Battery replacement?!?!

I would think the battery would have been the small 12volt battery in the back of the car …not the high voltage battery…thats no big deal…as far as the brake light goes…either the parking brake is on slightly or there's a brake issue with fluid or pads…usually prius brakes last into the 100s of thousand of miles unless there was a lead foot and hard braking on this car…i replaced by brakes at 170,000 miles and they weren't wore all the way down yet...

 

(I have not seen the 2007 you are looking at, this is speculation)

The Prius has 3 batteries that owners typically replace:

A High Voltage battery that is under warranty for at least 8 years and 100,000 miles in the USA. (if that is where you are) In some states it is even longer. Conditions that seem to correlate to shortened lifespan summer heat (over 110) Elevation (over 10,000 feet) and disuse (over 6 months). If this battery has been replaced, it should have been under warranty. Should you need to replace it after warranty, I suggest used for under $1000.
2007 Toyota Prius Base 1.5L in Batteries & Cables | eBay

A 12 volt lead acid battery that, like all car batteries, lasts about 5 years. It would not amaze me at all for a 2007 to be on it's second battery, if you keep it another 5 years, expect to replace it again.
Optima DS46B24R Optima battery direct fit replacement for Prius 2004 + , Prius V & Plug-in Prius with Instructions

The Fob needs a CR1632 watch battery every after some years. How long they last varies by owner (pockets versus purse, etc.) Under $2
Energizer Watch/Electronic Batteries, 3 Volts, 2032, 2 batteries (Lithium Button Cell): Watches: Amazon.com

To shift out of Park, you need to have your foot on the brake, I can see you operating the brake while he shifts being awkward.

 

The traction battery warranty is for 8 years / 100K miles. Since neither the time duration nor mileage have been reached by the car in question, I wonder why the owner had to pay anything for the traction battery replacement. I suggest you ask about that if you remain interested in the car. You also should ask to see the repair invoice.

The BRAKE light remaining on even when the parking brake is released is a concern. Check the brake fluid level. If that is good, then the car has an issue with the skid control ECU which cannot be ignored.

Regarding the inability to move to D, the gear selector mechanism may be having a problem. That will cost ~$400 or so for a new part installed by a dealer service dept. If you want to buy the car, ask the seller to take care of the problem as a condition of the sale, or else lower the price accordingly. Good luck with your decision.

 

Paying to replace the battery and having multiple other problem could imply a salvage vehicle.

 

Yes, do this. I don't think that seller sounds particularly trustworthy.

 

That is pretty muddled. He is referring to the 12V battery in getting the jump start, not the hybrid battery. One thing that happens when reversing the polarity on a jump start is that either fuses are blown, or the inverter is damaged. That can be expensive, and doing the repair under warranty would be questionable since it was indeed his fault. I would take the car to Toyota to get all the fault codes read before considering it.

 

I agree that the seller's response makes no sense with respect to the traction battery. It is certainly possible that the car suffered an accident or some other trauma. It makes sense to look elsewhere.

Regarding the choice of black as an exterior color, that is the very hardest color to maintain. The slightest imperfections in the finish become painfully obvious.

With regards to how to avoid a traction battery replacement, if you buy a used Prius whose warranty has expired, you run some risk, although relatively minor, of a battery failure or for that matter some other failure - for example, the transaxle, inverter, MFD, etc. This is a risk you need to be able to accept - if not, a used Prius may not be the car for you.

 

I just bought a 2007 Touring with 112K, it's a great car. One thing you can do when looking is sign up for the Toyota owner's site and enter the VIN of the car that you're looking at. You can then see the maintenance history, at least what was done at the dealer, even look at the service department's description of what was done at each visit. That may give some insight to what happened here. You can enter as many VINs as you want, you need no proof of ownership. I entered probably 5-6 while I was looking.

It also could be that the inverter was what was damaged and the owner is remembering it wrong. A look at the history would clear that up.

Also, keep in mind the Touring will get a couple MPG less than a standard Prius and many dealers label standard models "Touring" even though they aren't. The Touring has bigger 7 spoke wheels vs. the 6 spoke of the standard Prius and a larger rear spoiler.

 

Keep us posted on your shopping

 

It works just like you said. However, the website is slow, navigation is not intuitive, and there is emphasis on form and not function.

 

Congrats !!!!

 

Congrats, and best of luck to you!

 

Nice!