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2012 Prius C TWO, 1-owner with 170k miles with fantastic service history for $7.5k, good deal?

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by MooseMunchCT, Mar 17, 2023.

  1. MooseMunchCT

    MooseMunchCT New Member

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    2012 Prius c
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    Two
    Over 44 service records from the same Toyota dealer where it was originally purchased. The cosmetic condition is very good as well. Habanero is the color, and it drives well in the city and highway.

    Is it a good value at $7.5k (firm)?

    The only hesitation I have is that it was only driven about 9k miles total from the onset of the pandemic until today.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sounds like a great deal! how often were the oil changes?

    just be prepared for possible multi thousand dollar repairs, like any older hybrid
     
  3. PriusII&C

    PriusII&C Active Member

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    Use Dr. Prius App to do a battery life expectancy test.
     
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  4. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    In my opinion: NO.

    While my family has had 4 C's now, none of which needed major work...............
    None of them were that old or with that many miles and I think you would be entering a "high maintenance" point in it's life.

    The electric door actuators are a high failure item. About $600 each for the dealer to replace.
     
  5. MooseMunchCT

    MooseMunchCT New Member

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    Oil changes were done at the Toyota dealership religiously every 5k miles. I think I’m going to go for it, hoping for the best!

    here’s a copy of the carfax..
     

    Attached Files:

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  6. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Well then WHY did you ask ????

    Please come back every 6 months or so and let us know what has failed.

    The oil lubricated parts of the engine are NOT high failure items........but there is a limit.
    170K is a LOT of miles.
     
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  7. MooseMunchCT

    MooseMunchCT New Member

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    Your input is much appreciated. This is a third vehicle for the household. We have two new vehicles as primary mediums of travel.

    I wanted to get the perspective of current owners and those that have experience with the Prius C.
     
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  8. MooseMunchCT

    MooseMunchCT New Member

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    Everything checked out great with the exception of a faint ticking sound that isn’t constant but comes and goes.

    I’ll have Toyota do a pre purchase inspection on Monday morning before I pull the trigger.

    Attached is a screenshot of results from Dr. Prius.
     

    Attached Files:

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  9. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    So.....you waited less than 24 hours to make up your mind, assisted by almost NO input.

    If you are serious about the original request, you need to wait AT LEAST a week until some folks with C experience in the age and mileage range of the vehicle in question speak up and give you some valuable information.

    So far you have........nothing that supports your decision.
     
  10. Pri3C

    Pri3C Active Member

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    All the best! One original owner and lengthy routine service records is encouraging. These are also relatively easy cars for learning to do some of your own repairs and maintenance (like oil changes) if you want to save money going forward.

    Just prepare your budget for a few major repairs, like a potential hybrid battery battery replacement down the line. This is a great battery option most can install themselves. But these are generally very reliable vehicles capable of lasting for hundreds of thousands of miles.
     
  11. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Sure. Most anything is. IF you keep pouring money into it.
    I think your "hundreds of thousands of miles" is a bit of a stretch.
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Is “Toyota” a dealership, and the seller? I’d skip the inspection; they’d probably ignore anything that might mess up the sale, and push you on superfluous extras.
     
  13. MooseMunchCT

    MooseMunchCT New Member

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    The seller is a small independent dealership.
     
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  14. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    I wouldn't expect much remaining battery life (time) for a 2012. You might get lucky, it happens.

    The c was the second most reliable car in America during that time period. They really shine from a mechanical standpoint. But the batteries have a finite lifetime and the calendar says this one shouldn't last much longer.

    I suggest you ask Toyota to give you an estimate for a hybrid battery replacement, just so you have a number to refer to. It could be next week, could be 4-5 years away.

    I don't put much faith in the battery evaluations done by the phone apps, but this is mostly due to my lack of direct experience with the apps. Someone else can coach you there.

    The maintenance record looks pretty good to me.

    Apart from that it's normal hi-miles car checks:

    How badly beaten is the driver's seat? How many kids born in the back? Suspension, brakes & bearings? Put the HVAC through its paces, air conditioning season is coming and that's an expensive subsystem. The heater isn't much cheaper. Tire tread & date codes? Does it come with all 3 keys? Headrests, floormats? Tried it at night, headlights OK?
     
    #14 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Mar 19, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2023
  15. MooseMunchCT

    MooseMunchCT New Member

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    I took it for a 45 minute test drive.

    The A/C system was on max for about 20 minutes. Turned into a popsicle (I’m in New England). 2 keys. No leaks of any kind. Rear suspension will probably need attention in the next year. All seats are in excellent condition (actually the whole of the interior is great). The exterior has no dents but quite a bit of scratches.
     
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  16. Kerrynzl

    Kerrynzl Junior Member

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    Hey mate, If you like the car and are happy with the deal...............BUY IT [forget all the comments/ criticism here]
    Your first question was originally pertaining to Value [which is actually the "fear of regret"]

    Once you get your bum into the seat of one of these little wonders you will start reaping the benefits of a relatively trouble free car.

    Just a note to all the "Naysayers"
    If you pay too much for a car .....You risk losing a bit of Money
    But If you pay too little for a car .....You risk losing the lot!

    My specific circumstances were , I wanted a sporty little modern hatchback for my wife. And I spied one in a carpark and did a bit of research.
    I found one in a nearby city for a reasonable price [2016 Aqua L with 79,000kms] that had just arrived on the yard.
    The dealer was not negotiable [which is a difficult concept for me because I'm an ex-car dealer]

    So I just "rolled over and played dead" and bought the damn thing and never regretted it since. The only issue I've had was 2 of the cheap Toyo LRR tires that were getting oval shaped [after 16,000 kms of driving] so I replaced the whole set . And I kept the other 2 tires for my 8 x 4 trailer.

    With hindsight It was a good decision because the car market turned to shit. I made a decision on the spot without a second thought
    The car has been a hassle free ,don't think/worry about it "keeper" [ And I am somebody that normally sells a car after a couple of weeks]

    I use it more than my wife


    I hope to see you back on this forum ......Proud of your new acquisition [and partaking in some of the discussions]
     
    #16 Kerrynzl, Mar 19, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2023
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  17. Seadaemon

    Seadaemon Junior Member

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    His traction battery test came in at 82.06% remaining . The screen shot of the test is further up in this thread.
     
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  18. MooseMunchCT

    MooseMunchCT New Member

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    Thank you to both the optimists and pessimists among you. I wanted the vehicle (really liked the habanero color), but ultimately decided to walk away after two test drives.
     
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  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    There’s a big difference between 76,000km and 170,000 miles
     
  20. Kerrynzl

    Kerrynzl Junior Member

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    On a Toyota, It is usually the price.
    And some unscrupulous people can alter the mileage and the average pundit would never know [new shocks /pedal rubbers etc help]
    This can be the risk for these type of cars....because they attract Non-Car people.

    If you measure the Prius/Aqua as having a life expectancy of 400,000 miles [which is very realistic]
    The high mileage car has traveled 42.5% of its life expectancy and the other less.

    If the $7500 asking price depreciated to $2500 at 400,000 miles it would've only depreciated 2.9 cents per mile
    If it was $25000 when brand new, and depreciated to $2500 at 400,000 miles it would've depreciated more than 5.6 cents per mile
    [they were probably more expensive than $25k when new]

    This ^^^^ is excluding running costs.
     
    #20 Kerrynzl, Mar 21, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2023