Things to look out for in choosing a 2nd hand Prius

It's a good idea to service the cvt fluid at least every 30,000 miles. There are HID horror stories. The North America Prius with factory 15 inch Goodyear Integrity was a crap tire. Better tires last as long as any other car

Prius are used as taxi's in harsh climates, such as Duffy's Taxi in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Winter temps of -40 C, summer temps usually 35 C and hotter. They're holding up well

 

Which country are you located in? Warranty coverage duration differs by region.

You are right that for the model year range that you are interested in, HID headlights are an issue. Tire wear can be greater than some owners have been used to. The 12V battery needs periodic replacement especially if the car is not driven regularly or if the owner allows passenger cabin lights to remain on.

Once you decide upon a vehicle that you are interested in, I strongly suggest that you have an experienced Prius tech spend an hour inspecting the car. Usually such techs will only be found at a Toyota dealership, again depending upon where you are located.

Usually the factory warranty is transferable to a new owner unless the car was in a serious accident and ends up with what is known in the U.S. as a salvage title.

 

Yes, it makes sense to buy a Prius that has some warranty coverage so you have assurance that existing problems will be fixed without charge to you.

The multifunction display will show a warning icon if there's a problem with the hybrid system or the traction battery.

The HID system, if it is not working properly, will show a warning message on the MFD. You might want to drive around for a while with the headlights on, to see if they are intermittent or point too low. The one symptom shows a problem with the headlamp or boost unit while the other symptom shows that the auto leveling system is not working.

If the Prius is extremely low mileage, this may have implications for 12V battery life as well as the traction battery.

I suggest you test drive a new 2009 Prius (if still available in your area) so that you know how a new car behaves and what noises it makes. Then compare to the used car that you are interested in.

 

What they wrote, plus: don't get a salvaged car. Way more things can be wrong with one than you would ever want to find and fix.

 

It's exactly the same as checking out any other used car.

I can't really think of anything to check on the hybrid system, other than obvious things like warning lights or messages.

The main problems have been with HID lights failing, and an issue with 2004-05 multi-function displays failing due to a cracked internal connection (the design was revised in later years).

 

I never noticed any issues, unless I was in the car for +3 hours. My 1990 4Runner SR-5 had much better seats, including lumbar support. Even my FJ Cruiser has better seats

If by springy, you mean having no feedback, that is due to the electric assist. You're better off having a light touch on the wheel

Most new cars no longer have soft, compliant suspension designs. My parents used to have a 2003 Buick LeSabre, you never felt bumps in that car

A washboardy gravel road is a thrilling ride in a Prius, or in most small cars these days.

The electric assist of the steering takes some getting used to - it's very easy to overcorrect and introduce oscillations. As part of the alignment, a Zero Point Calibration should be performed

 

Yes, the steering feel has been brought up by testers, eg Consumer Reports mentioned that as one of the bigger negative points.

Not sure if its worth buying a car if you have to upgrade seats. If your new Prius has seat mounted side airbags, you will obviously lose that feature

Around half a year ago, I had a chance to sit in a Holden Commodore SS, except over here they call it the Pontiac G8. That car had great seats, way better than the average car