Advice on buying 06/07 prius with 100-150k miles

Hey all,

Been reading a few posts on these forums for the past few weeks to get some background knowledge but wanted to make an account to ask you guys myself since there's a lot of good info here. I'm looking into purchasing a 2006 prius (up to 08 if I have to) with leather and the upgraded sound system. Basically the top trim. Prices for these range from 4-6k asking with mileage ranging from 100k-150k but generally somewhere in the middle. I've heard that these cars are very reliable and unexpected repairs are not often but they can be expensive when they are needed. I'm not buying this car because it's all I can afford, It'll be my daily driver and I'm trying to keep costs as low as I can get them without giving up on reasonable luxuries.

I've been buying used cars for quite some time but they've all been gasoline driven and mostly performance cars. I understand very well how getting a PPI can help mitigate getting a lemon or a car that'll need frequent repairs down the road. I plan on doing the same with each prius I check out. I've got a list of a few big things to get checked including the battery/hv pack and the engine burning oil. I also am quite particular about collecting maintenance records and not going for vehicles that don't have any as timely maintenance is 90% of the reason a car can keep going for miles and miles.

I wanted to know, from those of you that have owned 06-09 gen2 priuses, what are some other common things I should have checked out when I take these vehicles in for an inspection? What are the big expensive repairs I should look out for? And what would you recommend as far as preventative maintenance on a hybrid like this? AND assuming I get a good condition vehicles with no red flags after having it inspected before purchasing (making sure to check out the things you guys tell me to look out for), how many miles can I expect out of the prius if it already has say 150k? Could I expect to get 100k more miles out of it or would I struggle to make it to 200k reasonably?

Also, I've got a GREAT, trustworthy mechanic who has told me himself that he's not an expert in hybrid and electric vehicles but he knows enough to take a look at it and offer me his honest opinion if I don't know someone who specializes in hybrids. If anyone is in the Massachusetts area, do you know of a mechanic with good knowledge of hybrids or these priuses that I can have check out these vehicles? Thanks a bunch!

 

This is a VERY helpful thread, although it died for a few years... it seems to be have some posts from 2018/2019 so THANK YOU!

I'm in Massachusetts

I'll keep an eye out for those, thanks a bunch!

I'm no mechanic but I do many routine maintenance items on cars myself when necessary. I looked into how to change the prius battery and I could definitely do something like that in 60-90 mins with hand tools I've got lying around. If I can find a tutorial or a youtube video for it, I'm all for fixing it... as long as I don't have to drop too many major components of the car.