Considering a used Prius first time hybrid buyers

get a corolla or camry.

 

It can be a good deal, but pay a Prius technician (usually at a Toyota dealer) to thoroughly inspect and diagnose any problems with the car before buying. Even more so than in other modern cars any number of things can be subtly and expensively wrong.

 

If you can perform basic maintenance on the car then the cost of ownership drops dramatically for a Prius. Because you're looking at a fairly high mileage car my concern would be for simple tune up items which should be done around the 80,000-120,000 mile mark. The dealer often tries to hit you hard for a full tuneup.

That being said, I waited till after 120,000 miles to do my spark plugs and the old ones looked pretty good. The PCV valve was in a great shape and other than occasional MAF sensor cleaning I must admit the Prius is relatively maintenance free compared to the GM and Ford cars I've owned most of my life.

Just do your research on big repairs items like the hybrid battery and you'll be fine even if it fails after the warranty is up. If you MUST rely on a dealer to do everything then buying a high mileage Prius could be risky. The dealer often charges $3,000-$4,000 for a replacement battery whereas you can purchase a used or refurbished unit and have it installed somewhere else for less than $1,200. On the otherhand, the rest of the car rarely breaks so even a hybrid battery replacement is no big deal when you consider the risk of engine or transmission failure of a conventional car with similar mileage.

 

Ask the owner for their maintenance records. It's a starting point when deciding what needs to be done, if anything. Toyota maintenance at 80,000 might include Oil Change; rotate tires; clean cabin air filter; check brakes; Inspect ball joints and dust covers; Inspect drive shaft boots; Inspect steering linkage and boots; Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis and body.

As you can see, most of it is "inspect and check" stuff. However, if original owner never did anything, then that's a whole new issue.

Best wishes as you research it.