Tundra mpg blues. Talk me out of a Prius.

The financial costs and mechanical risks involved are unknown to me, but the Prius could have been designed for you as a passive driver. Please hang around for your fellow countrymen to comment on the viability of your proposition, but at the same time - welcome to Prius Chat!

 

Welcome!
I have a 2000 Tundra with extended cab I use for general hauling. I believe yours might be bigger, but MPG is not a Tundra's strong point.
I have heard it said that when you buy a used car, you are buying somebody else's problems. Why did they sell it?

@Raytheeagle , @Mendel Leisk , or @jerrymildred should be along shortly. They can advise you better than I can.

You might be better off with a Corolla that gets good mileage without a major expense lurking. You can easily spend $5000 if there is a traction battery issue on the Prius.

 

There are some Generation 3 Prius owners that have had some engine maintenance issues too, including head gasket if the maintenance is neglected. That is why I tagged those other users.
If you are able to get a dealer to sell you an HV battery, it only has a 1 year warranty. If they install it, the warranty is 3 years.
One of the users here is selling a promising replacement new battery for less money. There are just over a dozen in use now.

 

Search for and download the sales brochure so you'll be able to identify the trim level. Make sure you get two working fobs and the retractable cover for the deck.

I just turned 107000. Every car is reliable--until it isn't. Expecting an 8 year old car to be as reliable as a brand new one is naive. Every one of us drives a used a car. I suppose the question to ask is: Would you buy your car from a used car lot?

My car hasn't been perfect. I had a fender liner replaced under warranty because a clip broke. If I hadn't noticed I wouldn't have paid to replace it. The under body panel is scuffed and damaged. It burns some oil but not enough to cause concern. I'm still running with all of the original software and brakes. I've spent $0 on repairs.

If you want the back up camera you'll need to find a car with the NAV, Solar (roof), or Advanced Tech package.

How does the price compare to those listed on cars.com or truecar.com?

If the price is right, buy it.

 

If you have the VIN you can enter is on the Toyota Owners site to get Trim level and a list of dealer service performed.

 

Statistically the Prius has a wonderful reliability record. But you are not buying an average Prius, you are buying a given Prius.

If it needs work, you can easily be out 5 grand. New Battery $3500, new inverter $4000, new transaxle $5000. A used Prius can be a good investment if you have $5000 extra to repair it if it needs it, so few will. It does not make a good 'starving college student' car.

 

Welcome to Prius Chat .

$7900 sounds like a good deal, but as others have said, check the history out to ensure it hasn’t been in an accident. In PA I believe the warranty on the battery is 8 years / 100 k miles, so depending on the “in service” date, there might not be much left on the warranty for piece of mind with an expensive component.

I would give it a good look over and inspect for any signs of damage. If not, for the price it sounds like a good deal.

72k miles is low for a Prius. But a used car can have issues crop up. While a Prius is reliable, repairs can be expensive . Just make sure you budget accordingly for the “what if” cases given above.

We have 167 k miles on our 2010 Prius II and it is running strong .

Check back with us if you purchase as there will be maintenance items you’ll want to do to stay ahead of some Gen3 issues.

Good luck and keep us posted .

 

Welcome!

Main thing to watch for on a 2010 would be burning oil and/or a blown head gasket. That year is more prone to those thanother years, but that's also the oldest model for Gen 3. The HV battery is about at the end of its warranty for years, depending on when it was first sold. If the battery fails, it doesn't have to cost $3500. Since you're a diy kind of guy, it's really not hard to replace yourself, although that will reduce the warranty period if not installed by a Toyota dealer. And you never know; the battery may last several more years. Just try to be prepared. Also, a Prolong grid charger will help keep it in good condition. Sometimes they fail because a cell fails, or wires corrode. And sometimes they just get cells too unbalanced from one another. The Prolong helps prevent the latter.

I'd prefer myself to get a 2012 or newer, but the one you're looking at may be good if the price is right and it's well maintained.

 

I believe that is correct for the general population of that model year's Prii on the road. However, that is not what is up for sale. Many are on the used car market because of a costly upcoming repair. Maybe the is an alarming oil burning problem, or indications are that the hybrid battery might be slowing down. The question to ask yourself is if your budget can absorb an expensive repair.

 

If you desire reliability, swapping out modules is a horrible idea. Is your 40mile commute one-way or round-trip?

Normal corrosion on a 10-month old HV battery? | Page 2 | PriusChat

1) Read post #34 first. I lay out the reality of swapping modules that many do not acknowledge or consider. People just balk at the cost of a HV Battery replacement, and think I am nuts for considering spending $2k on a vehicle that is worth very little.

2) Read post #30 second. 100% new, OEM, HV Battery is not that costly, esp when amoritized over its life. You will need to call the dealerships who sell online, and likely speak to the parts manager to make sure they will sell the HV Battery to you. I know Camelback and San Bernardino will, when I last inquired, so I am set.​

If you get the car checked out, and all is good: NO salvage title, NO water damage, everything checks out, hopefully the car turns out to be a good purchase.

Get mini VCI w/ a hacked copy of Techstream from Amazon $20-$40. Get a windows laptop, 32bit OS (XP or 7), this will become your dedicated Toyota OBD2 reader.

Gen3 Prius transaxles do NOT have a magnetic drain plug on the transaxle. Get a magnetic transaxle drain plug. Read post #473; compelling reasons for it and changing out the transaxle ATF fluid. ATF fluid changes ARE Required. | Page 24 | PriusChat

Jimbo points out some worst case scenario repair costs with new parts, in post #11. Assuming the Gen3's are anything like the Gen2's, then inverter failures are very rare. A used inverter can be acquired for $500. Transaxle failures are low. A used transaxle can be had for $700-$2,000; the higher the mileage the cheaper the part.

The HV Battery replacement and AC issues would be the most expensive repairs.

Post #6 points out the difference in warranty of the OEM HV Battery, depending on who installs it. Installed outside of a Toyota dealer, only gives you one year warranty. A Toyota dealer installed HV Battery gives you 3years, but you are paying a premium for those two extra years; pricey dealer labor. I am not aware of any original HV Battery, when the car was new, or OEM replacement HV Battery failing in less than 8 years; Toyota would know this data, but does not disclose it. Realistically, you can expect 8-10 years out of a new OEM HV Battery. Why? This was the original warranty on the HV Battery when the car was new. Toyota knows 8-10 years is the life expectancy. Some people may have gotten less than 8 years. Most will get 8-10 years. The lucky few get beyond 10 years.

Always buy Top Tier gas! Study: Top Tier Gasoline Worth the Extra Price - Consumer Reports

 

All very good points. The only thing I would add is that a user here, @2k1Toaster is selling a new battery kit as a less expensive alternative to an OEM battery. Just another consideration if needed.

 

The report you quoted mentions improved compression from top tier gas, but the Atkinson Cycle engine in the Prius deliberately lowers the cylinder compression by leaving the inlet valve open for part of the compression stroke, thus negating that potential advantage. Perhaps the benefits the report suggests are simply for more conventional ICEs.

 

Top tier gas also results in fewer deposits to extend engine life IIRC. It is a very inexpensive solution in most cases.

 

For it to be a solution, there needs to have been a problem in the first place, or am I missing something?