Used 2013 w/ 202,000 miles for 4k

Sounds great... Go for it if you like to learn about and work on cars DIY style. This website will help you with any repair that might come up, but it might be a while before anything needs fixing.

 

Here's an opposing viewpoint ;-) Avoid any Prius, or any car, with over 100k miles unless you like fixing things. If you do buy a high mileage car, you'd be best off buying two - so you have one to drive while you fix the other one! I'm definitely no expert on cars or anything else, but I speak as an old guy with a lot of experience, and things learned the hard way.

 

Would I buy it?

Yep.
But then....I can write a check for the car.
...and anything that could possibly go wrong on the car.
...more than once.

I know about the EGR circuit.
I know how to do all of the maintenance items on the car.....myself.
...and most of the repairs.
I have other cars.
I can walk to work.
If I'm 30 minutes late to work, generally nobody will notice........or care.

So....
a 2013 G3 would be a good car for ME, and since you know the previous owner and are comfortable with (or perhaps unaware of) the current owner's care care habits....it MIGHT be a good car for YOU too.

Or?
You could be buying a money pit.

If you would have to pay somebody else to to anything more complicated than an oil change, I would give ANY Prius with more than 6 years or 120,000 miles on the clock a hard pass.

YMMV

 

Your perspective was both true and common up until the 1970's, but starting in the early 80's Toyota and Honda started perfecting vehicle reliability and as the decades rolled on it became clear that most all cars on the market today are capable of triple that 100K mile rule with nothing but basic maintenance.

Though if you want to buy a Prius with no issues for 200K miles, try and find someone who believes in that outdated 100K mile rule. Or more to the point.

Here's 146 comments about the success of buying over 100K mile Prius: Did you buy a Prius with 100K+ miles? Share your story here! | PriusChat

 

^ How many head gasket stories are there to compliment those 146 posts?

OR let's put it another way......
How many people sign up for, and log into a Prius forum to brag about the car that they just has to spend $1200 on to replace an inverter?

Corollas last 200,000 miles too...and many of them don't HAVE traction batteries....or regenerative brakes....or inverters.....

 

the battery warranty ended at 150,000 miles. in general, these batteries like being used, but it is still 8 years old.
unless you diy seriously, or know a good hybrid mechanic and can afford repairs, it would be a risky purchase, but we can't tell you how it will hold up, every car is different.

another thing is how long you want to keep it, and how many miles you would put on it.

if you only have 4k and not thousands available for repairs, i would avoid hybrid vehicles.

 

No.... get a non hybrid.
Everything getting ready to go....
Water Pump
Inverter
Master Cylinder and Pump
Traction Battery
Head Gasket
Oil Burning
EGR Plugged
and more.

 

Bottom line, it's a gamble, how much is debatable. I think it is a reasonable risk. A new or relatively new used vehicle will depreciate 2 to $3,000 per year for the first few years. If you get a couple of good years or more out of a $4,000 you will be ahead of the game. If you do run into problems, you have a trusted friend who can at least give you advice on what to do.

 

Unless you spend $5000 or more on repairs.
I wouldn't do it again. Bought mine with 196,000 and ran great for a while....
Then the real pain begins.
Don't believe me....
Buy it and find out for yourself.
And service records mean nothing with these cars.