2nd Gen or 3rd Gen....please advice

welcome!

both are 3rd generation.

2010 has a lot of oil burning issues, clogged egr and blown head gaskets. however, at 62,000 miles, you may be able to prevent some of the problems.

2012 will probably have the same issues, but not as many have reached the 100,000 milestone as the 2010's.

it looks like the 2010 is package 4? i don't see the package on the 12.

of course, ownership, accident and maintenance histories are all important, as well as overall condition and thorough test drive.

 

i would prefer the 2012, but at 108,000 i can only say that it may be too late to prevent issues, but no way of knowing.
the 2010 maybe salvageable, but can't guarantee it.

otoh, 7,000 miles per year on the 2010 battery may not be enough to keep it in good operating condition, but again, it is unclear. and it is texas, which is hard on batteries.

it also says accident, but link says 'page retired'. and it says no recalls reported, which makes no sense. it later says the car was operable after the accident, fwiw.

the oil change frequency is odd, but not a bad thing if correct, except for the last 15,000 miles, where it looks like they lost interest.

the 2012 maintenance is spotty.

 

sorry, i just mean you might be able to do the correct maintenance to prevent oil burning and head gasket issues which usually begin around 100,000 miles. see @danlatu 's threads, and also @NutzAboutBolts videos.

 

I would consider the 2012 since the 2010 are known for head gasket issues. They both have accident history so that’s not good either. The 2012 looks like a working vehicle since it’s 17k miles a year while the 2010 is only 7k miles a year. My 2012 has 168k miles and still running strong, still original HV battery.

I would go for the 2012 but try to lowball them since it’s high mileage and was in an accident.

 

Here is a Reddit picture from a guy who put 333,333 miles on a 2010 Prius with hardly any preventive maintenance (you can find the discussion in the Reddit Prius subreddit):



To me, the take away from this is that the Prius drivetrain likes to be driven. You read about low mileage Priuses that have their batteries fail while this guy is on the original battery. Your 65 mile commute could be good for it. I would go for the 2012.

 

I work on my vehicles and I, unknowingly, bought a used one that was previously from Illinois (aka the rust belt). Never again.

 

Isn't the "check hybrid" warning light under recall (kinda like a warranty)?

From toyota website:

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the intelligent power module (ipm) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. If this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance. The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ecu) and the hybrid control ecu, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on march 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

 

the newer the better, but if package four floats your boat, the 2013 is fine.

 

I like the 2014, no accidents lol. You just gotta do all of the maintenance to keep up to date though. Which is the 60k minor maintenance which isn’t too bad.

 

i'm just about to hit 60k, and did not know there was special maintenance. what is on the list besides, oil, filters and section and brake pin lube?

 

The 2014 Prius Three is the very same year/trim that I have, and very close in odometer reading too (I am approaching 62k odometer reading).

I agree with you about the no accident part, but looking at the vehicle history, why it has no record of being sold, spend 8 months at the original dealership, and ten thousand miles later, offered at an auction, and still called 1 owner? Was it used as a loaner and a year later sold at an auction? But nonetheless, I think people treats a loaner vehicle better than a rental.

 

It could just a test driving vehicle or a rental car for the dealership before they sold it at auction. They don’t consider the dealership as an owner if it’s just a test or rental vehicle, so that’s why I think there’s only 1 owner after the owner bought it. Lol that just my guess so who knows.

 

Here’s what I found.

In the United States a vehicle is designated “commercial” when it is titled or registered to a company. This is a broad definition, as commercial vehicles may be fleet vehicles, company cars, or other vehicles used for business. Vehicles that are designed to carry more than 15 passengers are considered a commercial vehicle.

A vehicle may be considered a commercial vehicle if it:

• Belongs to a company or corporation
• Is used for business, but is in an individual's name, such as a sole proprietor
• Is a leased vehicle and in the name of the financial institution that owns it
• Exceeds a certain weight or class and therefore, is "classified" as commercial even though it may not be commercially used or commercially owned. A weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more is always consider commercial[2]
• Is used to haul any hazardous material

A vehicle can be used for a business, if not exclusively, and remain privately licensed, depending on the amount of time used for business.


Overall, I think it was dealership owned and used for its business so it’s considered commercial.