My brake booster went bad, i decided to install normal vacuum operated brake booster, installed electric vacuum pump, and vacuum reservoir.. i have no brake issues anymore.. I live in East-Africa where these cars are not common..so it becomes very difficult to get parts from our local spareparts dealers.
I took a chance and purchased a 2006 Prius that needed a brake booster for 1800.00, after watching a few RU-vid videos I was able to replace it the way you said without having to disconnect the coolant hoses, I purchased the booster from eBay for $650 was supposed to be only one month of use and it was practically new so I took a chance and with pretty much basic tools I was able to replace it and then I use the paper clip trick to clear the codes and it's been over 2 years and about 35,000 miles and it's been one of the best cars I ever had, also I purchased gasoline that had water in it from a local reputable gas station and the car began to run very rough instantly and sending me multiple misfires codes, in an afternoon I was able to drop the tank to empty it completely and I was able to get about 8 oz of water and there is a fuel pump but you can't get it out even from under the seat, from under the seat you do have to remove the seat to disconnect the wires, I really tried to disassemble the tank but it was near impossible unless I got a skill saw to cut it up and I wasn't going to do that, I ended up re installing the fuel tank Flushing the fuel line by bypassing the fuel relay and cleaning the fuel injectors and fuel real and new spark plugs, the car is running like a champ now, I now own three Prius cars an 06 and 07 and a 2012 Prius V which I've had to replace the engine because of the leaking head gasket, these cars are worth fixing, I got a near new engine from JDM and had it installed for under $2,000 way better than rebuilding 200,000 mi engine, I'm kind of like you I really like these cars very simple to work on thanks for the video
Hey Drew, as a 2nd Gen Prius private sale buyer, how can I test for these issues (and the most common issues on a 2nd gen) before making a purchase? Can you please make a video about that?
I almost bought one, but ended up backing out. had heard so many great things about the 2nd gen Prius that I was set on buying one. I looked and looked, and I finally found a 2007 with only about 85k on it that was a Carolina car, so no rust and in good condition. I was excited about it. I knew it had a dash problem, but I researched that, and discovered that I could pay about $1,000 to have it fixed, or follow along on a RU-vid video and possibly fix it my self for less than $10 and a few hours time.I was able to get the price of the car down to $7,000 because of the dash problem. I thought I might at least try to fix it myself, and if I succeeded, then I'd saved $1,000, but if I ran into trouble, then send it on and have it fixed - which I figured would likely be the true outcome. So, I was good with that issue. The hatch needed new hydraulics, but those weren't too expensive, so that was okay, too. There was a little issue, though, where some of these cars can begin to fail around the latch area for the hatch, so I knew that would likely need a little work, but nothing too major since it hadn't broken yet. However, the more I learned about the car, the more concerned I became that it was actually going to be a big money pit. When I would come to a stop and hold the brakes, I would hear a small sorta yip. It wasn't every time, and at first I even thought the sound was coming from crossing walks - until I stopped at places that didn't have them. Researched that, and discovered it was likely an ABS issues (symptom 'brake bark' which is just what I described). Toyota had offered to repair the issue when it was under warranty, but the car hadn't been driven enough for the problem to arise during the warranty period, so it had never been repaired. It was a shame because Toyota even had a 2nd warranty on the repair that would have taken it out to another 10 years or 100k. But again, it never had the first repair. As a result, the ABS repair would have cost $3,500-5,000. I considered it. However, there was also another little noise, I can't remember exactly how it sounded, but sort of like a faint 'dingding' that I heard almost under the steering wheel. I didn't know exactly what that was because it was harder to research, but from what I gathered, it was possibly another brake issue that could cost about $2,000. Maybe. Still not sure, but things were adding up $$$ when this was a car I wanted to buy to Save money. Other things that concerned me, and that I saw as potential repairs on the near horizon, included that fuel issue you mentioned. The tank is supposed to be something like 10-12 gallons, but from empty, the car would only take 6-7 gallons of gas. I had heard something about a bladder that could go bad, but it was being represented to me as the fuel conservation was so great that it had a smaller tank. No. It has a normal sized gas tank for a small car, and 7 gallons is too small even if it is great on gas, so that clued me in that the gas tank was on the downhill. The cat had also been stolen and replaced, but that seems to be common with these cars, so you just hope the repair was good, but if not, cha-ching again. Also, even though the car only had about 85k, the battery had been replaced, and the new one came with a $20 monthly warranty in case it, too, went bad. That might have been acceptable, but it didn't have a lot of pep, so the car actually was in need of a better battery, too. All in all, that $7,000 car that looked like a great deal in the beginning had the potential to cost that much, or more, all over again before it even got to 100,000 miles - and who knew what else might go wrong or the additional cost? I noped out of the deal. I was disappointed, but I think I dodged a major financial bullet on this car.
It’s really hard to say. I mean there is a reason these are STILL the choice of curious, and so many Uber drivers are devastated that they are becoming too old to use for that purpose… They really are bulletproof, but, like this video points out, they do have potential disasters please like and subscribe if you haven’t already :)
@@DrewGarage I did like and was already subscribed. 🙂It was just turning out to be too expensive for me for a 17 year old car. A lot of belts, seals, etc., can also start to dry rot and stuff on an older car even in milder climates where rust isn't a problem. Plus, when I started looking at it as a vehicle 17 years old with 85k that was going to cost me ($7,000 plus $$$ upcoming repairs, etc.,) probably $14,000-15,000 by the time I hit 100k, I started thinking about all the other vehicles I could have for that same money, so it didn't make much sense to buy it. Plus, there are even a few, just a few, small cars that I believe you can purchase new for about $17,000. Those would even give you a warranty, and this one had nothing of the sort. I think that there are even some 'certified' used cars that will give warranties, so it just didn't seem logical to buy it once everything was factored in. For someone who could buy one super cheap AND had the skills to do some of the repair work, however, it might be a great car to own. My car repair skill set is about zero, so . . . 😆
@@CarolinaCarolina-ph9mx thank you so much!! I think the key for folks who dont work on these is to have a prius specialist they trust - thats of course more expensive than DIY but not nearly as much as the toyota dealership or some independent who doesnt truly know these cars
2004 Gen2 Prius 225k miles, owned since 35k miles. 55mpg typical. No major issues... recently did brakes 1st time since owning. Regular fluid changes.... 5k oil. Oil analysis showing negligible wear metals Gonna be a bit sad when it comes time to replace or facing major fix.
I had a 2010 I bought used with about 230 K. It ran great for around 3 years or so and then a rear wheel bearing went out. 440.00 no biggy since no other issues in 3 years...then the brakes went out...3000.00 fix...brakes still worked enough to get by so was just going to neglect that...then the car started shaking on start up for a short while. I did a tune up that parts were 330.00. It got better but the shake came back. Sold it for 1500.00 and I had just spent close to that on it. Don't buy one of these to save gas...the reason is when there are issues a lot of mechanics dont want to mess with it and it costs a fortune. If you just like the things go for it but it will get you back for the gas in the end.
Driving a 2007 one over 5 years ,only checking with mini VCI once a year and silicon grease brake calliper sliding pins regularly. bad 12V battery can cause very scary problems including brake completely going. booster is still ok ,about 2 years ago started not stopping ,kept buzzing ,flushing and changing brake oil using original Toyota oil fixed ,maybe it's not always the nitrogen container.
I owned a 2007 drove it to 197000 miles shipped it to Africa it’s still on the road and now have 342000 miles I recently bought a 2009 with 106000 miles, planning to keep it forever About to buy another 2006 with 180000 miles to keep as a project car or spare part car
Love hearing that the one in Africa is still going! We have some subscribers from Africa and have had inquiries to ship there. Very small world we live in these days. Please subscribe =)
wait USA prius doesnt have a hole beneath the back seat in order to work on fuel pump? I mean I do have in the japan gen 2 and my fuel pump gone at a intersection I had to put it in neutral and pushed it out, 1 day of diagnosin lead to the pump so I just replaced it and it fired just back up.
I bought an 09 about 8 years ago, it had about 165K on it. It has 320K now. Not in any hurry to replace it; the damned thing is relentless like its older no-frills pickup cousin. Had the instrument cluster capacitor plague problem. Fixed that. Got the MFD cracked microconnector issue: saving up, going to get that fixed in about a month or so. Needs an O2 sensor, but that's not special. All cars have O2 sensors, they go bad everywhere. Not a unique problem to the Prius. Needs a PCV valve replacement. Again, not unique. Where it is is uniquely hard to get to for a PCV valve, but the valve itself is like a five dollar part. That's about it.
THIS is why I love them. They just go and go and go. But being I am around so many and all the time, I wanted to start posting the disasters that can happen that are unique to them. STILL my favorite used car to stock! please like and subscribe if you haven't already =)
I want to try a li-ion battery but there just isnt nearly enough margin in my cars to support the project. I am going to import a 1997-2000 prius from Japan and they have cylindrical cells rather than prismatic so I might do it to that one to get ahead of a potential issue... please like and subscribe if you haven't already =)
Going on a 20 year old car and there’s only two ‘deal breaker’ issues and neither is engine or transmission (or EV battery)? Thats a ‘buy now’ if I ever heard one
My Granny Grreen 06 w/ 224k (now 228k) i bought from you is still going strong. I do fear those big issues and being able to find someone knowledgable to do the work if i ever need it. Your Thumbnail shows 2010-15….
HEY! I am glad you're enjoying it! These are worst case scenarios so don't be too worried - plus you've got me to bounce questions off of any time. I STILL haven't had another green one like yours except for a demolished parts car at the shop! The thumbnail should be a red 2008 - thats what I see! If it's different can you text me a screenshot please? Thanks and thanks again for your business =)
Thanks for your awesome insights Drew. Wanted your opinion on the 2016-17 Priuses. I’m looking at those in a $10,000 range or so but those have well over 150-180K miles on them on average. Are there any known issues with the early 4th generation Prius that I should be concerned with, especially with high mileage?
So I haven’t been exposed to enough of them to really form much of my own opinion. We have had three at the dealership. They just don’t fit our business model in the current economy… They are very pricey for what they are, and with how hard it is for people to get loans, we try very hard, with an exhausting effort, to have a very clean low priced inventory, but I can tell you what I do know: The head gasket issues from 2010 through 2015 are resolved in that model. No vehicle from that era is going to have wheel bearings and ball joints and tie rods that last as long as the second generation… It’s not uncommon for those things to last well over 200,000 miles on a 2004 through 2009, you won’t get that on any modern car Sadly, but, I think it is a better car than a 2010 through 2015, which I would still personally own if I needed my own car and didn’t require six seats in it
The 2nd gen Prius is one of the most solid cars ever built. Which means, if it is being sold, especially by the first owner, there is a good chance it has reached EOL in numerous vital areas. Like a favorite beagle, they don't die until absolutely everything breaks.
I know someone who's an owner op cab driver. She had her 2nd gen prius for over 800k before it finally died for good. I have one now that's at 212k, my expectation based on my experience driving them as a cabbie is that I can reasonably expect to get to 450k just by doing the routine maintenance and changing the stuff like the HV battery, inverter cooling pump, catalytic converter when they need to be changed.
I have one and I love it, it does have the brake booster issue, I have replaced it once, it went bad again, (you can usually still drive it until the pump totally dies), and I agree you need the Toyota to do the bleed and readjustment properly. Havent had any issues with the gas tank thankfully. The other main issue with this model is the MPH display going out and needing capacitors replaced and thats one heck of a job where you have to remove all the covering on the dash board. All in all She has 282K miles and still rides awesome!
My dad and I did the paper clip trick where you jump two of the OBD port pins with a paper clip and do a video game cheat code-esque sequence to get it into maintenance mode to bleed the brakes after we changed the ABS actuator. A bit of an ass pain, but you dont necessarily have to take it to Toyota. I tried an amazon copy of techstream with a USB OBD cable but it wouldnt connect properly so resorted to the paper clip trick.
Mystery? #11 module, counted from the passenger's side, blew its top off. Twice within a year. Any thoughts? I think I've heard of this exact one giving problems elsewhere?
Hi Drew, great content. I have an 07 with about 270,000 and I am trying to figure if I should keep it and put some money into it or for another second gen condition. Mine has some rust. Thankyou
So if you’ve got one that’s good, my advice, purely personal, is keep it until it’s not good… Our 2007 Honda Odyssey has almost 220,000 miles on it, and yes it has a little rust, but nothing is wrong. Given the rust, I don’t think I would put more than 1000 bucks into it. If the same car was from like Arizona, I would probably put 3000 in it because I know they last at least 400,000 if they don’t rust first. Hopefully that helps :-) if you are not already subscribed, please do :-)
@@carlosc_123 you are most welcome! Yes, actually. I don’t have money at the moment, but I usually have a couple and I buy them in Maryland and Virginia typically, so no rust!
I drove mine over 5k after redoing the pack. Now ive found connector issues at the batty comp. Bought a supposedly good one with better wires to battery. Short drive/PO420 code. One moduel 7.2 the rest 7.6. Replaced it/and new 12 volt. Same experience. Short drive/ PO420. EVEN BEFORE SWAPING A MODULE HIGH VOLTAGE WAS 211VOLTS i think. Gunna ask Toyota tomorrow. Might be a crappy battery computer i received. I clear the code/ready to roll But probably 5 miles only. Dash will show Ready and Red Triangle at same time.?
Gen2 with about 182K. I've reconditioned battery twice. I'm worried about ABS pump - it does go off more than i like. I also have the problem mentioned in the video where I can't put gas in the car. This is definitely a catastrophic problem financially that will make me get rid of it. It also has gotten worse over the past year.
I bought my 2004 Prius in 10/18, with 46k. It has served me well for the past 4.5 years, with a daily commute of 75 miles. It now has 163,000 miles on the odometer. Unfortunately, living in the rust belt of upstate NY has taken a toll on the undercarriage. Other than maintenance work, it’s been a very reliable car. I will probably be able to drive safely for another year or so. Like many cars I have owned, it will wind up being a mechanically sound, but structurally unsound rust bucket.
Do you know whether the VVT rattle is prevalent in Prius' 1NZ-FXE and 2ZR-FXE engines? I know it's an issue with a lot of the non-hybrid 2ZR-FE engines, and apparently less so with the 1NZ-FE as reports on it are sporadic (no news is good news I guess). I can't seem to find what years Toyota finally updated to the new VVT sprocket, seems to be pretty random across models with these engines. Apologies if this posted twice, not sure if the first one went through.
I own two Gen 2 and a Prime plug in. On our low mile (85,000) 2006 Prius got the red triangle of death, I bought a Prolong grid charger and discharger. Takes a long weekend to do 3 cycles of charge discharge, but everything runs better after installing the cable and doing the re conditioning of the hybrid battery. The 2008 (185,000) had evap codes , but after running the grid charger, I find that the codes don't come back quickly. The Prolong units are aprox $800 for a cable, grid charger and discharger, I use the charger every 3 months, and plan to run the charge discharge cycle once a year in the early fall.
Thank You, I stopped by to hear the bad before I by a different one, I have a 2007 and there are some very odd quirks with the car but I love the little thing it runs great .EXCEPT, the AC don’t work and to fix it they would have to order one and when all is said and done they say around $2,00.00, Not going happen with a 2007 with two hundred fourty thousand miles
I’ve had that problem with the gas gauge it could be full and show 1/4 tank the dealer recommended new tank new fuel pump and new ecm I did it all and it stole doesn’t work. 100%
love this car!! dash lights act up but i know how to solve it buts thats like every 6 months they go out i do the turnit on accesory open door hit and hold the climate button turn on headlights 3-4 times and walla dash lights work again. other than that perfect car 255000 miles
I have a issue with frunt turn signals being invisible in sun. But perfectly fine at night. . The 12v battery is unusually expensive at near $250 but a needed evil. . Bad Wheel bearings on the front will chew thru the tires. ((Found that out the hard way)) On a cross country trip. . Ive moved probably more load then i should, and the auto sits several inches lower to the ground then it did OE off the assembly line. . Oil consumption, eats near 5 qts per 5k oil change. With the high mileage oil additive. Probably near 10 additional quarts per 5k on regular oil. I dont recommend in anyway pushing oil changes any more then 5k miles. Its around 220k I always drive it as its entended, treating the fed-speed as a brick wall. I spend a lot of time between 45/50 and im largely on low traffic state highway roads. . I do some trailer pulling, i generally get low 40s on the average meter. When i reset it before pulling a trailer. I figure thats about the same stress level, as running about 80mph+ with no trailer. . I also run exclusively 87 octane with no ethanol. And 0w-20 full synthetic.
Yep! And it seems to be getting worse/more common. Still the best car anywhere near the year/miles/price. I am starting to get heavy in 2003-8 corolla and BACK into 1992-2001 camry as well as they are just as good but less complicated
Sadly the extras come with their own wiring, hardware and software in virtually every case. Soon I’ll be importing JDM units :) be sure to subscribe!!!
I recondition my hybrid battery for free after returning the charger back to Amazon after one week. It went from 61% capacity to 94%. Abs was an meh repair
I’m about to buy a clean 07 Prius with 165k miles. I didn’t pay attention to the screen much when I test drove it today. So does the info display screen actually show health and capacity of the battery?
I recently got the 08 prius 2 with 270k km. It drives really well. I live in europe, so I have the normal gas tank. Hybrid battery operates good too. In the end every car has a darkside and numerous things that can go wrong.
@@topspot9417 yes as an avid importer (I’m sitting on like nine JDM cars right now) I am extremely annoyed by my countries ridiculous law. 15 years is much more fair than 25
Man just got my dads old 2007 gen 2. Luckily he had already put a battery in it as the old one died from not driving it. It only had 108k miles on it so that is barely any driving ona car that old. When he gave it to me it was making the stupid quacking duck sound braking. Looked it up saw it was the auctuator. Luckily I have a fair mechanic as we got the part new for 1800 (didnt want to risk getting burned on a used part) and he only charged me 2400 all in. I thought was a great deal considering Toyota near me wanted close to 4k and everyone else was 3500 or so. Only reason I even looked around was because he doesnt really work on hybrids but he said toyota started doing that setup with most all of their cars. Fingers crossed all the big stuff is out of the way. Only other issue I have is a bad tire pressure sensor and my gas guage seems wonky and misreads a lot. Just the other day I was parked and it went from a third full to almost full which makes sense beacuse I knew I had just filled up a day or two before. Decent car but it has some costly repairs for sure. Much more than my little mazda 3. Still rather pay 2500k in one go to repair than a 500 month car payment. My ggirl just got a cx50.....made me new car thirsty but then I just look at her monthly bill and I say no thank you.
Literally almost everyone lol it was a common problem. Under the very rear edge of the black strips on the roof, and around the rear hinge there are welds that have a seam sealer that can crack. Cleaning that area really good with the solvent and then putting a thin coating of outdoor clear RTV silicone Solves that issue. For redundancy, I often drill a 3/16 inch hole in the rubber drain plug underneath the 12 V battery, that way at least if water leaks in, it doesn’t build up and cause a human environment that damages the battery
welp, my 2004 Prius has 225k.. owned since 30k. Nothing major wrong with car yet. HV battery modules are all within 0.1v of each other (full drain down and up) Brakes (pads/rotors/drums) replaced at 200k... still have life left, but were grumbling a bit. Didn't feel like troubleshooting MFD got glitchy around 180k (bad solder issue). Fixed for $225 with a mail in service. Replaced headlight lenses around 50k, where soo hazed. New lenses cost under $200 and took hour+ to install, to this day look crystal clear. Coolants changed every 50k or so Spark plugs replaced at 180k just because. Other than a little black carbon, look almost new. Oil changed every 5k of so. Burns less than 1/4qt for 5k miles. Use any high-mileage full synthetic (whatever is cheapest) Transmission 60k oil changes 52-57mpg depending on traffic. For fuel tank, I helped my friend replace his. (was vandalized when parked on the street). Took us a couple hours with basic tools. Drew said a DYI could swap engine, but not fuel tank? Come on! But yeah, fuel tank over complicated design and pump integration... tsk tsk Toyota. If you own a Prius, or ANY hybrid, make sure the air intake isn't clogged or dirty... follow cooling duct to fan and hybrid battery.. Heat kills the HV battery. Gen2 prius air intake is in a good spot, unless you have a DOG!. Gen3 and other hybrids sometimes put the air intake on floor... BAD idea. Anyway... just be aware. Gonna be sad when I part ways with my 04 Prius at some point!
Depends on where you live. Here in Rochester, no gen two owner without some serious courage and skills can manage a tank job. The road salt used to deal with the 12 feet of annual snowfall have rusted these cars to oblivion. I, however, bring them in from the south, so the ones we’ve sold to our customers are doable as they haven’t been rotting for 15-20 years. An engine job on a Rochester car would definitely be easier. Fuel tank on a southern car would be easier. Just depends. Sounds like your car is doing nothing but rolling the odometer and staying super young at heart. Hope you get 1,000,000! It’s doable :)
Great info. Wonder if my fan spins fast enough. I've cleaned the wheel etc. I sounds slow and like I missed a piece of pine straw. Or like that slight sound from a heater fan can get.
Thanks. I've just about decided to replace the pack. It's ready 222v even with the plug out. They say coud mean leaking moduels. Other than I can't drive it. What have I done to make my key fob no longer operate anything? New batteries everywhere. I've tried two different reprogramming procedures.nothing. Thanks
@@rickyticky3973 There used to be a gas tank - i havent seen one in a while though. Not sure about the booster, but my suspicion is no. It's a decidedly expensive and complicated, specific part. For another company to tool up to make it is likely not profitable
Yes it will, but it will feel like the brakes in a non-hybrid without the car running after they are pressed a few times. It's more leg muscle than a substantial percentage of owners might not have... Its not fun. BUT its fixable. I have a buddy in AZ that is working on rebuilding these units so hopefully his research will assist in keeping these cars on the road that much longer.... please like and subscribe if you haven't already =)
Goodness I dont know. The buddy i mentioned in another comment seems to think its the bladder part - the accumulator that goes bad and i do know there is brake fluid in that part so perhaps being diligent to change it every so often isnt a bad idea, but in reality its one of those things that seems inevitable like an automatic transmission. Not if, but when. Just hope its not soon haha. It's a dooble job. I might be doing another one soon perhaps I will shoot a video =)@@timothycreamer8610
@@timothycreamer8610 research how to do it - you definitely dont want to introduce air to the system. If I remember correctly, you can depress the pedal a LITTLE and then open each bleeder one at a time and it will continuously pump. Do that for a good while at each corner starting farthest from the master and working toward the closest. BUT research first cause my memory is foggy on this - I use a vacuum bleeder
Love this Mk2 era! I’ve had normal maintenance so far, battery reconditioning, cv hub( thought I might aswell do most of the suspension like arm, etc. for a bit more but cheaper than replacing piece by piece normal wear and tear items. Also I don’t ever go full throttle as this will stress out any engine and parts! Medium I get 57mpg motor way and 70mpg cruising between 40-50, the sweet spot! Thanks for the video I will sell the car if any of those issues arise.
The windows I am not sure but the “personalized settings” on toyota tech steam may allow it to lock when starting, but might just be when it’s put into drive. Then disable the unlock when in park
Dear Sir... my 2007 prius suddenly shut off power and all dash light come on like death triangle. after that i can resart again , what may be the reason ? i can not go out with this car , bec i am afraid like- any time engine can shut and any car from behind can hit me . pls sir help me with a suggestion
