Little Goes a Long Way: Meet Dave and his Toyota Prius
This is a love story. It involves the love that a family in Oregon has for their Toyota Prius. When they traded in a VW Passat wagon for the brand-new Spectra Blue Prius in late 2008, it was the first new car they had ever purchased. The husband and wife were amazed at the car’s 46 MPG promise and 571-mile range on a tank of gas. This was before all-electric cars were available, but they liked owning a forward-thinking hybrid with its 1.5L, 4-cylinder gas/electric drivetrain. The husband selected the touring model with upgraded leather seats and trim. The 110 horsepower model would never set any speed records. Instead, it would serve as a work horse for the whole family.
Now, over 12 years later, “Button”, as the family calls the push-button-start Toyota, has pulled yeoman’s duty as an everyday driver. They drove the Prius from Ashland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington countless times when the wife’s father was going through Stage 4 kidney disease. The family took long trips to attend weddings, funerals and graduations. As a playwright and director of community theater, the wife took countless trips throughout Oregon with the Prius packed to the gills with props, wardrobe and set pieces. Button has been a faithful friend and devoted family member all these years and now has 280,000 miles on the clock without complaint.
25,000 Miles of Maintenance and Problem Free
When the ToyotaCare no-cost maintenance ended after 25,000 miles, they purchased the Lifetime Oil and Filter Service from Lithia Toyota, and took Button in every 3,000 miles for her service. The friendly and knowledgeable staff became like extended family over the years, always rotating the tires, checking for faults, changing the oil and filter as well as checking the brakes, the lights, and keeping the Prius running perfectly. They even wash the car before its picked up. Because the Lifetime Service only cost a few hundred dollars, the family thinks of it as their “free oil change” even though it's a prepaid plan. After all, it lasts for as long as they own the car.
Conclusion: Prius Battery and Services
When they first bought the car, the wife was concerned about how long the hybrid batteries would last. After all, it was exciting new technology and those battery systems could be expensive to replace. But with 280,000 miles on the car, we’re thrilled to report that the only extra service needed was when the MFD Touch Screen decided to stop being a touch screen two years ago, and when the catalytic converter had to be replaced after 250,000 miles. Other than that, the family has only replaced the tires, wipers and spark plugs (at 150,000 miles). Soon, the Prius will need new brake pads too - but that’s it. You can see why this family loves their hybrid. Although they’ll be passing this faithful vehicle down to their son soon, there’s definitely an all-electric car in this family’s future.
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