Buying a gen 2 2008- Serviced battery question

How does one service a catalytic converter?
Did he service the battery himself? How did he learn to do it>
The battery "service" is not a trivial thing, and just replacing some cells that had low voltage will not guarantee a long life.
Another consideration, rust is an issue up north, has anyone looked at the bottom of the car?
Future big expense is the ABS pump, more than a battery to replace.
I suggest you find a good prius/hybrid independent shop and have them look at it. These cars are very well built and reliable but it is 20 years old and stuff happens, it can get very expensive to fix for some.

 

what kind of a person are you buying it from? a small used car dealer/shop, a guy who flips car, a guy whose name is not on the title but the title is signed? any of those are red flags when buying because they don't know anything about the car but make a profit. 15v doesn't indicate a good battery nor it tells you that it will last long. Carfax will not tell you everything because it depends on the shop where it's serviced (some shops report some don't) If you are really interested in buying this car;
1. Ask the seller what's the reason for selling? making a profit, issue with it, don't need/like it.
2. Bring a scanner that can read all computer modules (not a basic obd2 scanner) and look for codes and how long were the codes cleared. Normally codes like catalytic, engine emissions will only show up with several cycles (or days)
3. Are you a DIY person? if not then a gen2 Prius might be expensive to maintain for you, worst if you don't know any honest mechanic that knows hybrid. Most mechanics do the parts cannon approach at your expense so be warned, Prius parts are not cheap. If you could find a non-hybrid at the same price I would go for that.

Getting a used hybrid is a matter of luck, one day it works fine.. the next day red triangle of death and ABS failures $$$

 

Yeah don't fall for any of this there's about 20 people in my area that all of a sudden during the pandemic become Prius gurus and gods and they don't know their right foot from their left in these cars I personally know some of these people they are acquaintances at best and it is hysterical how they list these cars for sale in various and sundry places It is hysterical to read some of these ads these guys didn't know what a Prius was prior to 2021 practically they were just in the way and not to be dealt with then all of a sudden boom. Every ad for a Prius that comes up within 50 miles of me I can tell that the car is not there's it is a flip car they don't know anything about it on and on and on and when they're asked about any of this they immediately block you and try to be rate you with things that they don't even know anything about they're not even in the conversation any longer so all these five and $6,000 Priuses that are 18 years old and nonsense You need to take that with a real grain of salt You're paying $5,300 I'm paying $7 or $800 rebuild the battery and drop in a brake actuator at best and driving for a lot of miles I just paid $700 for a car with $171,000 on it needed some battery cell swapped out the rest of the cars pretty much perfect condition and leather and I can buy more like this I can't drive them all and I'm not a sales guy I'm not interested in people over here on my property kicking tires and talking to me like I'm some kind of ignorant fool I've already got a few million miles in I don't need their nonsense or their money I don't even like to talk to people like that let alone do business with them.

 

yep. battery, brakes, oil burner, cat, figure 5k just in case

 

Nope in the $700 car right now sitting and driving a hundred miles a day I have maybe 1750 in the whole car bought it for $750 bought a used battery for it or a remanufactured battery locally done right here in town think it was 700 so that puts me at 1450 oh and I put the new dash piece in so that was like on 170 with the trade in and that is it rearrange some plastics into interior wise messed around with the vents while I had them out putting in the new dash piece and a couple little things like that this is a leather interior car with no rips or damage to the headliner or door panels as soon as my old lady kills her generation 3 she's going in this car other than some paint fading there's not really scratch on the car The car sat in the sun in Florida so it's silver paint is quite baked literally peeling in some places but we don't care I'm certainly not going to paint in 18-year-old car or whatever it is but that's all we have in it I have maybe 5 hours of my time I don't think I'm anywhere near near 3000 let alone five and people got more they want me to come look at but I can't drive them so Good luck.