This post is done in July of 2026. I recently parted with my favorite 2010 Prius to a needy family member. Son-in-law got a better car than the odometer suggested. My beloved car had a new motor in it that had been rebuilt by the esteemed Scotty Partin of Rockholds, KY, new radiator, and fresh set of tires. So when I recently saw an identical 2010 for sale on FB Marketplace for a great price and only 140k miles on the odometer, I took a ride to see the vehicle. Given the FB car's good condition, the 140k odometer reading was entirely credible. The vehicle had a bit of paint bleaching on horizontal surfaces. It was wearing its front license plate holder (I'm in Indiana where we have only one license plate) and absolutely zero rust anywhere on the vehicle. I drew the conclusion the car had spent much of its life in Texas or Arizona, and I plan to confirm that with an online VIN search. So far so good, especially since FB Marketplace is where hope springs eternal and cars that need to be scrapped change hands. The passenger side front door had been replaced by shop that did a good job of flaring the paint. The collision damage appears to be limited to just the passenger door panel and not adjacent metal. I crawled under it to verify this, not an easy thing at 74 on a 90 degree day. The seller was candid that one side curtain air bag had been deployed. He replaced it with a curtain air bag from a salvage vehicle. And apparently he sent the restraint/airbag control module out for "re-education" by a shop that does module re-programming for body shops. This part of his story was a bit cloudy due to some ESL issues. By 74 I should have learned Spanish. My OBDII tester (running Dr. Prius) indicated that the body ECU was having a difficult time talking to the re-educated restraint/air bag controller. However, the air bag/SRS icon was not illuminated on the dashboard in the 1/2 hour I had possession of the car. I cleared the P3107 and U0151 codes with Dr. Prius and they did not return. Should I walk from this opportunity? It's rare to find a rust-free Gen 3 in the Midwest with its upholstery (driver's seat bottom, especially) almost pristine.
