Toyota Prius (2008) - Repairing at Toyota

LLegolas on 18/12/2022 - 11:47
Last edited 18/12/2022 - 12:23 by 1 other user

In May this year my Prius (2008 or 2013 Hatch 1.5L, running over 400k km) went into Neutral and stopped while running and has never run again since.

So, we put the car service in Toyota and the car is still there in this December.

So far Toyota did as below (copied from the statement)

Check for vehicle won’t start
Vehicle will go into neutral and park but won’t drive
Inspected for DTC’s found: P0AA6-526 – Hybrid Batter
P0171 – Fuel to Air Ratio
Carried out further diagnostic procedure
Inspected Freeze Frame Data – found insulation resistance of high voltage circuit and body is low
Tested Motor Compressor Assembly – all okay
Inspected Insulation Resistance (Inverter, Transaxle and Frame Wire) – All okay
Tested HV Battery Area – Low Resistance Found
Inspected Main Relays for sticking – found relay stuck causing open circuit
Replaced Stuck Relay
Tested Operation – Issue still present, continued diagnosis
Inspected for new DTC’s as per procedure
New DTC registered – replace battery ECU assembly supplied and fit new ECU assembly
Issue still present – requires further diagnosis
PRT Toyota G384347020 Relay System Main $191.40
PRT Toyota G384347020 Relay System Main $191.40
PRT Toyota G384147020 Relay System Main $179.78
PRT Toyota 8998147221 Computer Hybrid $779.83
Total $2507.27

Then Toyota will

"The next step in the diagnosis procedure is to carry out diagnostics on the A/C inverter and Hybrid Vehicle Transaxle Assembly. If all tests pass, then the procedure carries on to inspect Hybrid Battery ECU"

Yes, we already paid $2507- to Toyota.

In usual circumstances we will purchase a new second hand car however, when seeing the 80% hike of second hand car price after Corona and also we just purchased a new unit this year with loan and required some renovation, we are thinking to ask Toyota another go preparing to pay further.

This is our one and only car and we are using public transport since then. We do need car asap as we will move into the new unit late January and need a lot of preparation for the renovation, visiting Bunnings, Stratco etc.

What do you think?

Automotive Car Toyota

Comments

  • CrazyBargainCatcher on 18/12/2022 - 11:59
    +9

    2008 Prius 400Ks , spent $2.5K already. Ditch it i would say, the repairs would/have probably cost more than the car is worth. Get a new one.

    • Murkymerv on 18/12/2022 - 12:12
      +1

      It's a bit late for that !

      • pegaxs on 18/12/2022 - 12:18
        +26

        Absolutely. OP should throw another $10,000+ at a car worth $2k tops. I mean, in for a penny, in for a pound, yeah? Already spent $2,500, what's another $10,000 on a 14 yo, 400,000km car? I mean, after 14 years and 400,000km, it still has life to give, right? Heaps better idea to just keep throing money at the Prius than to put this money towards a more reliable and newer car.

          • Nugs on 18/12/2022 - 12:52
            +8

            @Mokr: IF that's all it takes
            .

          • brendanm on 18/12/2022 - 14:27
            +10

            @Mokr: Op has already spent $2.5k, and it's not running at all, let alone for another 3 years.

          • Legolas on 19/12/2022 - 00:39
            +4

            @Mokr: Thanks. I kind agree with you as quite a few Priuses seem to have made 1000k. That is one of the reasons we are hesitating to ditch the car, particulary when the price of second hand cars are unreasonably high.

            • juki on 19/12/2022 - 17:22

              @Legolas: are you in melbourne, there was a shop that sold different type of batteries for a little less than what the dealer quoted you (there are other cheaper solutions if it is just the battery pack)

              • Legolas on 19/12/2022 - 22:26

                @juki: Thanks I am in Brisbane

                • juki on 19/12/2022 - 22:31
                  +1

                  @Legolas: lucky, some guy up there should be doing something similar, if not installing oem hybrid batteries.
                  you can do it yourself but i dont trust myself and the weight of the pack has my vertebrae screaming just looking at it.

                  I also have a prius, but i feel without the battery you are only going to sell it a fraction of its running price, I dont think i'd go higher than $2000 to keep it running as much as i think its a great car. unlike the rest of ozb i'm not a financial genius I would just not like the stress of dealing with a car with a chain of problems

        • DashCam AKA Rolts on 18/12/2022 - 13:18
          +13

          The ol' sunk cost fallacy.

            • DashCam AKA Rolts on 18/12/2022 - 17:13
              +1

              @Mokr:

              No I gave a rational explanation. & Spending 2.5 k on a car to allow it to run for another three years

              2.5K so far, without a resolution to the issue on a 2008 Prius. running over 400k km. Any further spend is definitely sunk cost.

              • Mokr on 18/12/2022 - 19:02
                -1

                @DashCam AKA Rolts: You do understand a car with 400k is more likely to do 500k

                Then a brand new car.

                It's called the survivor bias fallacy

                • DashCam AKA Rolts on 18/12/2022 - 20:05
                  +7

                  @Mokr: But it isn't running now,even after spending $2.5k, so the chance of it doing 500k km is pretty low without major $$$$

                  P.S. Then than a brand new car. FTFY

                • freefall101 on 19/12/2022 - 05:50
                  +7

                  @Mokr: Wouldn’t the car need to be alive for survivor bias to come into play?

                  The car isn’t running, it will cost an unknown amount to fix. If OP knew how much it cost to fix then sure, but survivors bias doesn’t really matter if they have to replace the whole hybrid system to get it running again. Those new parts aren’t any more reliable than the parts in a new car.

                  Plus Toyota give 5 year, unlimited km warranties these days. I’d hope to get much more than 100k km out of a new one that’s well looked after.

                • gromit on 19/12/2022 - 08:50
                  +6

                  @Mokr: except of course it hasn't survived, it is dead jim. It may come back to life with another $2k spent or maybe it will take $10k+. The sunk cost fallacy is throwing good money after bad because you have already spent X rather than reevaluate the position which is you need a car but only have a dead car that requires an unknown spend on it to get running that will take an unknown time to fix yet will still only be worth a few thousand if you manage to breath life back into it.

                • juki on 19/12/2022 - 17:23

                  @Mokr: interesting perspective but the time to do 500k is more limited on the 400k one no?

                • greatlamp on 20/12/2022 - 09:17
                  +2

                  @Mokr: Any car that is more than a few months old and hasn't got any manufacturing defects has passed by the survivor bias stage.

                  Now it is time to consider which car is more likely to do another 100,000km. It's not the one that already has 400 000

        • juki on 19/12/2022 - 17:20

          i see 2006 gen2s at $8000 with the same mileage, but i agree as good as the prius is sometimes its better to know when to cut your losses

      • boomramada on 19/12/2022 - 07:31

        Op should of bought a BMW, at least it would looks better 🤷

    • 87percent on 18/12/2022 - 14:02
      +4

      The 2023 Prius looks really nice.. pity it’s not coming to Australia

    • Legolas on 19/12/2022 - 20:55
      -1

      Thanks but when your budget is $10000~15000 or less for next Toyota car, you cannot get much reliable car as most are already running around100k, which is not like before Corona when we used to be able to purchase reasonable car with the budget. you may end up with 2012 Yaris with 120K running kilometers and may require repair fees

      AFR: since the start of the pandemic, (used car)prices have risen by more than 80 per cent
      https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/used-car-prices-up-7…

      • AlanHB on 19/12/2022 - 23:00
        +2

        Used car prices are dropping back down now, and a car that has driven 100k has driven 1/4 of the length of your Prius.

  • MS Paint on 18/12/2022 - 12:00

    Just to clarify - your Prius has over 400,000 kms on the odometer?

    How long have you owned the Prius?

    • Legolas on 19/12/2022 - 00:56

      Thanks. Yes. it shows the running kilo meter on the Odometer. If my memory is correct, owned over 10 years.

      • Assburg on 19/12/2022 - 01:50
        +8

        It's an expensive lesson but also…. Unless it's absolutely necessary for a warranty there's no need to go to the dealer for car work.

        Do yourself a favour with the new car and start looking for an independent mechanic.

  • pegaxs on 18/12/2022 - 12:01
    +11

    14ish yo hybrid with 400,000km on it? Battery pack is knaffed. Dont spend any more money on it, it will cost you more than a replacement vehicle and those funds could be better spent on a more reliable and better vehicle.

    It lived a good life and gave many km. Time to put the old dear out to pasture and look at cutting your losses.

    Insert something about "sunken cost fallacy"…

    • Munki on 19/12/2022 - 11:13
      +1

      More reliable than a Toyota?!

      • WhyAmICommenting on 19/12/2022 - 12:22
        +4

        New(er) Toyota: more reliable than 14yo Toyota

  • CheapandUsed on 18/12/2022 - 12:16
    +5

    it looks like they got to about here

    Issue still present – requires further diagnosis

    And then just decided to throw replacement parts at potential items.

    This is our one and only car and we are using public transport since then.

    Sometimes it is best to cut your losses and take a new approach. If trips to Bunnings and similar are still possible via public transport then perhaps Folding Carts / Wagons / Trolleys is a cheap way to get you through until you really need a replacement car.

    • kerfuffle on 18/12/2022 - 13:19
      +3

      Or hire a car or GoGet/Uber Car Share (as someone who also has been without a car since April)

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 18/12/2022 - 13:20
      +6

      P.T there. Hire a Bunnings ute to get everything home.

      • elgrande on 18/12/2022 - 13:34

        This. I had to do this 😅.. with a bit of planning its not all bad.

    • cheap-andrew on 20/12/2022 - 13:24
      +1

      Agreed. Seems like they are firing the parts canon at it until it works… sad that with all the tech in modern cars it’s not reporting the exact fault…

  • Baysew on 18/12/2022 - 12:27
    +11

    In May this year my Prius (2008 or 2013 Hatch 1.5L, running over 400k km) went into Neutral and stopped while running and has never run again since.

    I'm not a diagnostic mechanic, but I believe that your car is trying to send you a message.

    • Munki on 19/12/2022 - 11:15
      +6

      That it decided to join Switzerland and remain Neutral?

  • Euphemistic on 18/12/2022 - 13:03
    +14

    It’s a bit late, but really shouldn’t have gone to Toyota. Dealers struggle to think outside the ‘replace parts until it works’ box while they charge you top dollar for new parts. On the flip side you’d need to find a specialist dealing in hybrids who’d be more likely to experiment a bit swapping parts out of his pile of used spares.

    Cut your losses.

    • dealsucker on 19/12/2022 - 10:14
      +1

      Given so many of our taxi's are Camry hybrid's it should not be too hard to find a specialist. Just speak to a taxi driver.

      • netjock on 19/12/2022 - 10:44
        +4

        This! They would have seen all the problems! I am surprised OP didn't go to a specialist first.

        Only reason I would get Toyota service is due to fixed priced servicing for first 5 years. Then they warranty hybrid battery up to 10 years if serviced at Toyota.

        10 years+ go to a specialist. They aren't as fancy neither will they be charging fancy prices.

  • dcep on 18/12/2022 - 13:06
    +16

    Just to clarify , Toyota just billed you 2.5k to replace things that still working fine and fix absolutely nothing ?

    • MS Paint on 18/12/2022 - 13:17
      +4

      Exactly. I would park the Prius in the back yard and just flog off all the new parts on {insert random marketplace here} to recover some losses.

      The catalytic converter alone is probably $250+

      Also: post and ghost

    • RobotWizard on 19/12/2022 - 09:20
      +3

      That's Australian mechanics for you,
      1: Guess which parts could be faulty
      2: Keep replacing the parts until issue is fixed
      3: Bill customer for everything

  • AndyC1 on 18/12/2022 - 13:18
    +7

    Toyota in the post appears to be the Dealership.

    As such make a formal complaint to the Dealership and Toyota about the service given so far w.r.t. cost and still no solution and no final cost.

    Also get all of your paperwork and email and phone conversation info you wrote down and make a formal complaint to the State government department that looks after car repariers/dealers and also make a complaint if the dealership and/or toyota do not call back with a solution (cost and time to repair) by the end of the week.

  • holdenmg on 18/12/2022 - 13:22
    +6

    No wonder people with Toyota jump up and down. lol

    • MS Paint on 18/12/2022 - 13:38
      +6

      Ohhhh what a feeling - old hybridoyta

    • AdosHouse on 18/12/2022 - 19:26

      I am driving a new Hilux as my work car. I've never seen such a massive bag of shi… in all my life.

      • boomramada on 19/12/2022 - 07:35

        Because its new and you already forked out $$$ lol

        • AdosHouse on 19/12/2022 - 18:17

          No, my work forked out the $$$. Fleet vehicle.

          It's still a turd. I don't understand how a Hilux has a motor with less power and less torque than my i30, yet weighs hundreds more. Also it's at 9000km and I think the transmission is on the way out.

      • netjock on 19/12/2022 - 10:45

        Made in Thailand and people buy it for the tax deduction / dodge. You don't see millionaires / multi millionaires and billionaires driving a HiLux / Ranger etc.

  • 7ekn00 on 18/12/2022 - 17:30
    +2

    Prepare for Toyota to find the battery is screwed, but can replace for $10,000 :/

    • juki on 19/12/2022 - 17:26

      nah prices these days are 1500 -2000 including labour, even cheaper if you fix cells rather than the whole lot

      • freddofrog42 on 19/12/2022 - 19:10
        +1

        Until the next cell(s) dies. Rinse repeat etc. Just not worth it on such an old battery pack as you might have exactly the same issue in a couple of months.

        • juki on 19/12/2022 - 22:26

          yes i agree, just go for the $2000 option one place in melbourne has, there are minor improvements to help with reliability. they are brand new cells too

  • pharkurnell on 18/12/2022 - 18:32

    Troll?? post and run?

    the fishin has been great so far…

  • mapax on 18/12/2022 - 18:45
    +10

    my Prius (2008 or 2013 Hatch

    I don’t understand, are you saying you don’t know what year your car is?

    • Legolas on 19/12/2022 - 01:02

      It is 2008 Prius and seem to purchase around 2013.

  • mini2 on 18/12/2022 - 20:03
    +5

    Typical dealership, shooting the car with the parts cannon hoping something will stick.

    Sunk cost fallacy…I'd still abandon ship even though you've tipped 2.5k into it already.

  • Willy Beamish on 18/12/2022 - 20:09

    If they are charging you that much and not actually fixing the problem I would be either not paying that bill or charging back that ridiculous amount they charged you. For that price you expect to have a functioning vehicle at the very least.

  • vengeance88 on 18/12/2022 - 21:11
    +3

    The majority of Ozbargainers would be very proud to drive a Toyota into the ground for best bang for buck.
    I'd say your 400k km Prius has reached that point. Cut your losses!

  • berry580 on 18/12/2022 - 22:43
    +5

    I think the dealer thinks you're an ATM.

  • mauricem on 18/12/2022 - 22:47
    +2

    The car has been at the dealer for 7 months?

    • Legolas on 19/12/2022 - 01:05

      Thanks. Yes, many cars are waiting for repairs at the dealer as some parts take up to 5-6 weeks to arrive from Japan.

  • dave0706 on 19/12/2022 - 01:25
    +11

    Firstly, do not take a 14 year old car to Toyota, find a local mechanic who specialises in hybrid cars, there are a lot around due to the taxi market. If you are in WA I can recommend one. They can continue diagnostics at a much more reasonable cost. If it is something to do with the hybrid battery, they can even recondition the faulty cells, whereas Toyota will only sell you a brand new battery at ridiculous cost.

  • Daddy Chill on 19/12/2022 - 04:08
    +2

    Dude I need to come and pull your ears

  • Alexxx on 19/12/2022 - 07:23
    +5

    Did you Google the issue and spend a few hours reading all the forum posts about the same issue?

    This is the first step whenever I have an issue with my car or tech stuff.

    Second step is to take it to a specialist.

    The dealer will know much less than a specialist mechanic. My old WRX was making strange noises on boost, dealer said it was the turbo and wanted $3k for parts and labour. Specialist mechanic that only does turbo Subarus took it for a test drive and $150 later it was all fixed, just a gasket leaking near the turbo.

    • Drakesy on 19/12/2022 - 13:08

      The dealer will know much less than a specialist mechanic.

      Debatable, as with many of the newer cars these days they're coming out with increasing amounts of proprietary parts and computer modules that can only be accessed by dealerships (it's their way of locking it down). Admittedly in this case the dealership seems like they're chasing their tail and are pretty clueless.

      • mini2 on 19/12/2022 - 14:30

        Besides, are there Prius specialists around the place? Doubt it as it wasn't really sold in huge numbers or have an enthusiasts following.

  • jonkvh on 19/12/2022 - 08:05
    +5

    Made the mistake of taking my old Hilux to a Toyota dealer, all they did was break stuff that couldn't be replaced (30 years old ute). Only go to a dealer if you have a warranty to maintain.

    • vshek on 19/12/2022 - 08:19
      +3

      Anything outside of regular service is a practice session for all those young mechanics (Nothing against them, some of them will learn and start their own independent shops)

  • BartholemewH on 19/12/2022 - 09:32
    +7

    Geez they saw you coming. It even states in the notes that the code came back as bad battery….. so they threw a couple of grand worth of ECU and relays at it? I'd be telling them where to put that bill.

  • ItchyBallsack on 19/12/2022 - 09:43
    +2

    I bought an ex taxi 2008 prius and its still going strong, I rebuilt the hybrid battery pack myself 3 times. If the HV battery pack is stuffed just go to the wrecker and find a second hand pack, test the cells and replace the faulty ones. There are plenty of videos on youtube.

  • LoserScott on 19/12/2022 - 10:03

    That's the problem with newer cars, they go out of service quick compared to old cars, while I am no fan of old cars due to a variety of reasons but overall they're alot easier to maintain well past there due 500.000km milage.

    I wonder if anyone can list cars below reasonable on serviceability Vs non based on mileage would be keen to know.

  • lonewolf on 19/12/2022 - 10:09
    +1

    Wow, thats a lot of Ks, my mums Yaris 2008 has done about 40k and thats with me driving it occasionally as well :).

    • berry580 on 19/12/2022 - 18:20

      Less than 3k a year makes your mother's car an outlier

      • lonewolf on 20/12/2022 - 10:09

        Yeah she doesnt drive far that often, very rarely. I basically take it occasionaly for long drives as its more fuel efficient than my camry. I do about 7k per year. Driving to work every day as well as sports.

  • netjock on 19/12/2022 - 10:51
    +2

    If it is your battery then reconditioned batteries aren't that expensive (less than $2k) here

    Most old hybrids one of the many cells may have degraded causing low voltage and car just stalls. Plenty of those on youtube. There is also some maintenance you can do (or get someone else to do).

    Suggest to you tube all the issues for your generation of Prius and take it to a specialist. Taxi companies would be helpful if they ran that generation of Prius they can tell you who they go to.

    Good luck. Hope it gets another 300k on the ODO.

  • Drakesy on 19/12/2022 - 13:05
    +3

    I'd definitely be asking Toyota for a goodwill discount/refund seeing as they never actually solved your problem and they sound like they're just using it as a cash cow (since May as well).
    Pretty piss poor service tbh paying that much and still having a problem.

  • peterw1 on 19/12/2022 - 13:08
    +2

    my 04 prius also went cactus at 170k, just stopped in the middle of the road. Towed it to toyota and the problem was the electric water pump. got it fixed soon after cactus again, turned out to be the mechanical water pump. This is a common issue at these mileages. Recently the a/c went had to go to a specialist to fix cost 3k. Now 220k and gong strong. I recommend to fix with another dealer or hybrid specialist

    • juki on 19/12/2022 - 17:30

      oh no i am approaching 220k i have had no issues so far despite the occasional offroad (flooded gravel road or fields), if it died i dont know how much i would want to put in it

  • nwa on 19/12/2022 - 14:51

    Are you describing your car symptoms correctly? I'm guessing it won't go into 'Ready' mode? It could be bad inverter and relay. I'm going through similar issue on a 2013 Prius.

  • sharkie0123 on 19/12/2022 - 15:15
    +1

    the error code fuel to air ratio i get in my car its the O2 sensor being dirty can prevent the car from going into drive or gear or even change gears the amount of times ive had to pull over cause it wont leave first gear cause of it was a nightmare, thankfully ive never been to toyota a family member took the car they brought from toyota in for service they charged them $2500 for service and replacing a bunch of stuff that didnt need it

    • BartholemewH on 19/12/2022 - 20:26

      Imagine they've charged OP $2500 in random crap and it ends up being an O2 sensor…

  • surg3on on 19/12/2022 - 16:12
    +1

    Judging by what they have done already they have NFI what the problem is. They are a service house.. Either get a proper mechanic or write off the car.

  • CowFrogHorse on 19/12/2022 - 17:07

    Ask Toyota about their battery recycling program.

  • umoddbro on 19/12/2022 - 19:35
    -1

    400,000km???? That's insane, I've got an 08 camry and I've only just hit 160,000km….

  • alexlim2000 on 19/12/2022 - 22:35
    +1

    A few issues here:
    - They didnt tell you what the new DTCs are.

    • The types of issues you have.. don't happen suddenly - have you been ignoring DTCs / Fault Codes?

    At this point, I'd go to FB marketplace a buy a 2nd hand '07 Prius for about $8k - it'll drive, which is better than your current car.
    Make sure you have a fault code reader, or a mate with one , so you can make sure you're not getting a lemon.

    Tip - when test driving a hybrid camry or prius - make sure to take it on the highway - I bought one with a dodgy gearbox that wouldnt show up as an issue till you drive about 15mins at 90km/h.

  • alexlim2000 on 19/12/2022 - 22:39
    +1

    ' Hybrid Vehicle Transaxle Assembly' -> replace transmission -> at least another 4k because it is very labour intesive.

    Source: Had my '09 Hybrid Camry with a transaxle issue - car kept going into turtle mode when driving > 90km/h.

    Is the car drivable at all at the moment? If it is, trade it in for a new vehicle if you have the means.
    Else, I would suggest either buying a cheap 2nd hand Yaris or small hatch, and simply hiring a bigger van for your upcoming move.

    I'm sure as anyone can tell you, hiring a van for a day greatly reduces the stress in moving and is well worth it.

    • Legolas on 19/12/2022 - 23:19

      Thank you for your advices. No, according to Toyota, it is not drivable yet. I wanted to keep the Prius until it reaches to 1000k which I believe not impossible but maybe it is time to give up…
      It is hard for me to compromise in Yaris but i do not seem to have the option due to my budget and at the current used car market price. (though will contact Hybrid car speciality shop as many suggested in this post, before I give up my car)

      • BartholemewH on 20/12/2022 - 02:51

        1 million km is for vehicles that do a huge number of k's and are running for a lot of their lifespan, such as taxis and heavy vehicles, with the maintenance schedules to match. Your car isn't half way there at 14 years old.

      • pharkurnell on 20/12/2022 - 15:46

        to do that it my cost you more than a Rolls-Royce Phantom

  • htc on 20/12/2022 - 10:48
    +1

    Are there any reliable place for servicing hybrid vehicle other than Toyota when the car is outside of 5 years capped servicing?

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