Repair or replace 2006 Toyota Prius?
November 8, 2021 3:49 PM Subscribe
Is it worth it to repair a 2006 Toyota Prius with a broken motor mount and front axle? Our 2006 Prius, which has ~200K miles, broke down on Friday and was towed to the mechanic who's worked on it previously. The shop called today to say that the motor mount had broken and the engine had shifted enough to also break the front axle. The initial estimated cost to repair it is $4000. Should we pay for the repairs or is it time to look for a replacement car?
We own the car outright and the battery had just been replaced when we bought it two years ago. It's not our primary vehicle, but it made life easier, especially with a teen driver who has a part-time job that isn't within walking or biking distance. My husband and I aren't sure how to proceed, so things are on hold with the mechanic while we think about it. Does it make sense to possibly spend $4K to repair a car that cost $5K to buy, or should we start looking for a different vehicle?
We own the car outright and the battery had just been replaced when we bought it two years ago. It's not our primary vehicle, but it made life easier, especially with a teen driver who has a part-time job that isn't within walking or biking distance. My husband and I aren't sure how to proceed, so things are on hold with the mechanic while we think about it. Does it make sense to possibly spend $4K to repair a car that cost $5K to buy, or should we start looking for a different vehicle?
I don’t really know what I’m talking about, because I’ve never worked on a Prius, but $4k for an axle and motor mount sounds very steep. I probably wouldn’t spend that much to fix it, but I would get a second opinion / estimate.
posted by jon1270 at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by jon1270 at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2021 [4 favorites]
Does it make sense to possibly spend $4K to repair a car that cost $5K to buy
Unless you can find a way to achieve the end result of owning a Prius in good working order for less than $4k, sure it does.
The money you've already spent on acquiring and maintaining this car is now a sunk cost and therefore not relevant to judging the worthiness or scale of contemplated future spending. All you need to concentrate on is the likely total cost of ownership of this car vs. some workable replacement until some chosen future time, and my feeling is that $4k plus Prius levels of fuel consumption for the likely further life of the repaired car is going to be hard to beat.
posted by flabdablet at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2021 [8 favorites]
Unless you can find a way to achieve the end result of owning a Prius in good working order for less than $4k, sure it does.
The money you've already spent on acquiring and maintaining this car is now a sunk cost and therefore not relevant to judging the worthiness or scale of contemplated future spending. All you need to concentrate on is the likely total cost of ownership of this car vs. some workable replacement until some chosen future time, and my feeling is that $4k plus Prius levels of fuel consumption for the likely further life of the repaired car is going to be hard to beat.
posted by flabdablet at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2021 [8 favorites]
Ours is older and has 100,000 more miles and is going strong. Keep it but get a second opinion before the repairs. Those prices seem steep.
posted by fritley at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by fritley at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
I also have not owned or worked on a Prius but I also thought that estimate sounded way high; so I just specced the parts and labor involved in axle and motor mount replacement on a Prius (granting that there is some variation by model/drivetrain and year) and my guess is your mechanic is estimating roughly twice what that service should cost. Is there something else on the estimate you aren’t mentioning? Or some reason they expect further work once they’re in?
I agree that you should get the car assessed — are other major systems close to failing? Prii are generally super reliable but yours already shows evidence that “generally” may not apply. If you’re replacing an axle there are other suspension parts you’d probably do at the same time (shocks, struts, control arms and bushings, etc) that would push the normal cost up towards $4000 for sure. They’d be expected wear items in a car of that age anyway. If the car is otherwise solid and has a decent battery, it’s worth repairing, certainly in this market and given the longevity of the typical Prius.
posted by spitbull at 5:47 PM on November 8, 2021
I agree that you should get the car assessed — are other major systems close to failing? Prii are generally super reliable but yours already shows evidence that “generally” may not apply. If you’re replacing an axle there are other suspension parts you’d probably do at the same time (shocks, struts, control arms and bushings, etc) that would push the normal cost up towards $4000 for sure. They’d be expected wear items in a car of that age anyway. If the car is otherwise solid and has a decent battery, it’s worth repairing, certainly in this market and given the longevity of the typical Prius.
posted by spitbull at 5:47 PM on November 8, 2021
I'd look at finding a mechanic who might be able to source both parts from a junkyard or car part auction to save some money on physical parts. The labor will still be the same.
posted by nickggully at 5:57 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by nickggully at 5:57 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I don't have the detailed estimate, just the amount, so there might be other issues on it that I don't know about, which could be why it seems high. They also mentioned that getting some parts is a right pain in the ass right now, and lots of things are either taking forever or are hard to find due to *gestures at everything*. The car has otherwise been reliable in the time we've owned it. I just don't really enjoy driving it and I'm probably giving too much weight to that piece as I try to think about it. Thanks for all the input and suggestions so far, it really is helpful.
posted by danielleh at 6:24 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by danielleh at 6:24 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
I had a Prius and it was great, but I knew when I bought it that it was basically a laptop computer that could not be serviced outside the dealer network. You should definitely shop around for other estimates, but I doubt you’ll do a lot better.
posted by sjswitzer at 6:26 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by sjswitzer at 6:26 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Can anyone be more specific for me about how to go about getting other estimates? The car currently cannot be driven and is at the shop we've used for its regular maintenance. If I call other mechanics/garages, are they likely to answer without seeing it, or would I need to get it towed again?
posted by danielleh at 6:36 PM on November 8, 2021
posted by danielleh at 6:36 PM on November 8, 2021
I'm going to suggest that for the lowest effort first step, you reach out to the mechanic where the car is now and ask them to provide a detailed estimate, then relay that information here for feedback. I looked up replacement axles for that vehicle and they seem readily available for $60-70 each. (Admittedly, these are probably cheap rebuilt axles and a quality axle might easily cost an additional $100 each, but even so....) The most expensive motor mount I found was $92. Most front wheel drive cars have three or four of them. Doubling the parts cost is not an unusual markup for a mechanic, so I wouldn't be outraged unless it's way more than that.
A reputable mechanic is unlikely do an "over the phone" estimate without examining the car but if you provide them with a detailed, itemized list of the needed repairs, you might find someone willing to give gross ballpark numbers. There is a manual which lists "book time" for each job (so, for a fictional example because I don't have the book: R&R left motor mount, 1.25 hrs) which shops use to quote their labor prices for each routine task by multiplying their hourly rate by the book time. HTH.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 7:32 PM on November 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
A reputable mechanic is unlikely do an "over the phone" estimate without examining the car but if you provide them with a detailed, itemized list of the needed repairs, you might find someone willing to give gross ballpark numbers. There is a manual which lists "book time" for each job (so, for a fictional example because I don't have the book: R&R left motor mount, 1.25 hrs) which shops use to quote their labor prices for each routine task by multiplying their hourly rate by the book time. HTH.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 7:32 PM on November 8, 2021 [2 favorites]
The price sounds awfully high, so I'd want a detailed estimate that you could bring back here to sound out. I've often argued that a car like that is worn out. But there's basically no market of under $4000 clean working reliable 15 year old cars. Those old Priuses have a reputation for being bulletproof - if $4000 gets you back to good driving right now, grab it.
posted by wotsac at 7:49 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by wotsac at 7:49 PM on November 8, 2021 [1 favorite]
Motormount requires jacking up the motor and get in underneath to replace. It's a few hundred at least. The main cost is the axle, and not being familiar with a Prius, I'd say it doesn't sound totally unreasonable, but it does sound a little high. But I doubt it's off by more than 500.
A more frequent inspection MAY have spotted the motor mount problem sooner. Just letting you know.
posted by kschang at 8:56 PM on November 8, 2021
A more frequent inspection MAY have spotted the motor mount problem sooner. Just letting you know.
posted by kschang at 8:56 PM on November 8, 2021
You can tell a motor mount is failing from the way a car feels at idle.
Also you don’t want motor mounts from junkyards in most cases. It’s a big “engine out” job. Do it once. It’s a wear item. Get a new or low mileage one.
posted by spitbull at 2:57 AM on November 9, 2021
Also you don’t want motor mounts from junkyards in most cases. It’s a big “engine out” job. Do it once. It’s a wear item. Get a new or low mileage one.
posted by spitbull at 2:57 AM on November 9, 2021
If that $4000 includes, as I mentioned, a complete front end rebuild with new suspension parts (control arms and bushings, struts, etc) on both sides, plus obviously an alignment, you’re getting closer to justifying a $4000 bill. We need to see what is exactly included at that price. So do you.
I relate to finding a Prius utterly uninspiring (and in some cases close to terrible) to drive. But do all that work and sell it into this red hot market is probably the best economic advice right now as long as you could go 6 months or more without a replacement.
ETA depending on how long the axle was busted for (and the condition of the tires on the other 3 wheels) you well may need new tires too.
posted by spitbull at 3:05 AM on November 9, 2021
I relate to finding a Prius utterly uninspiring (and in some cases close to terrible) to drive. But do all that work and sell it into this red hot market is probably the best economic advice right now as long as you could go 6 months or more without a replacement.
ETA depending on how long the axle was busted for (and the condition of the tires on the other 3 wheels) you well may need new tires too.
posted by spitbull at 3:05 AM on November 9, 2021
Sorry to pepper: I’d be damn sure the other axle wasn’t shot too.
Also if I’m not mistaken there are two motor mounts on a Prius. If you’re lifting the engine to change out one, you should do the the other at the same time. It’s likely failing on the same curve.
posted by spitbull at 3:12 AM on November 9, 2021
Also if I’m not mistaken there are two motor mounts on a Prius. If you’re lifting the engine to change out one, you should do the the other at the same time. It’s likely failing on the same curve.
posted by spitbull at 3:12 AM on November 9, 2021
That's a lot closer to "replace the motor" money than "replace the motor mounts" money. I also question whether the shop should be considered reliable if you have been having it serviced there regularly unless perhaps you ignored some very loud clunking and/or clicking or the car is a total rust bucket.
posted by wierdo at 4:02 AM on November 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by wierdo at 4:02 AM on November 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
Just echoing the catalytic converter guard thing. We had ours stolen (while the car was in our driveway) and it was a huge pain to replace.
posted by Shellybeans at 6:57 AM on November 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Shellybeans at 6:57 AM on November 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: From the detailed estimate:
IF INTERNAL DAMAGE OCCURED TO TRANSMISSION, TRANSMISSION WILL NEED REPLACED, WILL NOT KNOW UNTIL THIS WORK IS DONE FIRST.
Labor Total
LABOR TO INSTALL FRONT MOUNTS $1,074.48
LABOR TO INSTALL TRANSMISSION MOUNT $1,575.90
Part Qty Retail Total
Engine Mount 1 $408.86 $408.86
Engine Torque Rod 1 $188.11 $188.11
Transmission Mount 1 $234.93 $234.93
Axle Assembly 1 $228.90 $228.90
MOUNT BRACKET 1 $169.78 $169.78
BOLT 1 $2.36 $2.36
NUT 1 $1.55 $1.55
BOLT 1 $1.55 $1.55
The total for this, with tax and a few various fees is $3987.78. It will be more if the transmission was damaged and they say they can't determine that until the other work is done. The parts list only says one engine mount, so we will ask about that. Does this seem reasonable?
posted by danielleh at 8:12 AM on November 9, 2021
IF INTERNAL DAMAGE OCCURED TO TRANSMISSION, TRANSMISSION WILL NEED REPLACED, WILL NOT KNOW UNTIL THIS WORK IS DONE FIRST.
Labor Total
LABOR TO INSTALL FRONT MOUNTS $1,074.48
LABOR TO INSTALL TRANSMISSION MOUNT $1,575.90
Part Qty Retail Total
Engine Mount 1 $408.86 $408.86
Engine Torque Rod 1 $188.11 $188.11
Transmission Mount 1 $234.93 $234.93
Axle Assembly 1 $228.90 $228.90
MOUNT BRACKET 1 $169.78 $169.78
BOLT 1 $2.36 $2.36
NUT 1 $1.55 $1.55
BOLT 1 $1.55 $1.55
The total for this, with tax and a few various fees is $3987.78. It will be more if the transmission was damaged and they say they can't determine that until the other work is done. The parts list only says one engine mount, so we will ask about that. Does this seem reasonable?
posted by danielleh at 8:12 AM on November 9, 2021
My boyfriend, a Toyota mechanic, says it's way too high a charge. Even the nut they're charging you for (small total as it is) comes WITH the axle. And why are they charging you for the transmission mount - is it broken? $4000 is really steep to then wait to tell you you need a new transmission on top of all of that. What would that be? Another $2 - 3000?
I'm not getting a good feeling about this charge.
posted by annieb at 5:34 PM on November 9, 2021
I'm not getting a good feeling about this charge.
posted by annieb at 5:34 PM on November 9, 2021
Parts cost is not too far off from the breakdown, but the labor cost feels way over.
Even at $100 an hour, that's not a 10 hour job to replace a motor mount. But then I don't have a Chilton manual in front of me. And 15 hours to replace transmission mount? Feels wrong.
Not saying RepairPal is accurate, but its estimate of $700-750 for motor mount and $1250 for transmission mount (that's parts AND labor) sounds a bit more reasonable.
posted by kschang at 5:46 PM on November 9, 2021 [2 favorites]
Even at $100 an hour, that's not a 10 hour job to replace a motor mount. But then I don't have a Chilton manual in front of me. And 15 hours to replace transmission mount? Feels wrong.
Not saying RepairPal is accurate, but its estimate of $700-750 for motor mount and $1250 for transmission mount (that's parts AND labor) sounds a bit more reasonable.
posted by kschang at 5:46 PM on November 9, 2021 [2 favorites]
Kschang pretty much covered my thoughts, but it might be good to post this estimate on a Prius specific forum and see what the folks there think; they'll have more model specific knowledge of the labor involved in changing these mounts. I was reading that the inverter has to be either removed or shifted to access the motor mounts. It's looking like the shop must be rolling the labor to replace the CV axle into the other jobs. Given the amount of money at stake, spending some money on a tow might be well worth it. It would really stink to spend almost 4K and then discover that the transmission was damaged when the axle broke- at that point you've got too much sunk cost in the car to walk away easily but doubling down on replacing the transmission also seems like a bad decision.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:01 PM on November 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 6:01 PM on November 9, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: We went back to the shop and asked them to revise the estimate and I'm a little fuzzy on the details that made it a cheaper job, but they repaired the mounts and axle for just under $2K. The transmission didn't suffer any damage. While the Prius was being repaired, we bought a manual Kia Soul that we all agree is cuter and more fun to drive. We sold the Prius for $4K to someone who's very excited about it. Everyone's input was helpful and I appreciate it.
posted by danielleh at 1:47 PM on December 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by danielleh at 1:47 PM on December 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I suppose you should get a general bill of health from your mechanic - how's the transmission, are there any other looming major repairs, if you were bringing him the car to vet for your kid to buy (current issue aside) would he advise it?
If you do get it repaired, spend the change to have a guard put on the catalytic converter while they've got it on the lift.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:09 PM on November 8, 2021 [3 favorites]