2008 Toyota Prius. Click image to enlarge

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2008 Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius may not have been the first mass-market gas-electric hybrid car (that title goes to the original Honda Insight), but it has become something of an icon for the green movement since being introduced to North America in 2001.

That first-generation car only lasted three years here, as it had already been on sale in Japan since 1997. The second-gen car arrived for the 2004 model year and was a vast improvement over the original in many ways.

The second-generation Prius is powered by a 1.5-litre gas engine that works in concert with an electric motor; they put their power to the road through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The drivetrain is managed by Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which, among other things, harnesses braking energy and uses it to recharge the car’s high-capacity battery.

The result, naturally, is the potential for terrific fuel economy. The Prius earned Natural Resources Canada EnerGuide ratings of 4.0/4.2 L/100 km (city/highway). Note the lower city rating, which is the result of the car’s ability to shut off the gas motor at idle and accelerate gently from a stop on electric power alone. Achieving those impressive numbers in real-world driving, particularly in cold winter weather, is difficult and requires both some discipline and a method for driving economically without going so slowly as to upset drivers accustomed to full-throttle acceleration in stoplight drag races.

The Prius suffers from a few issues, but only a couple appear to be serious enough to affect the car’s operation.

2008 Toyota Prius. Click image to enlarge

This thread at PriusChat.com talks about navigation system troubles (check out the price the original poster was quoted to replace the unit in his car!). I suspect this issue might be the source of the one black dot the Prius earns in Consumer Reports’ reliability information (in the “audio system” category). A number of Lexus models – which apparently use the same navi system as the Prius’ – also get lackluster ratings in CR’s “audio system” category. A poster in our forums tells us he was quoted $5,461 plus labour and taxes(!) to replace the faulty DVD player that was causing the problem in his Prius.

There’s also an issue with the multi-function display (MFD), the screen in the dash that relays info about fuel consumption and controls some radio and climate control functions. Our forum friend says screen failures are more common in colder climates.

A sticky shifter that doesn’t want to move back to the neutral position as it’s designed to do can be blamed on a broken spring in the shifter assembly.

This thread at PriusChat.com indicates that the inverter coolant pump (part of the hybrid system) might be an issue in the long term. It appears that this component is the subject of a Technical Service Bulletin in the U.S.

The Prius’ hybrid battery appears to be quite robust, if the lack of talk of it on Prius forums is any indication. In fact, the smaller 12-volt battery used to start the gas engine and run accessories is more prone to failure. The same forum contributor says the car will usually exhibit strange behaviour before the battery fails outright; symptoms include poor audio system performance and a steep increase in fuel consumption.

2008 Toyota Prius. Click image to enlarge

I got in touch with the service manager at a Toyota dealer here in Ottawa to find out about replacement costs for the hybrid battery. At the time of this writing, the battery itself costs $2,990, and the 2.8 hours of labour need to do the work is worth $275, for a tax-in price (in Ontario) of $3,578. He added that his shop has never had to replace the battery in a second-generation Prius.

Next, I contacted Nicole Grant at Toyota Canada to ask about hybrid battery warranty coverage. She said that all of Toyota’s factory warranties are “fully transferable” to a second owner, including the eight year/160,000 km hybrid-related component warranty. This warranty covers the hybrid battery, battery control module, hybrid control module and inverter/converter. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) and electric drive motor are covered under the five year/100,000 km powertrain warranty.

Overall, the second-gen Prius gets near-perfect reliability marks from CR and earns the publication’s “good bet” rating.

There are also a few maintenance-related things to look out for.

A rattle from the front passenger seat is fixed easily enough, but Toyota apparently knows about the problem; if your Prius exhibits the rattle and is under warranty, why not let them fix it?

Some of the folks at PriusChat.com are doing some intense investigation into whether the Prius’ recommended transmission fluid change interval is too long, and the general consensus appears to be that it is. The end result of leaving the oil change too long, say these folks, is accelerated transmission wear and possible failure in the longer term. Check out these two threads for the details: one and two.

2008 Toyota Prius. Click image to enlarge

And here you’ll find a list of service recommendations from a trained Prius technician.

Here’s a handy reminder to check the cabin air filter frequently, from PriusOnline.com. Here is a cabin filter replacement how-to.

The Prius has proven itself in crash safety tests too, earning a “good” rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) frontal offset test. It also gets a “good” rating in the IIHS’ side impact test.

In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests, an early second-gen Prius scored five and four stars respectively (driver and passenger protection) in frontal crash testing, and four stars each for front and rear seat occupant protection in side impacts. Note that side airbags were optional until 2007, when they were made standard. That first NHTSA test was conducted on a car without side airbags; when they re-tested a 2007 model with them, the new ratings were four stars each for driver and front passenger protection in frontal impact tests, and five and four stars respectively for front- and rear-seat occupant protection in side impacts.

Like any good Toyota, the Prius tends to maintain a deathgrip on resale values. Therefore, bargains are hard to find, and even more so when gas prices go through the roof.

Canadian Red Book values range from $13,350 for a 2004 model to $26,025 for a 2008. For about 20 grand, Red Book suggests a 2006 model, whose value it lists as $20,175.

The Prius may be one of the most obviously “green” cars on the road, but it’s a viable alternative to a non-hybrid midsize sedan in that it forces few sacrifices on its owner. Treat yours right and it should return both great gas mileage and good long-term reliability, two things that make any car a good deal, even if you have to pay a premium for it.

Pricing Red Book Pricing (avg. retail) January 2009: Year Model Price today Price new 2008 Prius $26,025 $29,500 2007 Prius $23,075 $31,280 2006 Prius $20,175 $31,280 2005 Prius $16,075 $30,300 2004 Prius $13,350 $29,990 Online resources The forums at PriusChat.com, and in particular the Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting section, is a great resource. Other good sources for information include PriusOnline.com, which has helpful Q&A and Technical discussion sections. Also, have a look at the Prius sections at HybridCars.com and GreenHybrid.com. Manufacturer’s Website Toyota Canada Recalls Transport Canada Recall Number: 2006129; Units affected: 4,138 2004-2006: On certain vehicles, the connection at the intermediate shaft or the intermediate extension shaft may become loose or the intermediate shaft sleeve may develop a crack under certain operating conditions. The connection may separate or the shaft sleeve may fracture, which could result in the loss of steering control and an increased risk of a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the steering intermediate shaft. In addition, the dealer will inspect the sliding yoke and the intermediate extension shaft and replace them if necessary. Transport Canada Recall Number: 2004409; Units affected: 8,568 (also applies to Lexus RX330) 2004: On certain vehicles equipped with a light emitting diode (LED) stop lamp, there is a possibility that silicon oxide may be generated on the surface of the contact point inside the stop lamp switch. Consequently, current may not flow at the contact, causing the stop lamp to become inoperative. The loss of stop lamps would result in failure to warn following drivers that the vehicle is braking and/or is stopped, which could lead to a vehicle crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch. Crash test results National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Used vehicle prices vary depending on factors such as general condition, odometer reading, usage history and options fitted. Always have a used vehicle checked by an experienced auto technician before you buy. For information on recalls, see Transport Canada’s web-site, www.tc.gc.ca, or the U.S. National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA)web-site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov. For information on vehicle service bulletins issued by the manufacturer, visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov. For information on consumer complaints about specific models, see www.lemonaidcars.com.