Just picked up a 2004 Prius with 183,500 Miles on it!

You're lucky you got one with LOW MILES. Should last you a long time.

My 2004 has a bit over 100k. Thanks for the tip on the iSimple. I'll check it out as I'd love to use my iPhone in my Prius. I have SAT, but would also like to listen to my music.

 

how much did u pay for the car? its interesting to find out the isimple works on the prius too. i too have a civic hybrid with the isimple kit installed.

 

Congrats on your new acquisition.

May I suggest that you add replacement of the front struts and rear shocks to your repair list. That should help ride comfort and handling. If you agree, do that replacement before the wheel alignment, since front strut replacement will throw off the camber adjustment.

Regarding the brake fluid change, that should be done by a Toyota dealer (or else an independent that is a Prius specialist) since a special procedure using the Toyota diagnostic laptop is required.

 

You can get aftermarket springs/swaybars for the Prius. Could be that after 180k miles the struts/shocks are simply worn and are due for replacement. I find that the ride in my Prius is pretty good (I have a WRX with upgraded suspension that I can compare to).

Pretty standard sized filter in modern vehicles, IMO. You'll also notice the small oil capacity - the engine doesn't work hard 99% of the time anyway, so it's more than adequate. Most used oil analysis have found that the engine wears very nicely.

 

I've posted on how to replace the front and rear. At least the springs are not that hard to compress (compared to a BMW.)

You can buy a Toyota filter that is slightly longer than the original, so that it has a bit more capacity. However I think the correct filter is adequate.

A hint regarding the PCV valve - it is hiding under the wire harness that runs along the engine valve cover. Look for the 90 degree turn in the wiring harness on the driver's side of the valve cover. The PCV valve is below that point. You will need to remove the relay box mounted to the cowl, and the wire harness to gain access. Good luck.

 

I'd like to know how much you paid for it as well. I personally would never buy a car with that many miles on it unless it was a steal.

 

I purchased my 04 in November of 08 with 70K miles on it. Currently I have 135K. Outside of inverter coolant, engine coolant, plugs and new tires it has only required standard maintenance.

I would buy one with high miles especially if it was taken care of properly. I'm sure you purchased for a nice price.

Enjoy!

 

I have a 2008 & suspension is fine. I live in the country & have hauled hay & feed in the back (several hundred pounds). Check your suspension components & tire pressure.

The climate control can be controlled on the steering wheel.

 

Sounds like a great deal. Consider using a synthetic oil. I use Mobil 1 0W-20 and justify it by doing my own oil changes. You should see a nice bump in mileage and be able to push your oil changes out to 7500 miles easily (you might want a used oil analysis to be sure). Best of luck. Btw: Patrick Wong will not steer you wrong. He's a good one to listen to.

 

If you're seeing any significant sludge build-up under the oil cap / dip stick - I would highly recommend a couple of short interval oil changes (1000 then 2000 mile, just use regular 5w30 oil) along with filter changes to help flush things out. After that, I also highly recommend synthetic oils to help keep things clean.

 

As the new syn oil cleans the engine keep an eye out for leaks around valve covers etc
:welcome:

 

I bought a used 2005 Prius with over 100k. I got all service records... the former owner changed the oil every 5k with dino oil. For the first several thousand miles the car used no oil, until I switched to synthetic (M1). Now I use a quart every 3k. If you switch to synthetic, I would highly recommend using the "High Mileage" formulation. BTW, I am thrilled with the car... after driving 30k my first year, I'm looking for the car to last 225k or better.

 

Hey, last night at a public used car auction I saw one of the highest mileage cars I've ever seen. It was a 98 Corrolla with 320k on it. It was unbelievable. It looked like new the back seat I don't think was ever sat in, the a/c and all the electronic stuff worked and seemed to run like a charm. I was thinking of buying it but didn't hang around till the end to see what it went for.

 

The car my mom replaced with a '04 Camry (in '04) was a 1972 Ford LTD with 365xxx miles on it. She bought the car new in 1972...

 

hello everyone.

my name is cj. after a very long time of wanting a prius i finally was able to get one. granted it has some paint chips, and ciggy burn holes in the interior im quite happy with it. it has 186k miles on it and runs as quiet as a brand new one. i do think it has been well taken care of but there are a few things that i have a question on. im not sure of the series of my prius but i have nav, 6disc 9 speaker system. everything really except leather and sun roof. but the info button, defrost button and rear defrost button on the stearing wheel dosnt work but all others do. im missing the rear cargo shade, but other than that its in decent shape. suspension is nice and firm, battery as far as i can tell has charged fully green and discharges but never gets fully green on highway driving. only in town does it fully charge with the hills. the car was listed at 5999.99 and i traded in my 98 honda accord which brought the price down to 4650.21. i think i got a good deal but my problem is the paint chips on the hood. how much is the touch up paint? i dont have alot of money im hiv+ and live on disability income but how can i find these items for cheep? otherwise im happy with the car and i enjoy driving it.

 

wow that is quite a bit of miles. It's nice that it has the extra options. Did you try to get it lower than the asking?