Dont Crash the New Prius. Spare Parts Prices are High..

[csv8]

"NO-ONE likes a fender bender, but here is one car you really don’t want to crash into.

The latest version of the world’s biggest selling hybrid car, the 2016 Toyota Prius, goes on sale in Australia today with its most daring design yet.

But the oddly-shaped headlights and tail-lights that help give the Prius its futuristic looks are super expensive to replace.

Buyers are likely to be slugged with higher insurance premiums because these are the most commonly replaced crash parts — and anyone who bumps into the new Prius could be up for a big repair bill.

According to Toyota parts pricing obtained by News Corp Australia, the headlights on the old Prius cost about $500 each, but the hi-tech headlights on the new model cost more than $1600 each.

The tail-lights on the old Prius cost about $600, but the new model has a two-piece design, which brings the cost to about $1000 each side.

Insurance companies contacted by News Corp Australia declined to comment on a possible rise in premiums because the model was yet to go on sale.

But insiders said an insurance policy price rise is likely given the cost of common crash parts such as the headlights have almost tripled and the tail-lights have almost doubled.

A Toyota Australia spokesman said the headlights are “significantly more hi-tech and offer substantially more functionality versus the previous model”.

The Prius headlights have ultra bright LED lamps and automatic levelling technology once reserved for luxury cars; the two-piece tail-lights also have LED illumination.

The Toyota Prius is the world’s best selling hybrid car, with more than 3.6 million sold globally since 1997, including almost 20,000 in Australia since 2001.

But Australian sales have dropped dramatically in recent years, with the $32,500 Prius squeezed between the smaller $23,000 Prius C hatchback and the larger Camry Hybrid sedan, which undercuts it on price ($30,500).

The Prius now sells at half the rate of its smaller and cheaper sibling and one-tenth the rate of the Toyota Camry hybrid.

Toyota has loaded the new fourth-generation Prius with technology — rather than slash the price — in an attempt to reverse the sales slide.

However, Toyota Prius geeks may be surprised to learn the latest model has less power from both its petrol engine and electric motor than its predecessor.

But fuel economy has improved to below the current model’s miserly figure of just 3.7L/100km to a super-low 3.4L/100km, which is less than even the most efficient diesel-powered city cars."
http://www.news.com.au/technology/in...936e1401f85a19

[Beastie]

So 2 headlights & 2 tail lights are worth $5,200 to replace.

22% of the purchase price

[BFGasUte]

Hello,

Giver repairers can buy fake parts like Clock Springs, and in a packet that says Toyota, how many will use real parts despite charging for them ?

[AUXRII]

Prius scare-mongering goes back fifteen years. Remember the nonsense about $6000 batteries that had to be replaced at 160,000kms.

Something about the Prius that really threatens a challenged minority.

[Ducati888]

Any crash damage could only make it look better. It sure is an ugly thing.

[DK30RB]

Have you seen the price of the Jeep SRT headlights with self levelling feature. A mate was asked to pay $6000 each.!!

[Franco Cozzo]

Well the OEM HID assemblies and ballasts cost me around $3000 on my Focus so at the end of the day car parts are expensive regardless of what car you have.

[Falcon SXR8]

Originally Posted by AUXRII

Prius scare-mongering goes back fifteen years. Remember the nonsense about $6000 batteries that had to be replaced at 160,000kms.

Something about the Prius that really threatens a challenged minority.

How much are the batteries ??

[Trump]

The reason I have issues with the Prius are its complete lack of character. Driving one makes a Corolla feel like a track day weapon. It is so bland and insipid, I can feel the life force being sucked out of me whenever I'm in one as a passenger in a cab, let alone being at the helm of one

More importantly though is its "green cred". It is a complete lie when you see how environmentally destructive making its main battery pack is. Which unfortunately is the same bugbear I have with the Tesla; despite being an awesome drive and looking properly sexy, the batteries are made the same way.

[snowcone]

Great, the hairy unwashed get a warm feeling all over driving their expensive to repair hybrids and everyone else gets an increase in their insurance policies in case they run into one.
Please can everyone just go and buy a VN so my premiums can go down.

[AUXRII]

Originally Posted by Falcon SXR8

How much are the batteries ??

No one had to find out. If a Prius battery failed, a replacement battery could be sourced from a wrecked Prius.

There was a Cairns taxi operator who had a couple of Priuses that got 600,000 kms on the original batteries.

A news story once claimed that Toyota Japan bought those cars to evaluate their own engineering after years of severe hot weather use. Don't know whether Toyota Japan did buy them or not - but it wouldn't surprise me, given their commitment to the hybrid technology.

[mike_nofx]

Prius owners prefer to use them as daily drivers since their Mardi Gras floats are so much harder to park outside a coffee shop.

[XR Martin]

Mirrors on a Jeep GC are like $3500

[Jastel]

Originally Posted by AUXRII

No one had to find out. If a Prius battery failed, a replacement battery could be sourced from a wrecked Prius.

There was a Cairns taxi operator who had a couple of Priuses that got 600,000 kms on the original batteries.

A news story once claimed that Toyota Japan bought those cars to evaluate their own engineering after years of severe hot weather use. Don't know whether Toyota Japan did buy them or not - but it wouldn't surprise me, given their commitment to the hybrid technology.

The original ones that cost about $50000 did get good kms from the batteries...the current $30000 models are not very good, which is why they are so much cheaper than the originals. They dropped the quality to reduce the price.

200000kms is now a stretch for them, but you can get batteries reco'ed for about $3000. The other problem they have is in a bingle if the frame bends and you cant remove the battery they are written off.

[TheInterceptor]

Expensive lights. Just a modern car thing. Basic things way over complicated and unnecessary.
Absolutely crazy and hateful.

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by AUXRII

Prius scare-mongering goes back fifteen years. Remember the nonsense about $6000 batteries that had to be replaced at 160,000kms.

Something about the Prius that really threatens a challenged minority.

It will be the cost of repair parts not the batteries that will make a Prius and many other new cars unviable propositions. I think the negativity has disappeared in regards to Prius as after 14 years it is common. Now it is just another ugly car.

[MRFGXR6]

yep it sure is a ugly sight indeed the Prius.
Tell the truth my Kia Sorento 1014 platinum is not much better. Its the top of the line for the range and headlights alone are $2000 a pop, the last roo I hit coming home from work was $18600 ish in parts and labor (exact figure I cant remember) with a long wait due to sourcing parts from the maker over seas. Will say it was a big roo on a full front hit.........

[Romulus]

Anyone who drives one of these deserves to be ripped off!

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by MRFGXR6

yep it sure is a ugly sight indeed the Prius.
Tell the truth my Kia Sorento 1014 platinum is not much better. Its the top of the line for the range and headlights alone are $2000 a pop, the last roo I hit coming home from work was $18600 ish in parts and labor (exact figure I cant remember) with a long wait due to sourcing parts from the maker over seas. Will say it was a big roo on a full front hit.........

I must imagine getting parts for a 1002 year old car must be hard to track down.

[mik]

everything is expensive these days, even a crappy old h4 headlight in my au , no globes, no mechanisms, basically just a sealed beam without the globe was 90 bucks some years ago.

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by mik

everything is expensive these days, even a crappy old h4 headlight in my au , no globes, no mechanisms, basically just a sealed beam without the globe was 90 bucks some years ago.

Oh yeah. I see so many cars with fancy lights and cringe at prices. Why does a light need self adjustment and all the rest? I had an AU and bought a pair of new lights for it at a cost of $200ish posted a few years ago. Wonder what people will do when their fancy lights start to yellow and craze.

That Prius is hideous!!

[gossy]

I could just tolerate the Prius of old, but that new one is just downright FUGLY.

[mik]

I actually dont mind the ugliness, as long as it does everything it is supposed too, maybe owning an au has made me immune , but the au is a good limo , so that is all that matters too me, maybe its an old age thing ? got my old codger pillows to go on the rear parcel shelf ready for action .

[Tommie]

I thought Toyota Taragos looked like a Pokemon, but that new Prius is a super Pokemon.

[neptune blue]

Spare parts pricing will never affect me as I wouldn't buy one in a pink fit. personally Id rather walk. if you really want to go electric buy a Tesla. At least that looks like and goes like a real car

[neptune blue]

Originally Posted by Ducati888

Any crash damage could only make it look better. It sure is an ugly thing.

just quickly off the subject , how's that Coupe of yours coming along ?

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by tempted

You're not wrong. The designers who brought this sickening abomination to life should be charged with crimes against humanity.
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That is flaming terrible. Thought Toyota had finally got some decent designers and then this pops up... Makes an AU Forte look handsome in comparison. The headlights resemble the retarded taillight arrangement of the 2012-2015 Camry that never looked right And that bum has an exaggerated droopy taillight borrowed from the Lexus IS, but 1000x uglier.

[78xcgxl]

The most munted car i have ever seen.

[GTP-814]

I want to see the disposal cost for all of the batteries & the impact on land fill

[marty351]

Excellent point.

Launching all these Prius' into the sun would be very expensive.
Maybe Elon Musk could offer a discount for disposal.