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Hope to be a Prius Owner

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Bluesman78, Feb 22, 2017.

  1. Bluesman78

    Bluesman78 Member

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    Hi all-

    I'm currently living an urban lifestyle with no car and I was looking to buy a used prius to have and to hold until death does us part.

    I pretty much could use a car for weekend trips so I want to keep the cost as low as possible. It costs me around $150 in renting cars a month and Uber's (2-3 days in my expensive city). I have free street parking..

    It's only worth it if I can buy a prius for under $5000, and maybe splurge a little if needed up to $7000, of course, that only leaves cars with lots of miles on it and having to buy it from a private owner rather than a dealer.

    I feel like if I get a cheap Prius I can't really lose, except with the hybrid battery. I live in Massachusetts so from what I understand there is this extended battery warranty here. However, what i've found is that cars here routintely switch between registered in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

    Would be great if someone could explain what to look for to get an ironclad 150K/15 year battery warranty (should the carfax indicate only being registered in Massachusetts), or other features to absolutely look for when buying a used prius of this age? I know the obvious, one owner, maintenance records, clean carfax. Others would be great to hear.

    Thank you and have a great day.
     
  2. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    The warranty is 10 years/150000 miles. The car needs to be sold and registered in a CARB state.

    Plenty of cars in your price range on cars.com.
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!
    can you give us an idea of what is available for 5k? are you prepared to diy the vehicle?
     
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  4. Bluesman78

    Bluesman78 Member

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    Thanks for your quick replies. I'd like to avoid a rental car or a fleet car. No, I'm not a DIY type person with cars beyond changing simple burned out lights, but I don't have the time, tools, or knowledge!

    Down the street on Craigslist, someone posted this, and it's my leading choice because of convenience. Shopping for a car on Craigslist seems like a pain. I've never bought a used car with this many miles.

    2008 Blue Touring Edition with 129,000 miles, asking $4200

    The seller doesn't have a carfax report, but claims she is not the original owner and said the car was in an accident where a truck hit it (but I didn't give me much details over Craigslist about what was damaged - was it cosmetic). She's a college student and is moving out of hte country and she seems trustworthy.

    I'm not sure how to proceed here. She claims that she has lots of interest, but the car is still up on Craigslist.

    If the car was sold in a CARB state and then transferred to a non CARB state and then back to a CARB state how does the warranty work then?

    Is there a way to get a free carfax report? Any thoughts on buying from a dealer (even a non-Toyota dealer)? I'd rather buy private to keep my costs lower since the dealers usually through in random fees that could break the deal for me.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    hopefully someone can answer your questions. i only want you to know that prius are generally highly reliable, but can be quite expensive if repairs are needed. if you decide to go this route, make sure you have a 4 figure reserve for emergency repairs, and keep in mind, the above car only has 21,000 miles and 1 year left on the hybrid warranty, even if it is covered.
     
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  6. Bluesman78

    Bluesman78 Member

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    Do you mean the repair for the battery as the major expensive repair?
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that's one, and something most newcomers worry about. but there are a number of systems that are quite expensive. the electric air conditioning alone can be a few thousand. a bad brake actuator a few thousand. this is not your fathers oldsmobile.
     
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  8. Bluesman78

    Bluesman78 Member

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    So how does one approach buying a used prius with this many miles?

    I guess that's why I'm looking for a low cost prius because I figure I run the risk of taking less of a loss on it. If something major happens to it, I don't really plan on fixing it and I heard Prius was more reliable than a similar age/mileage Corolla, so the risk of something catastrophic is lower.

    Thanks for your perspective.
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that may be true, but all toyota's are pretty reliable on the whole, and a corolla may be a lot cheaper to kep repaired.
    as i said, they are generally highly reliable, but if you're one of the unfortunate ones to hit the lottery, you may no longer feel that way. it's just something to go into with your eyes open, plenty of horror stories here.
     
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  10. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    If you spend 7k on a high mileage Prius and then can't afford an expensive repair, then you have a very expensive lump of metal, sounds to me like a used Corolla would be a better fit.
     
  11. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    +1

    A $7,000 used Prius would be a really great car FOR ME because:
    1. I prefer base models.
    2. I DIY all of my maintenance and as many repairs as I can. I can, for example, replace the battery by myself.
    3. I would not need to rely on it for daily transportation.
    4. I can write a check for the car.......and for anything that would break on the car.
    5. I don't and WON'T buy a car from a person who "seems to be trustworthy." I require PROOF, or a dramatic price adjustment. It doesn't have to be Carfax (Toyota keeps maintenance records as well) No history = No Future


    So.....for me, a committer car in the $5-7,000 could make sense.
    However (comma!) sometimes buying a $5000 Prius instead of a $5000 Corolla can be a less wise purchase, and if you're not deep enough to cash flow a four figure repair or DIY, then you may not be able to afford a cheap car. ;)

    Good Luck!
     
  12. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Bluesman, Jack the Ripper seemed trustworthy too.

    Why did First Owner sell a "perfectly good" Prius to a college kid? Why can't College Kid sell the car? Bargain priced Prius don't sit unsold for very long.

    Register the VIN at http://www.toyota.com/owners and see what's in the dealer service history. Maybe you'll see a body shop entry.

    Find and download the 2008 sales brochure so you can see what is and what isn't included in the packages. Pay attention to the visible differences between the Touring and the non-Touring Prius. Back in the day it seemed like every used Prius offered for sale was a "Touring". Some of the descriptions were probably due to ignorance. I suspect most were due to malice.

    Truecar seems to be pricing a 2008 around $8000. The asking price seems way too low. Since there was a collision, look for evidence. My immediate concern would be that the frame is bent and that the alignment is off and can't be fixed. Look for overspray. Are panels misaligned? Look under the deck and pull everything out. Is there evidence of leaks or welds? Is the spare or the jack missing?
     
  13. ShaAnn

    ShaAnn Member

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    Beware of salvage title...some are great but my daughter almost lost her life when her salvaged Camry had front end damage that had been covered over and the axle was damaged and she was hit by a garbage truck...she is fine but the insurance company totaled the car again......have the car checked out by a reliable shop before you buy a car.....
     
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