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Too good to be true?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by gmail, Dec 1, 2016.

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  1. gmail

    gmail New Member

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    Going to check out a 2009 tomorrow. 71k miles, clean title. Listed for $7,000. The carfax shows no accidents and good servicing but I spotted some things that seem like red flags:

    - single owner, but listed as 'commercial'
    - 'brake caliper(s)' and 'brake line(s)' replaced at 25k, 34k, 39k, and 47k
    - water pump replaced at 29k
    Drive belt replaced at 39k
    - headlight bulbs replaced at 28k, 38k, 47k, 48k, 54k and 'headlights replaced' at 54k and 60k
    - 'engine timing/front cover' and 'valve cover' gaskets replaced at 60k
    -failed and then passed emissions test at 68k

    I am a the opposite of a gearhead but this seems like a crazy amount of work for the first 7 years of a Prius. The headlights especially. What do y'all make of this?
     
    #1 gmail, Dec 1, 2016
  2. tvpierce

    tvpierce Senior Member

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    Service history does seem odd. At 70K miles, I wouldn't have expected any of those items to have been done at all... and some appear to have been done 4 or 5 times!? Odd. I'd ask for an explanation. Does the service record indicate where it was serviced?
     
    #2 tvpierce, Dec 1, 2016
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  3. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    My son had a 2005 for 10 years and he replaced the headlights once. One went bad, but you are supposed to replace HID lights in pairs. He had none of the other issues mentioned before replacing it with his 2015 Prius v.
     
    #3 Prodigyplace, Dec 1, 2016
  4. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    If you visualize a taxi running while waiting for fares, many of the repairs make sense.
     
    #4 JimboPalmer, Dec 1, 2016
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  5. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    It might be good in CARB state with 10-yr warranty but 8-years may be up soon on this one
     
    #5 wjtracy, Dec 1, 2016
  6. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Way too much service for a Prius. Verify that a commercial vehicle in your state qualifies for a retail or personal use warranty. It's a hangar queen. Stay away.
     
    #6 JimN, Dec 1, 2016
  7. gmail

    gmail New Member

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    Yeah, my guess is it was used as a late night taxi by someone who absolutely beat the crap out of it. All the service was done by a single place here-- will give them a call to see if they have more insight. I'm on a tight budget so it's either take a risk with this one or take a risk with similarly priced 07 and 08s with 110-140k miles.

    My goal above anything is reliability. I don't want a car I have to worry about when doing long-distance trips around remote parts of the west.
     
    #7 gmail, Dec 1, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2016
  8. gmail

    gmail New Member

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    Called the place where it was serviced. They were super helpful. It had been used by a security company for overnight patrolling. Explains a lot w/r/t the headlights. He said he had no concerns about the car based on his work on it. The emissions thing bothers me a little bit, but fortunately I'm moving to a state that doesn't test so it's a risk I'm willing to take.
     
    #8 gmail, Dec 1, 2016
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  9. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    It can also explain the brakes, as they may well be going so slowly that regen does not work.
     
    #9 JimboPalmer, Dec 1, 2016
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  10. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Skip it and move on...
     
    #10 RRxing, Dec 1, 2016
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  11. stockdaddy

    stockdaddy Member

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    it's somewhat close to kbb value. seems like lot of preventive maintenance which might be a good thing since the owner seems to care about the car.
     
    #11 stockdaddy, Dec 1, 2016
  12. gmail

    gmail New Member

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    just in case anyone was waiting with baited breath... the car ended up being a disaster. the interior was trashed and the upholstery looked like the plague when it wasn't torn to pieces. the plastic undercarriage protector was falling apart as if the car had been hit by a series of mini IEDs, giving it an effective 3 inch ground clearance. this is only a fraction of what I was able to spot. before I even asked about the price the dealer lowered it to 6k and seemed genuinely offended when I wasn't even willing to negotiate.

    So I went across town to another place and picked up a well-cared for 2007 touring ed. with 138k miles for $5000. Funny that my first car with built-in navigation comes in 2016 when the tech is all but obsolete. But hey, officially a Prius owner!
     
    #12 gmail, Dec 1, 2016
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  13. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Welcome
     
    #13 Prodigyplace, Dec 1, 2016
  14. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Why do you believe nav is obsolete? Do you expect enough of the GPS satellites to fall out of orbit?
     
    #14 JimN, Dec 1, 2016
  15. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Well the maps are at least 10 years out of date, but new roads are rare lately.
     
    #15 JimboPalmer, Dec 1, 2016
  16. gmail

    gmail New Member

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    I'd say car-embedded nav systems are obsolete. Or at least they've been seriously leapfrogged by smartphones.
     
    #16 gmail, Dec 1, 2016
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  17. tvpierce

    tvpierce Senior Member

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    Seems as though you made a good choice in passing on the security car.

    I agree that integrated nav systems are indeed obsolete. By the time the manufacturer brings the vehicle to market, better tech is available elsewhere... and you can't upgrade it.
    For most people, smart phone GPS makes a stand-alone GPS (Garmin, Megellan, TomTom) unnecessary. But for folks who do lots of driving/traveling, a dedicated GPS can be a great tool. My wife drives about 50K miles/year, and uses her Garmin every time she leaves home.
     
    #17 tvpierce, Dec 2, 2016
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  18. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    You chose wisely in staying away.:)
     
    #18 ETC(SS), Dec 2, 2016
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  19. gmail

    gmail New Member

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    2009 Prius
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    Touring
    450 miles into my first trip and loving it. LOVING IT. Sleeping in the back tonight, in 10 degree weather-- a little nervous.

    Edit: forecast says 6 degrees. yikes.
     
    #19 gmail, Dec 2, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2016
  20. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I don't think it's because I've never had built in Navigation.
    But I really like the portable Garmins.
    I like NOT having to use your phone...and the latest generation of Garmins have great features for the price.
    With a "New" vehicle I don't think I'd ever really want the built in Navigation. With older models, dependent on Dealer Map Upgrades...I go Garmin all the time.
     
    #20 The Electric Me, Dec 3, 2016
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