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How much does mileage matter when buying used?

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by AndrewsPriusC, Nov 5, 2019.

  1. AndrewsPriusC

    AndrewsPriusC New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2018
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    Location:
    San Francisco, CA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    My beloved green 2015 Prius C got into a minor accident recently, and yet was declared a total loss by insurance. I had to kiss it farewell today.

    I'm hoping to get a similar car, and I found two local options that I am interested in, one at 30k miles, the other at 60k.

    I don't know how much I should care about the +30k miles on the latter option. Anyone have opinions on that ?

    I prefer the higher-mileage option for the color and the slightly lower price, but I know the lower mileage one seems a steal of a asking rate, given its condition. Like if it was any other color besides ORANGE I'd grab it in a heartbeat haha.
     
  2. dig4dirt

    dig4dirt MoonGlow

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2012
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    Location:
    Lancaster Co PA
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Sorry to hear the sad news.

    A "c' with 60k miles or less should be good to go. wont matter much
    Pick the one you like better and that fits your budget and just look over the whole car.
    Check the maintenance records etc.

    ohh, and with the orange, hey maybe the color will be noticeable more!
     
  3. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2017
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
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    Model:
    Three Touring
    More mileage (and more operating hours) means more wear and tear, of course—in engineering terms, the car’s parts are closer to reaching the ends of their designed service lives, and they are, statistically, more likely to fail. Without Toyota’s jealously-guarded reliability data and design information, however, it’s hard to say how much closer, or how much more likely, for any particular part.

    You may wish to consider how much Toyota warranty coverage, if any, remains. As the Warranty & Maintenance Guide (PDF) for model year 2015 explains, the basic warranty expires after 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first, but the powertrain and hybrid system warranties are longer, and they transfer automatically to a new owner, subject to their terms and exclusions. The warranty is valuable not only because it might cover a needed repair, but also as a very rough guide to Toyota’s reliability assumptions.

    Cars with higher mileage have also had more opportunity to have been damaged by lack of maintenance, or improper maintenance; as @dig4dirt kindly mentions, if the seller can provide records (or you can find them by registering on the Toyota Owners website, if the car was serviced at Toyota dealers), this may be less of a factor.