Good deal or to good to be true.

I would run a CarFax on the VIN! Reconstructed title is an indication it was probably totaled by an Insurance Company. This could mean it was in a major accident or flood. Could be hidden issues that could surface later in life. That is an awesome price, and you could alway sock away the difference of that price and the price of a new one should an issue arise later. I'd also check with your local Toyota Dealer to see if they would cover any warranty work on a vehicle with a reconstructed title...

 

Yep, reconstructed title...not good.

Normallly, I say...check it out...but I'd just pass....IMO not worth the potential pain.

 

Reconstructed/salvage title means the car has been totaled by an insurance company in the past from either wreck damage, flooding, or theft. According to what I read in my Toyota warranty booklet, the factory warranty is void.

I have dabbled in salvage titled motorcycles in the past: buying damaged units for a very low price, repairing, inspections/paperwork/fees, riding, and then selling. At best I'd make $500-700 or at worst break even and get to ride a bike for free for a while. My current speedtriple has a salvage title (wrecked at 1300 miles). From my experiences, I would pay no more for a repaired salvage title vehicle than 50-60% of blue book used retail of a clear title vehicle. NOTE: you CAN NOT retitle a vehicle back to a clear/normal title even after repairs/inspections; it remains a reconstructed/salvage title forever.

FWIW

 

For a pickup truck or a motorcycle, I would not be, nor ever have been tempted by a "salvage title" vehicle.
For a PRIUS...no freekin way.

That's just my take.
Save yer money and get a new base model, or a certified used one.
If you can't afford either of these, then you really can't afford one with a sullied title history. Like I said..... JMHO!

Good luck to you, and let us know how it shakes out!

 

Walk or run away as fast as you can my friend!

 

It seems like 50% of the listings on ebay or craiglist were salvage when I was looking. I wouldn't touch one. Big question mark on warranty. And my insurance agent frowned when I mentioned "salvage". I got mine cheaper because I bought when there was "blood in the street"....i.e. all the recall propaganda was going on. I came from a 22 year old Camry and love my Prius.

 

It's good that they are being up front with you, but you may still want to contact the Toyota Dealer you'd be using for any warranty work and ensure it will be covered. The Hybrid system alone carries an 8 yr/100K Mile warranty. With the technology built into the Hybrid System there is a lot that can go wrong, I'd hate to sink money into a vehicle that could leave you stranded with no recourse, and a repair bill that could rival your purchase price!

 

Airbags tend to deploy when a stationary object is hit. The front end of a Prius will absorb a great deal of damage without triggering the airbags.

I can't believe any insurance company totalled the car if only 3 body panels were damaged.

If you ever need service I doubt you'll find a dealer willing to touch that car with a stick. Diagnostics will be a bear, hidden problems will surface, and it may turn into a Black Hole sucking $$$ as you'll have to pay 100% of the bill.

Under what terms will your cousin be willing to work on the car?

If you have to ask the question you already know the answer. Go to www.aaa.com & see what a new car is selling for.

 

I thought salvage vehicles were no longer under warranty.

 

Unless your cousin is VP of Relative Good Will Toyota is not going to extend any warranty to any salvage car.

On the outside the car looks good. What happens 3 or 6 months later when "random" problems pop up or the idiot lights come on? Maybe a cracked wiring harness is found. Maybe a tape job is becoming loose. Maybe the part the insurance company believed was compromised finally failed. Maybe the left front tire wears prematurely.

Ask your cousin, "If that car was delivered to his shop would he want it assigned to him?"

At toyotapartszone I see:

bumper cover $179
headlight $400
hood $165
fender $161
total $905

I'm not a mechanic so I probably missed a lot of stuff. Add in paint & labor.

That car isn't an AT or Solar. Why did an insurance company pay the owner ~$20,000 if the car only needed $1000 in parts? (The asking price of the 4 used 2010's within 75 miles of my location are $20495, $19663, $20851, $21512.)

That car may be completely trouble free for the next owner. IMO for the deal to be "good" the price of the car + the expected cost of future repairs must be less than the price of a comparable car still under warranty.

Taking fotomo's advice, that car may be a fair deal at $10000.

 

You're welcome. That's why we're here.

 

Yep, it's going to have virtually no warranty.

http://www.toyota.com/help/faqs/com...equot_title--is_the_warranty_still_valid.html has a short answer.

 

It's a total crap shoot. There are stories on site of salvage cars that took weeks of owner labor or thousands at a dealer to repair. Don't pay any more for this car than you would be willing to leave lying in the street.