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Newbie needs advice on preowned Prius purchase

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by mommab, Apr 19, 2012.

  1. mommab

    mommab New Member

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    Charleston, SC
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    Other Non-Hybrid
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    We are in the market for a preowned Prius in great shape under $10k as a second family car to replace our 1999 GMC Yukon and complement our 2003 Honda Odyssey. My husband currently drives a government-issued vehicle to/from work that he would like to return in lieu of a small "raise" (a take-home vehicle amount is currently docked from each paycheck).

    I came across a local Toyota mechanic privately selling a 2002 Prius with 155K miles for $5,500 that he bought from one of his Toyota service clients.

    The ad he posted says he's put in brand new:

    HVB - high voltage battery
    Center console - he said the old one cracked when he was putting stock stereo back in.
    Upgraded speakers
    Brakes
    And all fluids have been replaced

    He said the vehicle was from MA, and the corrosion on the wheels (rims?) is from the salt they use on the roads during snow season. We drove over to visually inspect the exterior of the car, and there is a bit of evident rust around the wheel wells as well.

    The car is not currently tagged (no registration nor insurance coverage), so he doesn't want us to drive it off the lot area where he's currently storing it (with other Toyota dealership cars down a backroads street from where he works). He said we could drive it around there and that he has no qualms with us bringing in an outside mechanic to look at it. Problem is...a local non-dealership-affiliated Toyota mechanic that I called won't drive to inspect the vehicle...wants us to bring it to him...which I can understand.

    Are there any questions I need to ask this seller based on the age of this car and the new hvb? I'm in a quandry and looking for advice from experienced Prius owners!!
     
    #1 mommab, Apr 19, 2012
  2. jabecker

    jabecker driver of Prii since 2005

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    I'd be very leery of an unregistered car from another state. I'd want to at least check via Carfax or similar to make sure it's not a salvage title. Does it have MA plates on it?
     
    #2 jabecker, Apr 19, 2012
  3. massparanoia

    massparanoia Active Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
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    Three
    Beware New England winters, take it from someone who knows. Japanese cars have had a history of using crappy steel, and Mass DOT uses copious amounts of road salt during the winter. That being said, as long as the title isnt salvage $5500 might be a good buy. I would take it to a dealer for a "once over" first before you pull the trigger. If he doesn't have a dealer plate for you to use to take the car and get it inspected by a mechanic, then I would probably walk away.
     
    #3 massparanoia, Apr 19, 2012
  4. mommab

    mommab New Member

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    It has no tags whatsoever. The seller told me the car had been in MA for some time. I haven't checked Carmax yet, but I think I'm going to have to walk away from this one.
     
    #4 mommab, Apr 19, 2012
  5. mommab

    mommab New Member

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    "Be worried about a Toyota from MA" is exactly what the non-dealership-affiliated-mechanic told me when I spoke with him this afternoon (after I posted this question). I think I am going to walk away from this deal.

    One thing this mechanic also said that threw me off is that I should avoid all Priuses with >100k miles because there are going to be more repairs and they are going to be very expensive. So now I'm having second thoughts about buying a preowned Prius at all, since most of the ones in our price range are probably going to have >100k miles.

    What to do? What to do? :confused:

    Thank y'all for your input thus far!
     
    #5 mommab, Apr 19, 2012
  6. massparanoia

    massparanoia Active Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
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    Three
    I did a quick search around me, since I saw that you live only a few states away.

    Cars for Sale: 2001 Toyota Prius in Manassas, VA 20110: Sedan Details - 314382550 - AutoTrader.com

    Cars for Sale: 2002 Toyota Prius in Bethesda, MD 20817: Sedan Details - 320214777 - AutoTrader.com

    Cars for Sale: 2002 Toyota Prius in Vienna, VA 22182: Sedan Details - 319350972 - AutoTrader.com

    Cars for Sale: 2004 Toyota Prius in Manassas Park, VA 20111: Hatchback Details - 317965275 - AutoTrader.com
     
    #6 massparanoia, Apr 20, 2012
  7. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Don't walk. Run away from this deal and don't look back.

    You don't have to settle for a Gen 1 Prius if your budget is $10,000. You can find a Gen 2 (2004-2009) with maybe around 150,000 miles for that price.
     
    #7 macmaster05, Apr 20, 2012
  8. bdifr78

    bdifr78 New Member

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    I recently purchased my 08 Prius. I saw lots of cars that were in the 04-06 range with around 110,000 miles for around $10K. Keep in mind that if you find one at a larger dealership you can usually haggle them down a good bit too. I'd keep my search fields up at $11,000 max and inquire about cars at that pricing if you want to spend around $10,000.

    I wouldn't fear purchasing one with 100,000 miles on it, that being said I did purchase mine with 85K miles on it so that I could drive it around for 2 years or so while the hybrid battery is still under warranty. I could have also purchased a older model with 100,000 miles and for the price difference if the hybrid battery did need replacing I still would have come out ahead.

    How many miles are likely to be put on the car per year?
     
    #8 bdifr78, Apr 21, 2012
  9. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    You don't want a Gen I Prius. I'd look for a 2006 or newer Gen II, or a Gen III. Significant improvements were incorporated in these later models.

    Tom
     
    #9 qbee42, Apr 21, 2012
  10. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Location:
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    Avoid auction Prii with more than 100K miles. Often times, they have faults e.g. HV battery or transaxle where the codes can be reset and the car driven for another few hundred miles before the problem recurs.

    That said, corrosion resistance to the BODY on Toyotas is outstanding. Where you have rust problems would be regular steel bits in the undercarriage: disks, drums, nuts, bolts, tie rods etc. On gen II, the most notorious piece is the height sensor for HID headlights.

    Your husband's commute is a major factor here. If you are looking at 50 miles each way, then this car could make sense, as there are few alternatives that would get that kind of MPG at that price. If it is 25 miles each way, then that opens the door to regular econoboxes, like Civic, Fit, Corolla, Yaris, etc. For $10K, you have many options, including buying this car and keeping the extra money in reserve.
     
    #10 seilerts, Apr 21, 2012
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