Hi there! I'm in the process of buying a used 2014 Prius C with 101,000 miles and had a question. The seller is a small dealer who has been SUPER nice and helpful and seems very honest and transparent. The question I have is - the car is listed as being a Prius 2, and the Carfax report (he provided it free) says the same thing. As does the VIN number lookup. However the car clearly has all the options for a 4, including heated leatherette seats, fog lights, moonroof, etc. Is this a red flag? It's listed as having had one owner and impeccable service records from the dealer. Maybe just a glitch in the paperwork? I just wanted to be sure before I finalize everything.
Could be a stolen car (re-vin) or flood car from a hurricane. Where did the dealer buy it from? Maybe the previous seller was someone trying to make a quick buck.
That's pretty weird. There's no economical way to transfer a four's options into a two, so I doubt this is a frankencar. The moonroof cars have an entirely different roof than the non-moonroof cars. So it is likely that this car was always a four and there's been a mistake in paperwork elsewhere. I might want to check to see that the VIN on the dash plate matches the VIN on the floor stamping in front of the passenger seat. It's also stamped in a few other locations, and many of them were given stickers on the hood, door and tailgate panels with the VIN number embossed in. (that's a port-and-dealer option that many BUT NOT ALL cars got, so don't worry if you don't see the stickers. Bisco's suggestion is wise- the hybrid battery in the c models is good for "about ten years" so there won't be much life left in that item. And whenever a Four is involved, check the wheels and tires. Be aware that there was an option available for the Four to get 16" rims- they ride harsh and they make the turning circle much wider, so the car is nowhere near as nimble as all the other c's. They do look good though.
