it hasn't missed a beat, oil change and all filters every 5k miles it's sweet as a nut, saved a lot on brake pads as well because of the engine break:) The Prius is an absolutely mpg monster if you also learn to hypermile it, the point at which the accelerator is pressed when the engine goes off and so does the battery and you just freewheel but with power steering active I can get 80mpg in the summer.
Rev up ur generators
Cody Koala niccceeee !!! lmao
TOP KEK!
Cody Koala yes I love this!
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I wouldn't recommend a used 1st generation Prius today, but 2nd generation onward (2004+) have been extremely reliable. Cab companies love them. They go multiple-hundred thousands of miles on the original batteries and Motor-Generator units.
I just bought a used 2012 Toyota Prius hybrid 130,000 miles
My 2008 Honda civic hybrid 109000 miles still going strong 48 - 52 miles per gallon depending on city or highway driving in summer. In winter about 5% less. No issues with the car.
I'm starting go with the opposite of whatever he says.
You read my mind!
My 2 gen 2006 prius 1.5 still going original battery.ı sold it at 2015 to a dealer because of the idea " one day i ve to change the battery and its expensive in my country" but the guy who bought it, is still using it with the original battery pack.
There was no extras just routine oil and coolant changes.
Who cares what this guy say?
I agree.
Why, he's got good advice
@@ashleechan22 Not about this. Most hybrid cars actually are better used than their non-hybrid counter-parts. This is because using the electric motors 1/2 the time will effectively distribute the wear and tear between the engine and the motors, effectively making a car with 150k miles on it similar to a normal car with 75k miles on it. I'm currently running a 2005 prius with 283k miles on it and all OEM equipment (except wheels and basic maintenance such as oil changes and a single brake pad change of course). Scotty is not an expert when it comes to batteries and how they operate. When they start to go bad, it is only individual cells which would slightly reduce performance but still keep the car functional. The batteries even tend to outlast almost all of the other components. My prius's battery is 16 years old and gets me an average of 45mpg with the battery charging up to about %75-80. Probably not what it used to be, but still better than non-hybrid cars and doing some fun hypermiling I can actually get about 54mpg in the city.
Well, i only had $3000 budget. For this amount i couldnt find any decent car that gets 50mpg and has automatic transmision. So i went with 1st generation Prius with a new hybrid battery. I intend to keep it as long as i can.
7 months later - I'd wager it's still running like a champ.
Is it still kik it mate
I have a friend at work who thinks he is so smart. He bought a used prius. One day he called me and said his prius stopped working and he couldn't figure out what is wrong. Later I asked him about it and he said he found the problem. The problem was the gas tank was empty..
Is this a true story? Funny either way.
not the cars fault.
Hybrid systems are realy cool, but if the user is a moron even a Tesla, Rimac or Porsche can't help you.
My wife uses our 2005 Prius. And she ‘s always forgetting about the fuel cause there ‘s no big bright orange light when the tank is almost empty
when there is no fuel in the tank and no battery at all,you can push the car to go for 10miles to charge the battery and then you can drive for another 10 miles to the gas station.
yeh but what if you're only 5 miles away?
I do not recommend anybody but enthusiasts buy a first generation Prius. I have a 2002 with 197K miles on it - it needed its first actual repair (an inverter coolant pump) a few months ago. However, my wife's 2002 met the same end as the one you mention: burned up MG2 in the transmission. Note that it does not perform the function of an alternator - that is done by a 100A DC-DC converter in the inverter.
In 2004, with the first of the second generation of Prius, the inverter included a voltage doubler that allowed the 170V hybrid battery to operate the MGs at 540V. That cut the heat problem by 75% and virtually eliminated hybrid transaxle failures. Since my wife's 2002 was new all we have ever bought was used Prius cars. Her last one, a 2010, was destroyed by a woman who was having a seizure and rammed it with an Xterra. Now she has a 2014. They are by far the most reliable vehicles we have had in our 44 years together.
Why no first gen Prius? Besides the transaxle problem, the hybrid batteries only had a 200K mile life expectancy, the 2001-2002 hybrid ECU would not spin up the gas engine long enough to ensure starting if you use non-top tier gasoline, the steering rack was susceptible to shaking in reverse. The fuel economy is noticeably poorer than the later generations and the power is much worse. The 2010 and later model years are almost bulletproof.
You're wrong on almost everything on this one Scotty - Prius is rated at 300K miles
Someone tried to sell me a used Prius. They had mentioned an issue with the alternator.. and it would be an easy inexpensive fix...... YEAH RIGHT!!!
Thanks Scotty!
Any time someone tells you that a fix is inexpensive, I always say "fix it and bring it back to me when it works and we'll talk".
David W oh yeah. When I told him I wanted my mechanic to look at it all of a sudden of the deal is off. Maybe his grandfather's name was PT Barnum.
There is no alternator on a Prius. Lol
tillallareoneluv oh but don't worry, flavor Vision ain't blurry, he did not get over quick fast and in a hurry..😀😁😀😁
you should offer him a few hundred bucks for the car.
Your basing your entire opinion off one customer with a first generation Prius. The technology has been perfected, NYC hybrid taxi’s easily achieve 300k miles. The battery is designed to last the life of the car.. I have a 14 Ford Fusion hybrid and it’s stays in electric mode so often that the oil has to changed less, uses less gas, regenerative brakes save your brakes... and yeah when you punch it, it goes faster than a Prius.
And hey, because people aren’t educated and or they watched this video, used hybrids will become even cheaper
Well my point is: first generation hybrids may of had problems, newer ones don’t. Viewing the total cost of ownership of a Prius vs Corolla, a Prius is cheaper to operate/maintain... Surely after 300k miles a Corolla would need some engine/transmission work, while a Prius would simply have slightly less battery capacity.
I agree! We bought a used 2018 Prius c with about 15,000km and we absolutely love it! Also, many taxis in my city use the Prius V and many of them have more that 300,000km on them, and only regular maintenance and brake pads changed once.
Exactly I disagree with Scotty on this one I bought my 2014 cmax energi for $11,000 sure there mileage was a bit on the higher side but it's not going up that much (70k now 4 months later) since although I do drive quite a bit it's all close, right now I'm not gassing up at all (2 months and I'm still on a full tank) now that I'm layoff the only thing I do when I am working is driving my son to school then the wife to work then myself to work less than 10 miles total and I barely run out of electric range when I go to my parents house on top of work (which I did do allot in the spring and was still doing 100+ mpge's.
@@tonebonebgky2 and it is C-max that doesn't have a great reliability overall.
Typical for Scotty. It's no wonder he's a meme
If this is the case, why are Prius's always amongst the most likely cars to reach 250k miles?
because he is talking about a 1st gen prius the prius cars that routinely go 200k 300k 400k or more are not Gen 1 they are most always gen 2 or higher
The Prius engine craps out between about 400k and 600k miles. My 2007 only has about 185k miles on it so I am good to go for a while Scotty. Thanks
Hybrid IC engines run at an optimized RPM to drive an electric generator. So, unlike your normal IC car, there is no such thing as driving the engine itself hard based on the habits of the driver. Thus it should be reliable for a long time.
@@ComradeOgilvy1984 An engine in a hybrid setup has less wear. Because the battery takes care of the dynamic behavior. This causes the engine to last a very long time. Put that together with the reliability of Toyota engines and you have.... an engine that can do many many many miles. I myself have a Opel Ampera, and i charge it up for my daily driving. And longer drives it uses the engine as a generator. But the engine doesn't run alot........ And the battery over 16kWh and only use 10kWh therefore 6kWh of extra space so the battery can last like 20+ years. Chevrolet Volt/Opel Ampera is one of the best engineering hybrids and THE BEST plugin-hybrid.
@@HermanWillems Practically zero dynamic stress on the engine is worth pointing out, and that does double for not needing any kind of transmission.
That is one of the big wins of a hybrid design, as you gain some of the advantages of a pure electric. The IC can be cheap, light, and reliable because it has a narrow role.
I have heard hybrids denigrated by some people, for being a chimera of both IC and electric. But, in fact, the hybrid design gains most of the advantages of a pure electric (low pollution, low marginal cost per mile) plus most of the advantages of an IC (dense/light energy storage in the form of gasoline).
@@HermanWillems from experience: the variable gear-engine ratio also helps in the longer life span.
I'd say 400-600k miles is pretty damn good for any consumer vehicle.
I'm glad i'm not a typical Prius owner; I go camping/traveling all over in mine. Set the cruise control at 65 and get good mpg's. You can't beat the climate control system that runs off the battery. I can go camping in hot or cold weather and keep the interior of the car at 65 or 70 degrees and burn a 1/2 gallon of gas a night. I also use Amsoil in the motor and CVT trans. It's a real winner in traffic when I go to Atlanta. I'm thinking of adding a strut tower brace and maybe a rear sway bar. Although the car drives OK or I'm still getting used to it, it does seem to have a bit more body roll at 75 or 80 mph when all traffic on the Interstate is cruising at that speed and others are driving crazy changing lanes without signals, etc. I'm not afraid of speed but I like my car to be tight and handle well. Mine is a 2013 model with 68K miles.
garth locklin you sleep in your car during campng ?? Wow.
Okay, so I might sound like I'm crazy, but about a year ago I bought a 2007 Prius with more than 230,000 miles on it. It's been perfectly fine and I haven't had any issues with it at all. It does have a few issues, but they involve burning a ton of oil and a slowly degrading catalytic converter, but nothing to do with the hybrid system. I can't speak for all cars, but I wouldn't worry about stuff like this. Sure, they sometimes have problems, but all cars have problems. If it's Toyota, it's gonna last a lot longer than any Chevy or BMW no matter what it is!
Gideon, you hit the nail on the head, the fact that it's Toyota is the biggest benefit of all, the rest is noise. Just figure out how to work on it yourself and stay away from the squirrely dealers and repairmen. I could see one of them saying, 'we needed to replace your alternator (on Prius), with your tire rotation that's why the extra $500...'
You should be fine. Just save for emergency maintenance cost.
Gen 1 Prius' had an issue with the electric motors that would cause them to fail, Gen 2 Prius' are a much better and reliable car, I bought mine used with 130k on the clock and I have just under 400k miles of reliable driving on it, granted, I'm a courier and do put around 1200-1500 miles a week on the car on average. You can do whatever you want but, I'm going to replace my Prius eventually with a used Gen 3 and just keep rolling along.
have you had to replace the battery?
You're right about the cost of the repairs, but I've never seen a Prius that needed that much of a repair before 250k miles. I think it depends on the reliability issues.
If ⛑
Actually, priuses are very good cars, I should know I own one, 312,000 miles yes that's 312,000 miles and not a single issue. And if the hybrid battery dies guess what, I'll just replace it myself. I don't drive my prius because of how good it's for the environment but because of how much money it saves me daily, over 50 mpg's, so scotty I love your channel and have learned a geat deal from you however hybrids are good vehicles weather new or use.
Best not to push your luck unless you don't mind dropping $5k into it when it needs a new generator.
Bill Borden that is a bunch of complete hogwash. The generator problems were with the first generation Prius, and even then it was very rare. The technology was in its infancy then. With the 2nd gen (2004+) and later generation Prius these failures are VIRTUALLY NONEXISTENT. There have been virtually no reported cases of that failure! The batteries are the only possible trouble spot, and even they are pretty rare.
There are tons of Prius (taxis, as well as regularly owned vehicles) that have over 200K miles that are still going strong on their ORIGINAL battery. Battery degradation depends on a wide variety of stuff, such as temperature in which it was operated etc. For instance, those in cold climates see a much longer battery life. In any case, cars less than 10 - 11 years are EXTREMELY unlikely to have their battery ever fail.
Bill Borden generator for gen2/3 is $850/1000 and they don't go out. Prius is the cheapest to drive.. and most reliable. This old fool showing his age.
shane stites. Good to know but I disagree Scottie is a 'fool'.
747-pilot. Scottie was working on a 2002 Prius so what he said was not 'complete hogwash'. It's good advice. He didn't say you shouldn't buy a Prius or that it wasn't good car. It's obvious to me he likes the Prius and even recommended people buy one instead of the Honda hybrid. He just noted that if you're not driving much, the money you save on gas might or might not offset the cost of a battery and generator compared to a $50 alternator on a 84 Celica. IMO that was very good advice if your want an old and economical ride.
WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS YELLING?!
My 07 Camry Hybrid is 200,000+ miles and running strong on the original hybrid battery. The highest my MPG ever read on a single trip was 78 mpg! Mostly downhill, long straight aways, 50 mile trip.
Hybrids are definitely worth it.
So people don't have to struggle to hear what he is saying
His yelling was so annoying I only watched this for 30 seconds. SHUT UP !
i can appreciate your advice, im subbed and most of the time your spot on. however i can make a good argument here in favor of the prius. i have been researching these cars for a long long time. and i can honestly say that every time i check my local listings, and i can find a dozen priuses for sale at any given time, that have over 200k miles. these cars honestly run forever, and there are SO many on the road, all original, on the original battery, with more than 250k miles. even the service records indicate that these things very rarely break down. i mean since the engine only runs half the time, you figure a car with 200k miles, actually only has about 100k miles on the engine since it only runs half the time. and as far as the concern of costly repairs-- well theres always a chance that things can go wrong, but i feel pretty confident that if you can get one with 100k miles at a good price, it will make it another 150k with no problem and without need of a battery. even examples with 200k+ miles sell for alot in nice condition still. so they have great resale. you could pick one up, drive it 150k miles, just do basic maintenance and sell it, for close to half of what you paid for it still.-- which is a much better turn around than on almost any other car you could buy, ( and hope to get 250k out of it). also gas prices fluctuate, and while prices are low enuf right now , they could in fact go up at any point - and if gas prices should rise, the value and potential savings these cars can provide will also scale. just look for yourselves. get on craigslist or whatever your preferd private seller market is, and just look at all of the original prius for sale with over 200k miles. ive never seen a single make, with so many nice examples with that kind of mileage. i would say if u pick up one with 100k miles, you have a aprox 95% + chance that youll get 250k miles out of it just with basic maintenance ( my approximation is based on all the onces out there running good still with those kind of miles on them) - i mean sure a corrola , or many other makes can make 200k+, but when i check my local market, i see an example only once in a while. but never have i looked, and found 15 corollas all with 200k+ all in nice shape that look almost new still. i randomly see a civic, corolla etc, but i see priuses CONSTANTLY , any day i check, just in my local area, there are at least a dozen if not more priusses that are near mint with 200k+ just as i have said. the fact you can trust one to make 250k isnt just an assumption, there is tremendous evidence to support that claim. used priuses with 200k+ sell for around 5k all day long. try to get that much for your civic or whatever thats got 200k+ on it. there are always pros and cons, but i feel confident that i could make a list of pros that well exceeds any cons we could come up with. the prius is a great car.
Mr. Scotty...I watched this video because you made it. Truth is, I haven't watched you since you started teaching on YT, but I have watched several of your videos and they have helped me tremendously. I chose this video to finally comment because your genuineness and fairness took its toll. Thank you for sharing your knowledge/experience. Thank you for always being honest. Thank you for always being genuine. In the future I will probably comment on some of your videos when I get the courage to, but in the mean time, I would like you to know that you mean alot to me (and dare I say, this YT community). Please continue to be yourself and edit these videos the way you see fit. Much love from this long time fan and first time commentor...Gil
I got out of a Taxi recently. 2008 Toyota Prius. 600,000 Km+, original battery and motor.
I've got an 2008 Prius with 200,000 Km on it. Changed a couple tail light bulbs, added a seat belt extender, that about it.
I bought a used Prius for 14 ,500 , with 20K miles, today I’m at 225,000 miles today with 10K oil changes, a coolant flush, and ... that’s all !!! I took my Prius to the dealer ... no problem !!! This guy has something against hybrids !!! Shame.
I have a 2012 Honda Insight, and love it. It’s been reliable, and accelerates well. I’m sad that this model didn’t sell well, I would have no qualms about getting another.
thanks for the advice, but i WILL take the gamble on a Prius
I wouldn't do it....any part that malfunctions is a massive headache and costs a fortune...that example of the alternator in the video is a good example of what happened to me...brake booster and master cylinder failure costing me $2900
I bought a 2007 Prius with 165,000 for 2,500 I’ve put 50,000 miles on it no problems the battery still works great
El Guapo how that cheap? Wtf was it stolen 😆
Likewise. Got it as a 7 year old second hand car 5 years ago. Over 161,000 miles, no mechanical problems, still passes the yearly road worthiness test every year.
El Guapo I bought a used 2007 two years ago, it’s been virtually problem free. Had 71K, now at 105K. Wheel bearing, tires, bulbs. Paid $6K CDN. My kids drive it. Cheap and reliable. If it lasts, great. If not, it was worth a shot. Ours has leather, heated seats and an after market Webasto sunroof. I really like the thing.
Parkedinstjohns leather is cool I don't have that or the sunroof same here though I just had to replace a wheel bearing taking it on a road trip next week about 12 hours away not worried at all about it great cheap car
nobody has leather in a 2007 prius....its fake leather
The gen1 honda insight was the best economy car ever made. It had an all-aluminum body and a curb weight of just under 1900 lbs. Despite the low weight It still had power windows, air conditioning, and an optional 5-speed manual. Yes it had a weak powertrain, but a lot of these cars have made it to over 300k miles, and some boast over 70 mpg on the highway due to the lightweight and low drag. The batteries last a long time, and there is a strong online community if you run into problems.
can I have the link ?
I had a Gen1 Insight (used but certified). Crapped out on me in 6-months.
Prius is the best economy car ever, It can give upto 80mpg.
I just have to say I love your videos because you give such a great in-depth information about whatever you're talking about and you also do it in a fun way so thank you for helpful and entertaining videos
My Taxi driver friend is using Honda Insight 2012 model, he has covered 180,000 miles and hasn't got any issues(except the parking sensor button failure), averaging around 60mpg.
On the other hand, it has less power (1.3 engine) and less hybrid perfonmace compare to Prius
Love you Scotty, but I will continue to drive my 60mpg 2003 Insight.
What Scotty didn't consider is that Priuses typically last over 300,000 miles on the original battery pack. There is NO gear-shift transmission on the Prius to worry about, and the two electric motors are brushless and will last for millions of miles. Replacing a typical automatic TRANSMISSION unit in a non-hybrid will cost thousands of $$$ even with remanufactured transmission.
Consumer Report magazine has found that the Prius is the car that costs the least to own and operate in America, cost less to own and operate than the Honda Fit subcompact even.
Hi Eman 08,
Take a trip to California and you'll see Priuses everywhere, and most of the taxis there are the Prius of 2nd and 3rd generation, racking up 300,000 to 500,000 miles each one of them before retired. Toyota warrants 8 yr and 100,000 miles on hybrid power train free of charge. Hybrid components are very reliable and will last for the 300,000-600,000 lifespan of the car. One exception was my Prius' electric coolant pump was recalled due to known defective. I did not bring in the car for recall replacement...when the coolant pump finally burned out at 127,000 miles, a local Toyota dealer replaced it for free of charge even when the car was way out of warranty.
When this 8-yr and 100,000 mi warranty is over, you can buy used hybrid components on Rock Auto or on Ebay and fix 'em yourself. My 2007 Prius has the touch screen no longer responsive to touch command anymore, and the dealer charges $4,000 to replace it. Luckily, I found an used one on Ebay and replaced it for a few hundred bucks on my own.
The main battery pack can be replaced with a remanufactured one for $600-900 by Prius specialists who drive to your house.
Have no fear...be confident of the reliability and cost savings of driving Toyota's hybrids.
R Pham What was the name of the company that drove to your house to install the remanufactured battery?
Bought 2 Prius in 2006 new. It's 2019...still no problems. Then I bought a 2012 Prius V with 104,000 miles for 10k. Now has 237,000 miles...again, no problems. Thank God!
I have 2 Prius and both bought used. As per my experience you don’t need to run your mind. Simply buy a 4-5 years old Prius (about 100k miles ) and drive another 150k miles (10 years) without any extra expenses except oil, tires, filter change and you get average 40 mpg
Thanks Scotty, have a great day!
Bought my 2011 Prius with 3k miles on it and I haven't done anything to it other than oil changes. Running great at 125k miles. The car has paid itself off with the gas I was spending on a V6 3.5L 300M I was using.
Scotty is absolutely top-notch! I have repaired my car's over and over again doing different techniques mostly from Scott's suggestions. check other videos out also, but Scotty is a Master mechanic and you can tell for sure.
125k on my 2010 Prius! Not a single problem, oil change every 10k, had a break pad change and on my 3 set of tires. Problem free worry free and still giving 43mpg.
I'm still doing great with my 2nd gen '05. The only major problems were broken cruise control (easily fixed with a new clock spring), faulty left front wheel bearing, and an exhaust leak in the muffler. And I guess the 12v battery was starting to run near 11v so I replaced that too, for pretty cheap. Also had to get the breaks replaced because of unreasonable state inspection laws (speaking of which, they'll want to replace the whole cat if there are any leaks. Virginia is absurd.). Btw this is after years of driving.
But in terms of the issues in the video, I have not run into any of them yet. Never had a breakdown.
Well, you did get the Toyota vs. Honda part right, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a friend to buy a used Prius. Not even for a second. I have a 2004 Prius, and Hybrid system and battery aside, it's been the best and most reliable car I've ever owned. Yes, I have replaced the battery, but it had 205,000 miles at the time. It could have gone on a while longer (had not thrown any error codes yet) but was getting poor mpg's (mid to high 30's) and performance had started to suffer. I found a good used battery from a wrecked Prius for $500, 2 hours later I was driving away. I've had the car since 174,000 miles, now almost 218,000 and NO signs of slowing down anytime soon. The only other repairs I've had to do has been new struts and springs (due to the roads it's driven on) and a new muffler. Oil changes every 5000 miles and fill the gas tank occasionally. Still getting average 45 ish mpg, and I have a very heavy foot. Sure, it's not fancy or luxurious, and certainly not a rocket by any means, but it's fantastic on gas, nice to drive, quirky (in a good way!) and RELIABLE. Toyota seems to do that one well. I love my Prius and won't hesitate to buy another one when the time comes.
im starting to get the feeling that im not supposed to get 38 mpg
We have a 2013 Honda Insight EX. We bought it because it was several thousand dollars below the price of a Prius and at the time were driving two SUVs. We are currently sitting at 70K miles, average 48 MPG hwy and my wife has an 80 mile round trip to work everyday. So far, no complaints on our end. A coworker of mine recently gave his 2010 Insight to his son and it now has over 130k miles on it with no problems.
My prius is the best car i ever had! Allmost 200.000 km on it never had a problem
I've noticed lately that a lot of small European & Middle Eastern countries are in love with Toyota and Lexus hybrids. Most don't even sell any regular Camry/IS/ES models anymore except the hybrid versions. Roads are smaller there and there is less space along with higher gas prices. I guess the Prius is just very economic when it comes to constant tight-traffic conditions.
In Norway Toyota sells mostly Rav4 , Yaris, Auris and Priuses. We consider the Rav4 a large SUV and is the largest one they sell over here. So mostly smaller cars with the exception of the Rav4
Roads in middle eastern countries are wide. We have the same vehicle specifications and market as in N. America. In fact, big classic Cadillacs and Lincolns for instance were also sold new in the middle east, just like the CT6 and Lincoln Continental nowadays. Camry's are considered small vehicles over there btw
I think time will tell that the 2nd gen Prius is like an old Mercedes diesel. Bullet proof. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Scotty, you're helping to keep the value of used Pri low and I thank you for it. I have a 2008 with 151k. Bought it new with 3 miles on odometer for 22k plus tax and title. With the exception of the inverter pump (hybrid system electric water pump) replaced under warranty and brake fluid replacement, I've performed all of the maintenance on this car myself including water pump, plugs, easy oil and filter changes, rear wheel bearings (replaced in less than an hour start to finish). This is a relatively easy car to work on it IMO. It shares many non-hybrid parts with corollas. This has been the best car I've owned in my 34 years of driving with a license. And for the Prius haters out there, this is not a sports car. Get over it.
I bought a used 2007 Prius a year ago. The hybrid battery died in a month. But I got it replaced with a refurbished battery for $1600 which is much cheaper than getting one from the dealership. The best part was that those guys also gave a 5-year warranty. Never had a problem with my car after that
This video is a real eye opener for me. I never knew Hybrid cars used a generator i always thought it was like in normal cars. it reminds me of the sane the more complex something is the more likely it is to break down and cost a lot to repair.
The Prius gets so much shit from car guys though
Vehicle Virals mostly because they attract slow, annoying drivers. Partially because having power it's illegal to actually use is still a thing.
As a consious car owner and soon to be pilot here's my insight on them: some model years do look better than others but for the most part its not the car but SOME of the owners that bring the cringe. The stereotypical Prius owner is a high and mighty liberal who thinks hes doing the world a favor by driving a car that is slow and gets 50 MPG but pays no heed to the fact that the factory it came from puts out hundreds of times more pollution than your average diesel truck. And everyone in the car community hates them because they tell everyome else that they should walk everywhere they go not taking into account that there may be no public transit or their place of work is too far to go by bicycle and cant afford a hybrid or electric car. And then you have the Prius owner that will go "I only bought it because Im broke and cant afford gas". Those kinds of Prius owners are tolerable. Its the former kind that give the Prius the stigma that only loud mouthed liberals drive them.
PS I dont drive a Prius
Fox McCloud 007, I love speeding by everyone in my Prius at 80+ mph & 45 mpg with no wind resistance. Best yet the cops think a Prius can't go that fast so they disregard you lol.
Americans are hooked on the big oil brainwashing. Go ahead & blow your money on gas while I will work less & travel more ;)
I just don't like the Prius because it has almost no ass.
P Bau Have fun blowing all the saved cash when the generator or other essential electronics finally do break down.
1st gen Prius owners would know.
What if you have a U-boat?
You play silent hunter
What is silent hunter?
Gawain Sillyness Studio I have a friend that could help you out with that.
Shane Tobin a sub simulator game.
What is your target,your mother-in law?
My Prius gets 55mpg without even trying. In addition to the cost savings, it's also really convenient for long trips since it reduces the number of fuel stops you need to make. Also it's kinda weird to be using a 2003 Prius as an example in 2019.
Yes but it not something you should used because who knows when it will break down
Scotty,
You seemed to stress not buying a 2002 hybrid but have you considered the newer used cars. I bought a 2004 Prius with 214k miles and ran it for long drives between NYC and Syracuse for 2 years. After 276k miles I gave it to sister-in-law. Never had any mechanical or battery issues. Not bad for $2100 investment.
Is Syracuse safe place to live? I see a lot of cheap old homes there . Worth to buy?
Hey Scotty, weird coincidence that I am having this exact problem with my 2007 Toyota prius but instead of buying a new inverter for a few thousand I'm getting one from from a junk yard for around $150.
underrated...
Smart.
I love Scotty but he was biased this time. It is just simple math. A Prius (47mpg) almost triples comparing to my now-retired Sienna's 17mpg. And I drive 9k miles per year. A used Prius 2nd gen typically lists at $4k to $6k. It means my recently bought used Prius will pay for itself in merely 6 years. After that, it will be my free car!
We have a 2007 Honda civic hybrid and we bought it at 140k miles in 2011. Fast forward 2023 we have 384k miles on it and its still going strong!
Every reliability rating I've seen has Prius at the top of the list with lowest cost of ownership.
Scotty's car in the video is the first model Prius, of which 123,000 were sold in the US. The second model Prius sold 1,192,000 in the US and were not prone to transaxle/generator failures. First generation Prii are pretty rare now. Every car has a maintenance item, the Prius has very little maintenance, but will eventually need to have the battery replaced at some point -- a scary point for those that don't understand hybrids. The Prius was chosen as a car most likely to go 200,000 or more. If driven 200,000 miles it will save me about $17,000 / 6,800 (compared to my Honda Pilot) gallons of gas. I, like Scotty am cheap and like a reliable Toyota.
Today I rented a 2018 Camry 4cyl and achieved 44.1mpg on my 18 hour drive! Last week I rented an Altima 2.5 QR for a 6 hour commute and managed around 40mpg. A few weeks ago I rented a new impala and only got 32mpg, it was a V6 and the Nissan and Toyota 4cylenders felt quicker, definitely lighter up front. Every Toyota I’ve ever driven, even old 300k mile Camrys have the same familiar solid feel. Just solid feeling cars that hold up good overtime.
For the love of god there are so many cuts in the video and I love it! It feels like I'm watching more video in less time. Ps I enjoyed the old intro greatly for some reason. But the new and short one is also good.. It incorporates the long and "old" with the short and " new "
There is a battery reconditioning system for hybrid batteries...proven to extend life because onboard protocols don’t let the cells sufficiently discharge or fully charge to maintain good battery health over time. You do a charge/discharge/charge routine once every six months. It’s also important to do transaxle fluid changes as proscribed. The fluid has qualities that help the electric motor/generator do it’s job. If people don’t do all the recommended maintenance, they will shorten the life of parts.
Great advice!! I had a 2005 Honda accord hybrid for 8 years. The charging system wouldn't perform like it use to so I sold it quick to the dealer for a great deal.
@is 4life - Honda has had a lot of trouble with their IMA system over the years. I don't think they have it figured out yet but I could be wrong.
2006 Prius with 690k miles, 2nd battery (each was $900 reconditioned) bought it bacl im 2008, Scotty piss must be BOILING right now
My 05 is up to 272k. New ev battery was at 210k.
Can't believe I'm a TH-cam junkie and I just found your channel. You sir are fantastic! Unfortunately there's not enough hours in the day to binge watch all your videos, but I'll sure try!😉😎😅
Love you Scotty but I have to disagree with you on this one. With a little knowledge and research you can búy a great used hybrid. In my experience I have purchased a 2004 prius with 230k miles for 1100.00 and it has been the best used car I have ever bought. Now at 264k its Mechanically in great condition, very cheap to own with only basic maintenance being needed and I'm looking forward to going past 300k miles. And if it happens to suffer a costly repair I will just part it out, make my money back and then some, and purchase another high mileage prius. Remember to do your research and know what to look for when buying any used car, prius especially.
Agreed. I bought my Ford Escape Hybrid with 200k on it, but meticulously maintained, over 30k of trouble free service and I have no doubt I will get many more wiles out of it. It's like any car - check it out first.
How do you sell for parts? I’d really love a response rhanks
I'm gonna have to disagree. The Honda insight is way more service friendly. I have a 2013 Honda Insight and I love it 308,000 Miles no issues. In fact the insight can be driven without the use of the Hybrid system. For example, if the Hybrid battery fails the whole car is not dead. you can still drive it just fine. The Prius can not do this. Also the Generator n the Insight also more service friendly. and waaaayyy cheaper. It takes the same amout of work to change the generator on the insight as it would to replace the clutch in a Honda Civic. Just my thoughts.
I got a 2010 👍👍
From what I understand you can drive the Prius even if the battery pack fails, so often times it's just one or two cells that fail that need to be replaced, you don't have to replace the whole battery pack.
@@dhsredhead about a year ago I would have agreed with you. However I bought a Prius with a "dieing" HV battery. Once the voltage drops too low in any one of the 28? cells the vehicle will not let you drive it. My hybrid battery had one bad cell. $25 on eBay I was driving it again. But unfortunately. It will not go into ready mode if the Traction battery has an issue. No way to override it either.
I would recommend buying new toyota hybrids, because they cost only $1000-2000 more, you gain plus some power, comfort and mpg. I saw many 2 gen and 3 gen prius and lexus..h having more than 200.000miles and no issues, when some VW with 1.4tsi have issues with engines and especially gearbox after 80.000miles.
Good daay set Scotty.
Thank you so much for this information you have shared to us, appreciate it so much.
Buying a used Chevy Volt off-lease was best for me. 100k mile/8 year warranty on batts, it works more like a submarine than others. It drives on electric entirely for 40 miles and plugs in, but has an engine that kicks in if you go further. We have two of them. My wife's hasn't seen a gas pump in 6 months. I drove mine from Kentucky to Utah on gas and got 38 mpg.
I have 3 used Prius in my family fleet! 1 2nd gen with almost 300k! No major issues for me! Love Toyota!
I love your videos but I disagree with what you said about the Honda Insight I bought mine brand new in 2009 and I currently have 376,000 miles and has never once broken down.
Bought a used 2005 Prius at 216k miles! Now, my odo is stuck at 299,999! Still drives 120 miles daily averaging 50-52 mpg today. It had a new battery installed 5months before I picked it up for $2600. The car didnt have AC initially, the guy thought it cost thousands to fix, which was fixed for $70 DIY. Just needed a new bolt and refrigerant.
Just bought a brand new 2019 Prius LE 4 weeks ago. I love it. Great car, very fun to drive.
I am a car guy, literally grew up above the garage my folks owned. In high school redid an entire car a 72 dodge demon, I dropped a 440 in because it had not engine, and was fairly wiped out. loved the car. I am also a former submariner, yes they were really the original hybrid vehicle and huge horsepower at that. I got a 2015 prius due to the fact it was a a hatchback and could fit all the tools for my home inspection business in it, and was working alot, driving big miles. I know have 100k on it. I do the oil changes and other maintenance on it, so other than oil, filters, and tires, I have bought nothing else and runs everytime I start it. I live in the black hills of south dakota, so driving lots of hills doing 80 in warm weather I get 46 miles to the gallon, in cold it is about 39 mpg. In town guaranteed 50 mpg. It is peppy little machine. I also own a truck which i use for truck things 4 wheeling, hauling boats ect.. The only thing I wish it had were a little more cushion in the seats, that it. So if a car guy is a real car guy they would love these machines, if they are a car guy but that only likes certain types of vehicles then they are only a political car guy.
I'm interested to hear more. Would you recommend the car to people with basic knowledge and/or weekend DIYers (who change oil, etc)?
@@mjmugz I would very much so, only thing I have had to do is standard maintenance it has 150K miles on it. Maintenance is all easy, no valves to adjust ect. Just usually fluids and check filters, and can watch you tube video that show easily how to do.
Don't tell Scotty that some companies are offering lifetime battery warranties now...like Hyundai.
I feel that Scotty is stuck in the past, he seems to often overlook new technology and is quick to just jump on the "it's probably not reliable" bandwagon.
Purchased a one owner 2008 Prius on Saturday morning - I drive a lot with my job & have already driven 400 miles. Averaging 45 MPG with AC on...
No issues & very happy with the visibility & ride.
Another fine validation of my decision. I was shopping used cars 3-4 years ago, with a mechanic's viewpoint and interested in reliability and keeping for 'hundreds of thousands of miles.' Priuses were the rage and used were 12-19k at the time. Then one honest seller simply reminded me that it was really just driving a 1.5L engine, a 'stopgap' like you say. I found a well maintained older Corolla and figured I could buy five of them for the same price. The Priuses were bragging about 45mpg, I keep up my Corolla with these vids and get 36mpg! My initial goal was 200k, but I'm thinking 500k+. I do everything.
May as well stay at home and do nothing. Scotty seems to tell you why not to do everything
Never ask an older white male "mechanic"* about hybrids.
Yep, after watching Scotty's videos I am wondering what I can buy aside from anything wearing a Toyota badge.....
Ask me instead! I'll tell you all about why hybrids are the best thing in the world and why Scotty should buy a used 2010s Prius! They make great backcountry cars.
Ellenor Malik thanks pal
I don't necessarily think it's negativity so much as a heads up for people. Many people don't know a whole lot about cars before buying them, and not because they're dumb or anything, but just because the amount of information available can be overwhelming. Like with these hybrids, most people probably go in thinking they'll get a decent little car with good mileage, only to fine it's wearing out and will cost an arm and a leg more than what they'd save on gas. Also to consider is that many of these used hybrid cards are from the nascent days of the technology, meaning there were still hiccups at that point.
You should probably add that in California, the hybrid battery is warrantied for 10 years, 150,000 miles. State Law.
2014 and older only
Really, that's great. Even for used/ second or third owner?
@@alarahillton1343 older mean 2013 and before or 2015 and after?
extended battery warranty in Ny is also 10 years / 150k . I have a 2010 Prius
I love my 2007 2nd gen Prius. I had it converted to lpg, because lpg is less than half the price of petrol I am now getting the equivalent of 75 to 90 to the gallon (4.54 litres). I reconditioned the HV battery myself over a year ago and it is still running like a dream. I intend to run it as long as possible.
Hey Scotty ! Just junked my 1st car after 4 months . ( Was a hybrid 08 Prius) put maybe 8k miles . Glad to see this video now !
We bought a used 2011 Prius with 82k on it. It drove smoother than our older 2008 Subaru Outback, also an excellent car. The Prius now has about 92k on it and we can't imagine driving any other car. Put new tires on it and took an 1100 mi drive up to Seattle and it ran fine, getting about 47 mpg going around 75-80 mph on the hwy. These are great cars and I'm not an Uber driver but love the 45+ mpg we get around town too. Our Subby got around 22 mpg around town.
How does that do going up steep
hills around curves at the same time on snow and ice?
Good job for critiquing a 2002 Prius, it’s 16 years later and rarely anyone has a 2002 Prius.
I think the Gen 2 Prius is a better car to make a judgement for or against buying a used Prius. They are far more reliable and the later years 2008-09 are just about bulletproof. I have a 2008 with 224k miles and its a solid a it was new. Gen 1 was a bad car
love your vids man, great personality!
We have owned four hybrids and they have all been very reliable. But I do agree with Scotty that they are just a intermediate technology. Our next cars will be fully electric. And we will kick gas forever
I've got a 2012 Prius v i-tech, 7 seats and loaded with every option available. Bought it second hand at 3 years old. It has never given me any trouble, just a fantastic car. Tomorrow I take delivery of my 2019 Tesla Model X 100D. I'm pretty excited!
for the first time but I disagree on you toyota doesn't break or die easy. and Prius take my words 3 times. Prius donot donot I repeat 3rd time do NOT break easy. So relax trust and buy one and you will be surprised. I am seeing in the Auction for 4000 with 200k on it all the time 2010 or up you be pay 4000 USD or up :) people know Prius very well. Have one and you will believe.
just bought a 2008 second gen. Prius ,quiet ,perfect ,measured voltages zero issues in 11 years old NiMH cells and fast enough around the city. much better than Turkish built endless money pit Corollas with bad clutch and gearbox bearing problems or diesels with injector ,egr and head gasket issues.
My neighbors Pruis had 200,000 miles on it before it needed a new battery. My wife and I are on our second used Prius and neither car ever had any issues. My wife works about 10 miles away and compared to the Buick Century we had before we started buying Pruis' it hardly costs anything to drive in fact it gets a lot better gas mileage which in turn means we have more money. I've never been happier with a car to be honest.
I posted a comment yesterday telling Scotty to buy me a Prius hahaha
Coincidence? I don't think so! :)
Carlos Herrera Peralta buy it yourself instead of asking others to buy it for you
Dominik: I will!
Carlos E. Torchia I know but it's one of the shittest jokes
On the very rare occasion you need to replace a battery (rare for toyota, not so rare for honda), replacing a few cells does the trick. The reason is a bad cell gets parasitised as it fails. That's why you can have 99 perfectly good cells and 1 completely dead one. And if you are having to redo the battery, you're probably talking a very high mileage car. So go for reconditioned.
2008 Prius was a good option to buy new. Now 10 years later still running and nothing has had to be repaired. 150.000 miles driven and the price to buy used is so low that it’s still a good option. But to buy a brand new is a bad idea. Now you can get a BEV at almost the same price and never buy gas again.
Well Scotty contrary to your advice I just bought the Gen 1 Honda Insight from Copart in LA, I only got a jump and drove the car from Sunny Valley near LA to Seattle; 1500 miles averaging 75 mph and getting 57 mpg, at 60mph it gets over 70 mpg. So far as I can tell this was the original 23 year old Insight battery and it worked great even though the car had 200,000+ miles on it. One thing you really need to do a video on is properly breaking in the engine if you have a manual transmission like this car has - if you do it .. the car will run for ever.
the generator is only an issue with 1st gen Prius. 2nd/3rd gen are gems. I have owned two 2nd (2004-2009) Gen Prius. ALMOST ALL OF 2nd & 3rd Gen Prius are runnning on their on original battery. Theres videos on youtube how to check the hybrid battery voltage before buying the car. Theese cars are TANKS. my 2005 prius has 170k miles Original battery, my 2008 prius 300k Miles original battery, Granted i only put maybe 100k miles on both (combined), but still theese are great cars and 2nd gen prius you can buy for less than $5,000 and get 40MPG Combined. (if you drive fast like me lol )
Love your video Scotty but have to disagree with you on the newer Prius. There is an astounding amount of testimonies out there on Prius vehicles that go for 200,000 to 300,000+ miles with only minor repairs and standard maintenance. There are also at least 2 companies that will rebuild the hybrid battery pack for under $2,000 and give you a 5 year warranty. And one of them comes to your home to do the rebuild. I have a 2012 Prius V that has 110,000 on it and I haven’t had to perform any repairs besides normal maintenance. I plan to keep it for at least another 100,000 Miles which will be probably 10 more years....
whats the name of those companies ? thanks .
I have a 2012 Prius c, yes the power comes from the electric motor in the transaxle to charge the battery, but the 12v battery has the power stepped down by an inverter under the back seat where the hybrid battery lives as well.
I put about 400 miles a week on mine, just turned over 105k miles, and still get around 60 mpg. I keep meticulous maintenance records, I've noticed that my real savings is actually that other than routine maintenance (ie, oil changes, tires), I've had NO repairs bigger than changing a light bulb.
I'm actually still running the original brake linings, and they still look new.
I'm not saying this would be typical for everyone, but that's my experience.
I would buy another one, and I'd probably buy it used this time.