Should I jump on this offer?

The offer is tempting . I would check the obvious. How many miles , does it have a clean title , do they have service records , carfax report , check for really bad odors with all the flooding in recent months people could pass of a flood damaged vehicle that was never reported. One thing that can throw up a red flag is a ton of air freshners under the seats just be careful . I'm sure others will chime in with things to look for.

 

I'd be a little suspicious. $4000 sounds salvaged and I tell everyone I care about, never buy a salvaged car. It doesn't hurt to check it out. Obviously check the mileage, ask for maintenance records/accident reports, and ask why they're selling it. If you're still interested then you can start to look at getting it certified.

Oh yeah, and :welcome:

 

The price is very good(depending on mileage and condition) but I'd say have it checked out at a Toyota dealership or any local mechanic who has worked on a Prius before.

Not all salvage titled cars are bad. I drove one(Sonata) for 4 years and the only reason it had a salvage title was due to hail damage. The dimples could be barely seen and I got myself a very good deal. I traded it in for my 2008 Prius. The downside is the resale value tends to be pretty bad when there's "PRIOR SALVAGE" stamped on the tile.

 

I would be very suspicious, especially if it is a craigslist ad. Probably fishing for your e-mail address so they can spam you. I see these around here on CL all the time. Offering a late model vehicle that is worth 30,000 but list it for 12,000.

 

good luck!