Would you buy a 2004 with 73k?

Is there an extended warranty on this car? If so, that might help with your decision.

I personally love the Prius, so if I had seen a used one available, I probably would've been interested in buying. However, I am glad I purchased a new one because there were no questions about the previous owner etc.

If you are comfortable driving a used car, the Prius should be no different. It looks like the previous owner put about 18k miles on it per year. They might be trading it in for a new Prius, who knows.

 

Well, my '04 is at 110,000, and I've never had a major problem. I think I'm going to have to do the brakes on my next service, but other than changing tires and oil, no major issues here.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Aug 17 2007, 07:44 AM) [snapback]497796[/snapback]</div>

Good point - I tend to forget about that, as my MFD went funky within the first 3 days, and was replaced under warranty. Make sure all of the recall repairs were done, as well...

 

I have a 2004 with 67,000 miles. The front axle was replaced at 46,000 miles, the ABS stopped working shortly thereafter and was fixed out of warranty, the MFD failed at 46,000 miles and since then has been working erratically, the check engine and red triangle come on erratically... I would not buy a used 2004!

 

How much is the 2004 with 73k?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tirexstorm @ Aug 20 2007, 08:35 AM) [snapback]499057[/snapback]</div>

My '04 has 73,300 miles on it. I hope someone isn't trying to sell my car! No problems whatsoever. I sure wouldn't sell mine for that price.

PA P

 

BUy it!

 

I agree. Be sure to find out whether the previous owner had the extended warranty. It can be transferred (only) to the second owner for $50. I bought our '04 used a year and a half ago with 41,000. miles on it for $16,500. and saw later after going through the original receipts that the first owner had the 100k/$0. ded. extended warranty, so I had it transferred.

Also, I'm wondering what package "yours" has? Even if it is bare bones it still seems like a good price.

PA P

 

Sounds like a good price to me, I'd snap it up! Who cares about the warranty as long as you can get your hands on the repair history and have an inspection done before handing over the cash. We have a 1991 Corolla and I'm seriously thinking of buying a second hand Prius in a few years when the Corolla has any kind of major repair issue come up (like transmission or something).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PA Prius @ Aug 20 2007, 08:40 AM) [snapback]499061[/snapback]</div>

Salvage cars are cheaper. I do not want to trump your used car price but I purchased a 05 pkg 5 with 14200 miles on it for $14K in July. I still had to pay sales tax which was about $1k and I had to have it inspected by DMV, $200 since I live in the state of GA in order to get a title for the car. I have been doing mods since I got it fairly inexpensive. Mine did not have the plastic cowl above the radiator and I purchased one for $78 from my dealer. He gave me a pretty good deal on mud flaps near $32 for front and rear. I say buy it as other used cars that are 04-05 sedans will cost similar but will not get near the FE. Anyway, ensure there are no codes on the car? Make sure the SRS(airbag) light comes on when you power up the car and it turns off shortly thereafter.....this ensures the SRS is functioning properly. If it stays on it cost several hundred collars per sensor to repair. Do they have maintenance records for oil and filter changes or can they tell you who the previous owners were to verify that all this was done. Saying that they changed it and doing it are very different. Does the car actually start and run? How long was it sitting while it was being fixed(for HV battery concerns)???? Will the person selling it to you verify the alignment is correct? Does it have new coolant that is pink in it? If it runs and you take it for a test drive make sure you drive it about 35 - 40 miles to get it up to temp and make sure it will go to 85-90 MPH at least....I took mine up to 105 MPH and the seller said he was not paying for my ticket if I got one LOL. If you drive it on the interstate at near 65-75 MPH then make sure the battery gets charged to 5-6 blue bars. After about 8-10 miles it will maintain this charge at or near 6 bars unless climbing lots of hills. Turn on the AC to max low temp and max speed and the heat to max to ensure they work to your liking. Verify the motor speed at each setting for the AC/heat. VERY IMPORTANT- when you are done driving for the 30-40 mile test drive make sure you look at all the radiator hoses to see if there is a pink resin on the hoses or any sign of leak/dripping coming from the radiator or hoses going to the radiator/coolant system. Check the Hose on the front of the Throttle body(looks like the carbeurator) and make sure it is installed and not all cracked up. Inspect the belt for the water pump throughly and make sure it is not cracking and needing replaced. Look very closely at everything that was replaced under the hood. Ask specifically where it needed to be welded in order to be repaired as this will cause you much discomfort if you need to get a DMV inspection(and it was not done correctly or there are bent rails or frame members) which is required in most states for a rebuilt car. Inspect, inspect, inspect......Operate all the windows up and down several times to make sure they still work. Is this car from a dealer or an individual? Make sure when you test drive you have plenty of time available for the inspection. There is no warranty on the car so make sure you point out anything that needs repaired before you purchase the car. Hope this is informative enough for you. I apologize if it seems like I am treating you like an 8 year old but I like to be thorough.
D Rock

 

you can worry too much
so far it all sounds ok
you'll have a few issues as with any car

Let us know how it works out

 

My wife drives her 2005 Prius - 53,000 miles or 85,000KM - it works just a good as my new 2008. I would not sell the 2005 for less than $20,000 then again - it runs just like the 2008. No problems, same ride etc - so I guess I don't want to sell it.

 

It might also depend on how long you're planning on keeping it. With 73k miles on the clock, you'll be hitting 100k fairly quickly if you do the average 12-15k/yr. Some run on the original battery 150k and well beyond, some have to have it replaced in the early 100s (happened to an ex-coworker of mines). It all depends on how the previous owner treated the battery (running out of gas and driving on electric, using electric-only frequently, etc.).

If you're in California, the hybrid warranty runs until 150k, and 100k everywhere else. My ex-coworker had 105k and no extended warranty, but Toyota went ahead and replaced it for no charge, however.

 

$11,800 is a great price. I suggest you have an inspection performed by the Prius specialist at your local Toyota dealer. The cost of an hour of labor is minor compared to the cost of making a mistake buying a vehicle with problems.

My 2004 had a failed MFD (replaced under warranty) and a leaky rear shock (so I replaced the pair myself). No other problems at 53K miles.

 

Check the warranty in your state. It is an ugly rumor that only California has the 150K warranty. Other states also have it, including Florida.

I see this thread started in August of Last Year so it is probably doesn't matter at this point.

Bob

 

I bought mine through craiglist in December 2007, with 106,000 miles, needed tires and intake cleaning that's all. I'm up to 120500 miles with no problems whatsoever... Drive it like you stole it and still get 48 MPG!!!!

Regards,
Erik