Shopping for a 2nd gen prius, what should I look out for?

welcome!

nothing in particular, and everything in general. i would start by looking for a hybrid mechanic first.

hybrids have some very expensive systems, and we are in a bad time to be buying cars. you don't get much for your money.

 

The biggest thing to look for is a full maintenance and repair history. You want to see if it was regularly maintained and all recalls performed. It is also a good idea to reset the miles per gallon indicator and do a 30+ minute test drive including highway time. The miles per gallon for your test drive should be above 40. Also, look at the battery charge icon before, during, and after the test drive. It should stay between 5-7 bars most of the time unless you’re using air conditioning, and the number of bars should increase or decrease gradually. If the battery indicator goes quickly from 1 bar to 8 bars or vice versa, or if it stays at 1 or 2 bars without air conditioning running, there is probably an issue with the hybrid battery and you should avoid it. And especially if it’s pre-2008, double check that all the indicator lights on the dashboard work correctly. If they are blinking off, there could be a combination meter problem, which you don’t want.