I just bought a CPO Prius V. Lots of issues.

OK, I was looking for a 2017 Prius V in a hot seller's market (as the Pandemic is ending in June 2021). I love my 2013 Prius V, so I knew what I wanted.

To find a 2017 Prius V, I had to go to a dealer three hours away. It is a trim level 4, and has 40,200 miles on it. It is a tough market to buy a used car. I bought it sight unseen, and I put down a $1000 non-refundable deposit. But hey, it is Certified Pre-Owned, right? I was promised a full tank of gas, two keys, and owner's manuals.

OK, I get there, and I park next to the car I am purchasing. I look it over, and I notice NO FLOOR MATS. The car was originally sold with an upgraded floor mat package.

I brought this up with my sales person, and she told me that it was traded in that way. I did find out that they put 4 new tires on it, because they charged me a $10 tire disposal fee. I was expecting to replace the tires in 10k miles, so figured I would let the floor mats slide.

Before I drove away, I looked in the glovebox, and it appeared that there might be Owners Manuals. I pulled out of the lot, and the left blinker was blinking real fast. I figured a bulb had burned out. Also, I noticed that the gas gauge only shows two bars. I went to a gas station and filled up, then found that the left rear turn signal bulb was missing. I ALSO GOT HIT IN THE HEAD BY THE LIFTGATE, BECAUSE THE LIFTER STRUTS ARE SHOT. The liftgate shows evidence of rust and looks 10 years old. The liftgate on my 8 year old 2013 still works fine. Did someone swap the parts to fix another car?

I drove back to the dealer, and asked to speak to a sales manager. I explained the missing bulb, the tailgete problem, and handed then the receipt for the gas I had just bought. They told me to to pull into the service bay, and in the time it took to fix the bulb, they handed me cash for the gasoline. Nothing was done about the liftgate.

So this morning, I am wondering what to do. Here is the list of problems with this CPO Prius so far:

1) No Floor mats, in spite of the price analysis of the car on Edmonds.com indicated $920 of excessories including upgraded floor mats.
2) Missing turn signal bulb which they remedied. Apparently it was "borrowed" from this car to fix another car on the lot.
3) the tank was not even close to full. However, they nicely handed me cash for my filling it.
4) The Liftgate is unusable. I would have expected this would be covered by the CPO. inspection.​

I should have asked to return my money for the car then and there, before leaving. I was worn out, and it was going to take hours. I needed to get home.

What else is wrong with the car? Can someone point me to a list of what the CPO inspection covers? Who can I call at Toyota to complain? Should I get a trusted dealer near me to do a CPO inspection? What are my rights under the CPO program?

 

1) The car on all the usual internet sites show the car with the "Toyota CPO" logo on it. I specifically asked the Saleswoman on the phone if this car was Certified Pre-Owned. I have printed out a copy of their ad from Edmonds.com (attached as pdf)

2) Two of problems were resolved. They Paid me for the gas. Also, I doubt Flood or Mice. I showed the service manager that the left rear turn signal bulb was not present in the car. He suggested that maybe someone needed a bulb, for another car, and "Borrowed" it. He was apologetic. Not great, but anyone who used the left turn signal would have to notice. I didn't even test drive it.

3) I had forgotten about the Carfax report is included. That should have been a red flag.

4) From researching a different car, I know that at least one dealership would charge $136 to perform the CPO inspection for me. None of the dealerships here in Philadelphia are associated with the place in Binghamton, NY.

5) How do I "Get the dealer records using your VIN and the Toyota web site.". I did the Vehicle Specification site: Vehicle Specification | Toyota Owners
And discovered that the car is in fact a trim level 4 in Blizzard White, and was originally sold by the Jack Sherman dealer.ship. A sleazy dealer near me was trying to pass off a "trim level 2 "as a "trim level 5". I accidentally hit the "Navigate To Home" button in the GPS, and I know the previous owner lived in Kirkwood, PA (about 15 miles from Binghamton.).

 

1) They stopped making Prius V's after 2017
2) The rational was that RAV 4 hybrids were a suitable replacement. IMHO (they the RAV4 is a lousy car to use for UBER, too small a back seat.
3) My Budget was for $22,000. even a used 2017 RAV4 would cost more than that. A new RAV4 just ain't goint to happen.

 

GOOD NEWS:

1) I called the dealership, and the service department tech did notice the hatch seemed kind of heavy when replacing the missing bulb yesterday. They are going to order the struts, and ship them to me at their cost, and I will install. I consider this an decent solution.

2) I mentioned to the same service guy, that I purchased this particular car Specifically because it was CPO. There was a Silver Prius V three in Virginia that was with 12k fewer miles for 2K less money, but not a Toyota Dealer (and not CPO). I chose this White car specifically because of CPO. The service guy told me that their computer definitely shows it as a CPO. I told him that I had no paperwork for CPO. He told me that was a mistake, he would talk to the appropriate people sales / finance, and get that resolved.
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As for the Buyer's remorse, I think RJP nailed it. I put the deposit down a week ago, but I couldn't get a second driver for the pick up until yesterday (Monday). I was really stressing out about this purchase for 6 days. I kept wanting to back out, and buy a cheaper car. I still have my 2013, and I can still use it for Uber / Lyft for another 56k miles (about 2.5 years). Assuming I get whatever paperwork for the CPO, I am happy

As for my 2013, RJP has been telling me on other threads about how important it is to clean the EGR and Cooler. With 94k on it, my 2013 is due. I bought somebody's spare EGR cooler on eBay last week for $100, already cleaned. Since I am having eye surgery on one eye tomorrow, I won't be driving for a week or two. Time to clean the EGR + cooler, replace the plugs + coolant.

Looking at the Venza: The pictures show nice wide back doors. That is why I love the Prius V for doing Uber / Lyft. By pushing the adjustable back seat all the way back, passengers have lots of legroom and headroom, and can get in and out easily. This is the main selling point for me of the Prius V over the RAV4 hybrid. My question is does the Venza have a back seat that adjusts?

 

I echo what RJParker said: Your advice is just inflammatory. You haven't been looking for a good used car in the current extremely crazy market for cars (demand is very high, and supply is very low). In my case, I have very specific requirements that only a 2016 or 2017 Prius V could fill. That meant I was going to have to make some tough and risky choices that I would not even consider in a normal market.

At the point is that I needed to leave the dealership, I thought I had a CPO, and I would get it resolved at a different dealer back home. I have bought plenty of used cars in the past, mostly from private individuals. I have encountered problems, and I have been able to resolve them (eventually). At this point, I have resolved everything with this car except the status of the CPO. Next time read before you go on a rant.

as for the comment that RUDKUS made:

Good financial planning means you can buy new.​

I find that statement insulting to me, and wholly inappropriate. Consider that not everyone has resources like you do. You are implying that I am an irresponsible cry baby, and it is hard not to take personally.

Additionally the comment:

No deal is so good that you can't walk away from.​

I could not afford to lose the $1000 non-refundable deposit. If I had not put down the $1000 last Tuesday, the car could easily have been sold. As it was, it took six days for me to arrange for a drive buddy for the trip back to Philly on Monday. I had no realistic option to walk away. That was a calculated decision on my part, that has no shame. I already knew I would love a newer Prius V, and I was relying on the CPO to prevent problems.