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2008 Prius with 200K good idea or not?

Discussion in 'Dealers & Pricing' started by Prius4DJ, Jun 5, 2016.

  1. Prius4DJ

    Prius4DJ New Member

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    (I seem to have accidentally posted this in the wrong place. I'm going to try again for the Newbie Forum. My apologies.) Hello everyone. This is my first post. I test drove a beautiful one owner 2008 Prius that has been perfectly maintained by a local Dealer. She traded it in for a brand new one. I know nothing about these cars, but fell instantly in love. The used car dealer who bought it from the Prius dealer lowered the price to $4500, because my now retired Husband was a local mechanic many years ago. Now what? Is this a good idea? I called the Dealer and was told it would cost at least $2500 when the batteries needed to be replaced. For a car in this good condition, would it be worth it to buy it and plan for batteries in the future? I've looked for others available locally around the same age with lower mileage. They will cost as much or more than I'll have in this one when I replace the batteries and it's pristine cosmetically. I will have a mechanic check it out. What else should I be aware of? Is this a good year to buy? The man who has the car for sale claims you can buy replacements for individual bad cells for very little money. That sounds a unlikely to me. Thank you for your help.
     
    #1 Prius4DJ, Jun 5, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2016
  2. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    If its HV battery is original then its true market value should be no more than $4000 for an 08 with 200K miles (depending on the local market - California is always more) because it's a safe bet that the HV battery will fail within the next four years and/or 100K miles - potentially much sooner depending on where it was driven. It will cost at least $3000 parts and labor to put a brand new Toyota HV battery in it. Refurbished HV batteries can be installed for half that but they are hit or miss meaning that you might need to replace it during the warranty period and possibly more than once. DIY module replacement is the least expensive option but it isn't easy to do and may not last more than six months before another module needs replacement. I'm sure your husband could do the DIY repair but would he want to?

    If you're seriously considering buying this Prius and it has the original HV battery, you should test its state of health. One easy way to do this is to test drive it after the HV battery has been fully charged and see how far it can be driven in EV mode before the gasoline engine needs to start to recharge it If you find it cannot be driven at least a half mile on a flat surface at 30 mph then its health is somewhat poor. A proper state of health test involves diagnostic tools you'd have to buy and learn to use. Again, your hubby could do this but could you convince him to?

    In my opinion, as an owner of an older Gen 2 with 247K miles, it's probably in your best interest not to buy the 08 mainly because it's got 200K miles on it.

    Why not lease instead if you don't drive more than 10K miles per year? Practically worry free.
     
    #2 jadziasman, Jun 5, 2016
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome! it sounds like a good idea, and your husband understands what potential problems a car with that kind of mileage presents. all the best!(y)
     
    #3 bisco, Jun 5, 2016
  4. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    According to consumer reports, battery replacement on a Prius is around 4%. 2015 Subaru Outback and Legacy | Video Review - Consumer Reports
    Anecdotally from reading Priuschat, that rate sounds about right. I expect to never have to replace the HV battery just as I expect never to have to replace the transmission on a regular car. The chances of repair are too low and the age of the vehicle is too old to make the repair worth it anyway. $4500 sounds like a good price to me for a 2008 but I'm from CA. If the battery goes, I wouldn't repair it on your car because you'd likely have other suspension issues with that many miles. I say buy the car and enjoy it. If something expensive breaks that exceeds the value of the car, don't fix it. Put the $2500 you are think of holding as a battery repair as down payment on your next vehicle.
     
    #4 mmmodem, Jun 5, 2016
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