Buying Used. What to look out for?

Wow, I'm just as surprised as you are that there are no responses. I'll move it to a Gen 3 forum and hopefully there'll be more views .

Here's my recommendations

Gen 2

• Ensure all recalls are done (I can't remember too many on a 2009 but a 2006 or 2007 would have some)
• Check the state of the 12V battery. (that's the regular car battery). It's smaller than a regular car battery and if the used car has been sitting there for a while, it may not hold the charge well. Ask for a new 12V to be thrown in when you pick up the car. (They run about $150-$200 if you were to buy it yourself). You can check the state by just turning on the headlights and leaving it on for 10-15 seconds. Do the lights stay bright or do they begin dim? Alternatively, turn the car on to ACC or IG-ON (so don't start the car), then see if the dashboard lights dim after 10-15 seconds. If they don't, the battery is reasonably strong. If they do, the battery is weak. I suggest to do this because our 2005 did that when the battery was weak but when I asked to get it checked during regular maintenance, they showed me the printout where the 12V was supposedly good. Not sure how they were testing it... with the car running? The 12V is located on the passenger side in the trunk, under the floor.
• If it has HIDs (you can tell by looking for foglights, as cars with HIDs came with foglights), check the condition. It's been known to fail early.
• Check the date of the navigation disc. Maybe negotiate a new map to be included. (They run about $200).
• Cars with backup cameras have a higher resolution 7" LCD than those without a backup camera (if that matters to you. There's a difference in the design of the icons, with the higher resolution screen looking a bit more modern. The lower resolution ones are the same ones on the 2004-2005 models and they really look dated).
• Touring models have 16" (gunmetal) alloys with (silver) wheel covers, longer rear spoiler and a slightly stiffer suspension. Non Touring models have lightweight 15" wheels w/ wheel cover rings. (all silver)
• The engine/inverter coolant (same reservoir bottle) interval is 100,000 miles so keep that in mind when shopping. If it's higher, make sure it's been changed. If it's close, check to see if it's been done or whether you need to keep some money for an extra maintenance item. It's not expensive but just something to be aware.
• There's no low washer fluid light so before you pick up the car, check to see it's topped off. (There's a dipstick).
• Check for blown LED brakelights on the Gen 2 (the corner ones, not the centre brakelight. I've seen a few with missing lights on taxis and our 2005 at 11 years old had 2 blown ones).
• Foglights are prone to cracking due to heat stress, especially in rainy areas (where the cold rain will touch the hot glass). I think it's ok if it's been in a dry climate.
• Check the armrest on the doors for cracked plastic. The doors are a bit flimsy and sharp elbows could crack the plastic underneath the fabric or leather. You obviously can't disassemble the doors but just press firmly and see.
• Small items that might go missing:
  • Shelf for the top glovebox
  • Shelf insert for the centre console
  • Roller tonneau cover

Gen 3

• Ensure all recalls are done (there's a brake one and some ECU flash for 2010-2011 models). Currently there's a side curtain airbag recall. (At least in Canada)
• Check the state of the 12V battery. Like the Gen 2, it's a smaller-than-normal car battery. See above for tests. The battery is located on the passenger side, in the trunk, under the floor.
• 2010 and 2011 models used roman numerals to dictate trim levels (II to V) while 2012-2015 models used words (Two to Five)
• Backup camera and Bluetooth streaming audio were only available with navigation on 2010-2011 models
• If a USB/iPod connector is important to you, check the build-date on the 2010 as early 2010 models did not come with USB/iPod connectivity. (Approximately Sept 2009 and onwards had USB/iPod)
• Gen 3 models used halogen headlights or optional LED low beams with headlight washers. So far, they've been more reliable than the HIDs on the Gen 2.
• The only difference between a II and a III is the JBL Audio w/ 8 speakers and satellite radio when new (if you come across these two models and wondering what's the extra cost for)
• There is a I/One model but that's only for fleet and it's missing a bunch of stuff compared to the consumer model (which starts at II/Two). It's about $1,000 less when new than a II in 2010.
• The engine and inverter coolant are now two separate systems with two separate reservoir bottles. Check the service record to see when they were changed.
• In 2012, there were a whole bunch of updates for the midlife update so if you can swing 2012, it might be worth it.
  • However, all 2012s come with a "Display Audio". The good thing is that there is no longer the one-line radio headunit from 1995. The bad is that there are two types of navigation systems (which Toyota didn't differentiate in the brochure) - one 3rd party (6.1" LCD) and the traditional Toyota navigation (7" high-res LCD versions).
• Small items that might go missing:
  • Removable front cupholder insert for the centre console
  • Roller tonneau cover

If you want to know what features or options each model had, check out these threads:


2G Prius (2004-2009) Standard and Optional Equipment (Some Countries) | PriusChat

3G Prius (2010-2015) Standard and Optional Equipment (Some Countries) | PriusChat