I dont think its a big issue yet. Did you buy it new? shouldnt have to worry for atleast 8 years 100k. If you keep it until it old you'll have to find a battery at some point. I would think like all batterys if you live where it gets really cold that will shorten its life. Maybe by the time you need one they'll be cheaper.

 

why not the Lexus equivalent of the prius? what is it a CT200H or some stupid name like that?

 

Every hybrid system will toast the battery eventually. The Honda Civic hybrids had a big issue with this, so Honda did a recall, reflashed the batteries to not help as much in order to have them last longer, which resulting in significantly worse mileage, and IIRC it pissed a lot of people off. I haven't heard of any widespread issues with the Priuses, but then again, I don't pay any attention to them.

Those batteries are why those suckers are worse for the environment than an old suburban until they hit 100k or something like that. Mining cadmium-containing ore in Canada? Terribly polluting process. Shipping the cadmium from Canada to plants all over the place to pluck it out of the ore and process it? Even worse process. Shipping the heavy-*** cadmium off the Philippines or Europe to make into a battery? Pollution. Making the very heavy batteries and then sending them off to Japan or wherever to be put in cars? More pollution. The parts of the batteries that can't be recycled? More pollution. I think the new ones are nickel metal hybrid (NiMH) or something which supposedly aren't as bad, but still. And let's not forget that this is in addition to the regular engine that has to be made for them as well!

All of the CT200h's are still nearly new, Pat. This Prius is an 05.

 

Too new. I didn't want a car payment.

 

Yup. True. There are several million of these little cars on the road and I have seen batteries on CL for $500 out of wrecks.

Also true and I think it's more like 150k! I'm not claiming to be green and I'm sure not trying to save the world. We put a lot of miles on our cars and my Wife's mother lives 250 miles away. That was a $150 round trip in fuel in the truck or Expy. It cost $38 in the Prius.

I looked over my last year financials and I was spending an average of $455/month in gas - and I work from home!

Does the hybrid premium make sense for everyone? No. I'm sure the people I bought it from never saw a return on their investment with only 50k on the odometer. I have no idea why someone who drives so little bought this car. They probably thought they were being green and saving the planet like most of the ignorant jerks that buy these things.

 

Not new. 2005. No car payment.

Yeah, the battery WILL die, and I have seen refurbs for $800 all over. I'm in southern AZ, where it freezes about 3 times a year. Heat is my enemy.

 

From what I read about them the other things like the transmissions are so reliable they more then make up for the battery. I also thought if there selling them because the batterys are bad maybe there is some deals out there. A quick scan of the local classifieds turned up nothing.. The transmissions are said to basically have no moving parts. Like a trians electric traction motor they have a reduction gear and then they just wind up real high with the electric motor. That part of the car lasts forever they say. Time seems to be the big factor in the battery's life. People are getting 200k+ out of battery's. But they seem to fail around 9-12 years. Not allot of data on them so far from what I can see though. Pretty new technology.

 

As long as you don't turn into one of those tree hugging d-bags that hang around the gas station just so they can rage on people that drive trucks I am happy for you.

I wish I could get 50 mpg!!!

 

I want to put a massive fog machine on it - and a turbo.

I do my part for the environment. I pick up others trash when I'm out, I dispose of my used oil properly, and I tread lightly off road. I have solar on my house (only to save money ) and I recycle.

Am I a tree hugger? No. I HATE the stigma associated with driving a Prius. I have already noticed more people cut me off! I don't know if it's because of my size or the prejudice.

I promise I'll let you guys know if it turns out to be a piece of hype.

 

Last fall, I was heading west on I-40 in eastern TN and pulled into a Pilot for gas. There was a guy in front of me at the pumps filling up a Prius with TX tags. I jokingly told him that I didn't think you had to put gas in one of those things - he laughed and told me that this was his first gas stop since leaving Dallas. He said that they came up the Natchez Trace Parkway, which has a 50 mph speed limit, and they were essentially hypermiling the whole trip. As soon as he finished he pulled out a calculator, punched in some numbers, and told me he got 80 mpg on that tank.

 

I don't think you are getting cut off because you are in a Prius but because it is small. I used to have the same problem when I drove my Toyota Tercel as a DD up until I sold it over the last summer. The big trucks just don't see the little guys on the road as easily.

 

I am more of an a$$hole to people in Priuses . . . but usually only if they have stupid, liberal stickers all over the back of it.

Whoa

I recycle and pick trash up, etc. but to be honest, the way that liberals act and what they say makes me want to be a detriment to the environment, just to spite them. I don't have cats on my truck, and it costs me more to keep them off than a set of Maggies would, but I like that not having them is a bit of "flippin the bird" to those guys. If I ever get a little gas sipper, it'll be to save myself money, tree huggers be damned.

 

I admit it, I am more likely to cut off a Prius than anything with more than 6 cylinders. I prefer 8 or more.

I avoided mentioning political affiliation because I thought it might violate a forum rule. Since it's out there... I am not a fan of bumper stickers, but I feel this needs some sort of anti-liberal propaganda on it. Maybe the picture of Obama that says "Does this *** make my trunk look big?" I think my username makes it obvious I have guns. I need some gun stickers on there too.

My electric golf cart has anti-Obama stickers on it.

I'm taking it on a 250 mile trip today. We already put over 2000 miles on thing and haven't had it for 10 days.

 

I wonder what the aftermarket is like for the Toyota Prius... Instead of suspension lifts and locking differentials, do Prius owners have a selection of parts to make the mileage better?

 

I let my political "preferences" leak out all the time and haven't been reprimanded, yet

But I think that thing should get littered in "NRA Stand and Fight," Buck ofama, pro-life, drill baby drill, drill here and drill now, Calvin pissing on obama, and stickers like that. I would stop you and ask to take pictures of your car! And if anything does go on, you'd better post em on here!