Man buys Toyota Mirai for less than $5,000 and when he tries to fill up his worst fears about hydrogen cars become reality
Published on Apr 03, 2026 at 9:18 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 31, 2026 at 3:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
The Toyota Mirai is one of the few hydrogen cars on the market, and one man bought one for less than $5,000, but his worst fears soon came true.
YouTuber Auto Auction Rebuilds got his hands on the Toyota Mirai for just $4,600, which is a lot less than the $51,795 that the car starts for in 2026.
You might be wondering how this could end badly, given the efficiency of hydrogen and how cheap this Mirai was compared to a new one.
But it was when Auto Auction Rebuilds and fellow content creator Monkey Wrench Mike went to refuel the car that things started to go south.
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This is why this Toyota Mirai was so cheap
This particular 2023 Toyota Mirai had just 31,000 miles on the clock, and the YouTuber paid just $4,600 for it.
For a car that was just three years old and had done so few miles, that seemed like a crazy good deal.
However, there was one very good reason for that low, low price.
As the YouTuber explained at the start, it’s the hydrogen fuel that hurts the Mirai.
The Toyota is only really sold in California in America, and even this state struggles with hydrogen stations.
Plus, hydrogen is not cheap at about $30 per kilogram, further hurting sales.
For context, this car holds 5-6kg in total, so that is a big fuel bill.
That is what led to the poor resale price for this otherwise great car.
The YouTuber was very impressed by the design, the high quality of the build, and the stunning interior.
But the biggest issue came when he went to refuel the car with hydrogen.
How wrong refuelling the Mirai with hydrogen can go
About 10 minutes into the video, the YouTuber, along with Monkey Wrench Mike, headed to a hydrogen station.
However, it was here that things started to go wrong.
This first station was offline, and a check of the maps showed even more either empty or just not open.
So they drove 12 miles away in the hope they could refuel the car.
But that second station was even worse, with other Mirai drivers saying pumps kept failing.
It took some owners up to 30 minutes to get anything into their cars.
Things got so bad that they had to call True Zero, a hydrogen network operator that advised them of a station that should work.
The worker on the phone, Eddie, even gave him his own cell number in case they got stranded.
Yet the next hydrogen station was also a dud, although they did get some hydrogen into the car at last.
After a long day of driving, what the video showed was that trying to refuel a Mirai is a nightmare.
It’s expensive, and finding a pump that works seemed nearly impossible.
Maybe the future isn’t hydrogen after all.
Toyota Mirai timeline
1992: Toyota officially begins its internal development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) technology.
2014: The first-generation Mirai is unveiled and launched in Japan, making history as the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell car
2015: Retail sales expand internationally, with the Mirai hitting the roads in the US and Europe
2016: The Mirai is declared the ‘World Green Car of the Year’ at the New York International Auto Show
2019: Toyota unveils a radically redesigned second-generation Mirai concept, transitioning it from a front-wheel-drive sedan to a sleek, rear-wheel-drive layout
2020: The second-generation Mirai officially hits the market, boasting improved aerodynamics, a 30 percent increase in driving range, and a lower starting price
2021: The Mirai sets a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled by a hydrogen electric vehicle without refueling, covering 845 miles (1,360km) on a single tank
2025: Reflecting on a decade of the Mirai, Toyota introduces its third-generation fuel cell system, designed to drastically cut production costs while increasing efficiency and durability for future vehicles
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
