Hopefully A New Prius Owner Soon

[pcdave]

Hi

After owning many different cars over the last 7 years I have been driving im ready to settle down and get something sensible and economical. I just said goodbye to my Type R today and have been looking at getting myself a Prius over the last few weeks and will be looking at a few over the next week but would like to confirm a few things first.

I have a budget of around 4.5k tops so I have seen a few 2006 T4 models and the occasional T spirit pop up. Most of these cars have about 100k on the clock should this put me off with the Prius? Most of my cars have been over 100k when I own them as I find them allot better value for money but as the Prius is a bit more complex I was in two minds about this.

I have read that due to a few improvement an 2006 model upwards is preferable as above and that the T4 and Spirit are the ones to go for.

Can someone give me any pointers or link me to a good check list of things to look for on a used Prius, I believe there was some recalls so should I check these have been done?

Any Help would be most appreciated I am only 26 my dad has already jokingly told me im parking out the street with it

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It sounds like you've done your homework already. There was a face lift and improvement to what was an overly sensitive traction control but mainly that was it. The gen2 Prius is very overly engineered so you shouldn't expect too many issues at 100k miles, esp if you consider that in California the hybrid system was/is warranted by Toyota upto 150k miles. They'll have made it to last past that mileage to avoid expensive warranty claims.

Other things to check are when the 12v was last changed - they have a life of about 4 or 5 years and cause all sorts of weird gremlins if you try to eke out more life out of it. I believe there's an issue with the display screen on older gen2's where it will fail slowly - the screen goes blank for a few days and then comes on for a week, then off etc. This is an expensive repair as it isn't just the display itself. It is possible to get these repaired cheaper than replacement - by sending them off to America, but it still ain't cheap.

There isn't really much else to look for as the car will warn you if there are any issues. I think there was a recall for the waterpump but that might have just been in the USA but I don't have a gen2 so don't really know.

Just try to avoid an ex cab :)

(slack drivers seat, slack rear passenger side seat and door)

p.s. Your dad will come round. If they make fun they secretly want one :)

[Ancient Nerd]

We have an 08 Gen II in the family that has done 120,000 miles. I think the only non-routine item it has needed is a recent wheel bearing replacement. There is no sign of traction Battery decline.

It is definitely better built than the current Gen III.

The Prius is actually a lot less complex than most cars, with (IIRC) far fewer moving parts in the transmission. There is no gearbox, no starter motor.

I think some people on this site have had difficulty selling there Prius privately, and then end up p/x ing them and see them go for much more money from a dealer. So well worth looking for a private sale. For the difference, you can probably pay for two years Toyota extended warranty, and have a fair amount of change. You won't get the problems I had with these.

[ph47mf]

you're doing what i did. i sold my civic type R premier for a Prius. a lot of people see this as a downgrade but when you look at how much money you can save over the year, it's a no brainer. i take it you're buying one to save money? in that case, it's a wise decision.

I'd say go for the late 2006 T spirit so you get the reverse camera and auto parking too. a novelty feature but it's a very cool one to impress family and mates. 100k is ok for a prius, mine is at 60k but still running like new, just make sure you have warranty to cover the electrics.

[pcdave]

Hi

Thanks for the advice and Yes i got rid of the Type R as I cant stomach the the tax that will soon be hitting 270 for a year and the 25mpg because I cant resist the noise of V-Tec :)

With regards to the screen going off I take it the only way to really know if this is going to happen is to see it on the test drive or is there any other signs it may be on the way out? Also with regards to a toyota Warranty can this be purchased for any used Toyota or would I need to get one from a Toyota dealer to get the option to purchase this as most of the cars I have seen are private for the better spec I would probably get a warranty direct one if needed.

I will ask when the 12v Battery was last changed as well. Thanks folks.

[Parts-King]

Also with regards to a toyota Warranty can this be purchased for any used Toyota or would I need to get one from a Toyota dealer to get the option to purchase this as most of the cars I have seen are private for the better spec I would probably get a warranty direct one if needed.

You can get an extended warranty from any dealer, PM me if you want further info and prices

Stay away from a warranty direct policy, they will cover anything like an extended warranty. Extended warranty also come with club Toyota (AA Recovery and other benefits) and also part of the cover is MOT failure cover, well worth the money

Kingo

[cootuk]

The recall was for the hybrid coolant pump...a few in hot countries had problems so they swapeed them all out.

I believe at 100k miles there's a service where they change the hybrid coolant just in case someone hasn't had it dealer serviced.

[Sagitar]

Stay away from a warranty direct policy, they will cover anything like an extended warranty. Extended warranty also come with club Toyota (AA Recovery and other benefits) and also part of the cover is MOT failure cover, well worth the money

Kingo

Kingo - would you mind expanding on this comment please. I have the greatest difficulty in understanding it. In particular, your first sentence appears to contradict itself and it is not clear whether the second sentence refers to the Warranty Direct policy or the Toyota policy. My examination of the Warranty Direct advert indicates that they will not cover "Hybrid and Battery powered vehicle components".

[pcdave]

Thanks for getting back to me parts king I now have a 2006 prius but it has just over 100k so it looks like the official warranty from toyota is a no go. WIll get then to give it a proper going over with the full service plus.