What Should I Be Checking on a 2001?

Bring a mechanic. Someone you trust.

I drove 200 miles with my business partner to pick up a 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback a few years ago. The seller made it seem like the car was mint and told us that the engine was rebuilt. From the outside it certainly looked that way. After bringing it home, my business partner found holes in the floor boards, rust in the engine bay, the car had been repaired from an accident, and that the engine was not rebuilt. Of course, we couldn't tell, but any good mechanic would have spotted those things right away.

If you can't find a mechanic to go with you, spend the money and bring it to a Toyota dealership to have it checked out. It's worth the money on the front end and is good piece of mind.

 

Always a good idea to have a qualified tech look the car over... Here are a couple of points I would immediately check...

Open the oil cap and look for signs of gell (looks like chocolate pudding) Even a little bit is a bad sign. Shine a flashlight into the opening and check there also. Look for the stickers on each body part with the VIN on it. Both front fenders, all doors, trunk lid and hood should have them and the numbers should match. Look for any signs of white or pink colored crust or discolored patches on the engine or around any cooling hoses (signs of leaking coolant, Toyota factory coolant leaves a nice telltale sign) Look for dryrot cracks on the sidewalls of the tires and a reasonable amount of tread left. (turn a penny upside down and place it in the tread, if you can see the top of Abe's head the tire is worn out) Look for low brake fluid. If the level is low but the brake pads are still relatively thick, there may be a leak. Look for body panels that don't fit right. Pull back the carpeting on both front sides and feel underneath for signs of dampness and sniff for moldy smells. Water leaks can be a nightmare.

I would also recommend having a dealship run the VIN through their TIS computer system for an open Special Service Campaigns (recalls). They should happily do this for free, in the hopes that you will let them do the repair and they can then pick you car apart for upsells...

Don't be afraid to ask to take the car to a local dealer and invest a little in having them do a full inspection. My shop will do this sort of inspection for one hour's labor (about $100). Spending $100 to find out if the car is worthwhile can save you a fortune later.....

Good Luck!!

 

Ditto Bear68's suggestions.

The original tires on a 2001 US Prius would have been Potenza Re92. If they still have safe tread depth after 35k miles, that would be slightly uncommon . There is a "date code" printed on the sidewall of every tire (sold in the US), and you can decode that to find out month and year of manufacture. Five years' use and age is often regarded as a safe upper limit for tires.

All 2001s should have had the SSC 40G battery resealing and SSC 60G crankshaft position sensor done.

Also curious about TSB EG011-03 (because it's common), EG015-02 HVAC valve replacement, and power steering assembly replacement. Certainly not all 2001s will have had all 3 of those.

Don't be concerned if you see some crusty pink stuff on the engine coolant overflow tank - those caps leak a little bit.