Should I Buy It? 82,000 Miles?!

$1000 less than the current blue book price? Presumably the mileage is factored into that price? If you want to give us an actual number, we might be able to give a more-informed opinion. Personally, I wouldn't even consider buying the car if it were over $20K, and I'd have to think long and hard if it were over $15K.

That said, there's no reason to believe that the car is going to fail; it's just that the chance of failure is, of course, higher as more miles are put on the car. Several people have ran the car well past the 100K (or even 200K) with zero problems, but there have also been sporadic issues. The Prius seems to be extremely well-made, so these problems happen at a lower frequency than other cars, but no car is perfect.

The battery would cost between ~$1K and ~$3K to replace, depending on if you wanted a new or used battery and what you were able to find. However, in considering these possible Prius-only expenses, it's also worth pointing out which maintenance items are not a concern on the Prius: no alternator to replace, no transmission to replace, brake pads that last forever (almost literally), etc. In addition, there is no evidence of wide-spread battery failures; most even high-mile Prii have had no problems with the battery.

 

There's no reason to believe a Prius with 81,000 miles, when properly maintained, won't go 300,000 miles. While I tend to agree with the previous poster about not paying more than $16,000, right now there is an enormous demand for vehicles with high gas mileage and especially the Prius. If you look on Ebay, salvage title Prius are selling for $20,000.

A new model with all the toys will run you $29,000 or more. A base model... if you can find a dealer who will sell you one at sticker price is around $23,000.

Have your 2004 checked by a certified Toyota mechanic. If he gives you the green light make your decision. For the near future these prices are not coming down. However, depending on Toyota's ability to deliver enough 2010 Prius to satisfy the market, prices may go down on the 2004-2009 models. I doubt Toyota will be able to do that though.

Batteries and electronics I would buy used. The traction battery has multiple individual cells in it. When the traction battery fails you can have these cells tested and replace only the bad ones. Presently you can buy these used for around $50 each. The other components I would also buy used, if you could find someone to put them in.

Good Luck! I'm buying a recycled Prius. I believe your risk is very low if you decide to purchase.

 

KBB prices are usually high. That's why the sellers like to use them as a comparison reference.

 

The fact that the car is offered for sale may mean that it has a problem which is known to the seller but not obvious to the casual buyer. Hence the need for inspection by a mechanic who understands how a Prius is supposed to operate.

Do you have access to the vehicle's service history? 2004 vehicles are known for having flaky MFDs (multifunction displays) - so look out for that. The engine and hybrid vehicle ECU software was updated a few times via SSC (special service campaigns) so if you buy the car you will want your dealer to ensure that your vehicle has had all applicable SSCs applied.

Although it is true there is no alternator or transmission, those are replaced by the transaxle which normally is quite reliable. However if you have an out-of-warranty failure, this will cost you $6K if you cannot obtain an alternative to dealer replacement with a new unit.

The brake system is low maintenance unless you live on the East Coast where salt is applied to the road - in that case you may find that rust is a big issue requiring frequent replacement of front disk rotors and pads.

 

the original poster is in california, so if he bought it used, then he would have 67,000 miles left on the hybrid battery for warranty coverage, right?

 

I bought a used Prius with 80k on it. Justify it like I did. If you don't like it, the used market will snap it up very quickly. So, you should not lose money.

 

Can you go into more detail here? I haven't heard anything about reduced brake life on the East Coast. In fact, my brake pads still have a lot of life left in them, even after being through three New England winters with the car. Moreover, I haven't heard anything specific about the salt affecting the rotors/pads. On the other hand, you know so much about this car that I usually take what you say as gospel .

 

Here's one example:
http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-main-forum/35638-brake-rotors-replaced-0n-2005-a.html

I think our UK members may have more trouble with brake corrosion since the front discs are bigger (and therefore run cooler) while the rear brakes are also discs. I also understand that UK members have more trouble with alloy wheel corrosion, where the exterior finish is visibly marred.

Good point. If the car was originally sold in CA and remains registered in CA, then it should benefit from the longer AT-PZEV warranty which will cover the traction battery for 10 years/150K miles and will cover other hybrid system and emissions control parts for 15 years/150K miles. That is a big benefit to buying Prius in CA (and other PZEV states) and should not be forgotten.

 

The one weak spot of the car in my experience is the inverter coolant pump. There is a thread on in now in the maintenance thread, mine went out, no fun when you're clueless. If you buy the car, I'd read up on this, and possibly monitor the inverter temp, the car just gives an idiot light when it overheats, and can die, blocking the road like mine did. Otherwise I've been impressed with the cars' performance, I own an 04 w 118k.

 

I've got an 05 with 156,000 miles on it and the only thing that I am NOT worried about is the battery. I'm more worried about the normal wear and tear things, such as ball joints and bearings. (not worrying any more than any other vehicle though).
The battery should easily last the life of the car.

 

I do not believe that OR had accepted CA PZEV standards in 2004, so you'll probably find that the hybrid system warranty is limited to 8 years/100K miles. Check the warranty book provided with the vehicle to be sure.