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For Sale 2001 Prius 185,xxx miles (rust free, recently replaced HV batt, runs good)

Discussion in 'Private Sales' started by Helgaiden, Jul 2, 2024 at 2:42 AM.

  1. Helgaiden

    Helgaiden Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2022
    19
    5
    0
    Location:
    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hi all. Looking to sell my Prius. I got it in 2022 as a hand me down but it needed some work. Remote locks on all but driver door are hit or miss, but works fine on driver door so its not too bad.

    Parts replaced in April/May of 2022:
    -New 12v aux battery
    -Front struts
    -Rear passenger wheel bearing
    -Tune Up (spark plugs, lubricants, oil, etc)
    -Installed catalytic converter shield
    -new tires
    -GROM aux adapter, with bluetooth adapter plugged in, connected via CD player's rear connector

    Regular maintenance (oil changes and such) since then.
    January 2023 - Main HV battery was fully replaced
    July 2023 - Electric Inverter Water Pump was replaced with OEM Factory Toyota model (official, not a knockoff)

    Car has passed SMOG tests twice here in CA since getting it as well.

    Minor issues in 2024:
    CEL is on for random cylinder misfire. At one point it did throw a code for cylinder 1. MAF was cleaned, throttle bottle was cleaned, coils were replaced, and spark plugs were replaced. CEL still comes on but occasionally goes away on its own. Still get 40+ mpg and does not seem to affect how the car runs. Runs fine.

    Biggest issue:
    As summer of 2023 came to an end and fall temperatures started to come in, I realized the AC did not work well. Didn't need the AC again until last month. AC does not cool. Took it to a shop to get checked, informed me the evaporator is leaking and it needs to be replaced. I am not a mechanic and it is alot of work to do this. At this point I decided to sell the car.

    Clean title, registration up to date. 185,xxx miles.

    Looking for $3000 OBO. I am located in Southern California.
     

    Attached Files:

    #1 Helgaiden, Jul 2, 2024 at 2:42 AM
  2. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,193
    5,889
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Unfortunately, shops often use this symptom/repair as a $$ maker. Since the day your car was built, back in 2001, the AC system has been "leaking" refrigerant because industry has yet to design a perfect mechanical seal. Sometimes all it takes is to add a little R134a back into the system and it works fine again. Some cars may actually have a small leak, which may require a small addition each year. $12 for a can of R134a is easier on the pocket than $1500 for someone to replace the evaporator. I had a 1994 F150 that I had to add a 12 ounce can every spring (started at $5 a can), for its last ~9 years. There are catastrophic failures, there are big leaks, small leaks and miniscule leaks. Not all leaks require component replacement, but all leaks will eventually result in refrigerant needing to be added. If you like the car, and the AC is the only reason you're selling it, I'd do a little more investigating. I've owned many previously owned Gen 2s (currently 4) and I've had to top off the refrigerant in every single one after purchasing, but only ONCE per car.

    Here's how I look at it
    If your kitchen faucet dripped one drop per day, would you pay a plumber $600 to replace it?
    If you have to add air to your front driver side tire once a year, would you run to the shop and get new tires?
     
    #2 TMR-JWAP, Jul 2, 2024 at 5:51 AM
  3. Helgaiden

    Helgaiden Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2022
    19
    5
    0
    Location:
    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    One thing i forgot to mention I did in 2022 was take the car to a reputable local shop who tested the AC system for leaks and didn't find anything wrong, so he recharged it and I was on my way. That AC blew COLD. It was great. I guess the evaporator went bad since then. In the time where I mentioned it started getting weak, I did try refilling it with a can from autozone (no leak detect, no weird stuff, just the basic refrigerant can), and it helped a little but didn't last. I noticed a weird smell in the car whenever using the AC, that I now think was the AC refrigerant. It was this same shop from before I returned to get the AC system looked at again, but the news was not so great this time.
     
    #3 Helgaiden, Jul 2, 2024 at 11:22 AM
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