With price being the major top concern for me and mpg being second, I decided to look for a Prius. Ebay was not the first option, however the standard "3k markup" on these at Car Dealerships left me with no other option. I decided I would rather take a "chance" on one and put the extra money myself than to line the pockets of a salesman who robbed the previous owner on a trade in. I definitely have mixed feelings on the purchase. The MAJOR issues: 1 - Although the Carfax was "Clean".. something is wrong. * The gas tank opener opens like it doesn't even fit the vehicle * There is RUST underneath the seats! yes, the metal under the seats have spots of rust. How in the world could this happen? * The door makes a hollow thud when open and shut. Hard to explain.. 2. It only averages 41.7mpg (I glide a ton!) I don't know if this is really low but yeah.. 3. I had to replace the both wheel hub assemblies, rotors, and brake pads in the front. The mechanic said the wheel hubs were so rusted he had to heat it up with a torch to pry it off! The Good: 1. I think I got an amazing price, it feels like mechanically it runs great. CarMax even offered me $500 less than I paid for it! (my little way of seeing if there was any real damage or concerns. I paid $7900 for the car and $808 in maintenance for what I mentioned above.. so $8708. 2. With the exception of my complaints the car looks amazing, very new. 3. I also orded "sherwood lavish wood trim" to put in it. I can't wait for that! So in all, I was just hoping you can address my concerns, give me tips on how to prolong the life of it (I will be paying on it for 4 years). I have been reading the forums, I like this site!
Ha that is what I thought at first. I think it was side-swiped. Although no accident report ever came up. The car is in good shape with the exception of what I mentioned. I had a used car inspection done and they gave it the green light. Just weird though. I called the main dealership who did the body work, but they just said it was dinged. It is a mystery. It's a PA, NJ car.
41.7? Sounds like a big problem.. But now that your hubs are new, this might increase. Check spark plugs. Make sure their the NGK Irridiums. They are defiantly worth the extra $. Next do your tire pressure. I fill mine to 42 front 44 rear. Also check your air filter. Mike
Your low mileage may be a sign that your 12v battery may need to be replaced. i've been reading on PC that low mileage could be a sign of a battery on the way out. Do a search for more info.
I'm pretty new to the world or Prii myself got our 'Mina in June of this year. The Prii have a smaller 12v battery than "regular" cars since we only need the battery to start the computers. From what I've read our only choices are buying an OEM battery or for a few dollars more a replacement can be found here: 12 Volt (12v) Toyota Prius Auxilary Battery for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 with installation kit, unless you try to modify something and can figure out how to vent it... I have a 2004 Prius and think the battery needs to be replaced, esp. since the history is largly unknown in terms of her upkeep. Prii Gurus feel free to jump in and correct me. I've found the best way to get information is to use the search bar at the top of the page. It'll search through all the PC for your info. So far my experience here have been there are a bunch of good guys adn gals here and they are willing to help a newbie make the most of their Prius experience.
I would search but Im usng my phone and this site isn't really (mobile friendly). Since "chat" is in the site name, it is on the block list at work. Thanks for the info though! I hate having limted to no service records of a car with 85k miles.
When you get home register the car on the Toyota Owner web site. You'll be able to pull up DEALER maintance. When I did it for my car all that showed up was recall work so I'm SOL but with 105k, bought it with 101k, on it is seems to be running great.
how many miles on her? 41 is low for some, average for others. keep searching the forums, there's tons of info on how to improve mileage, how to test battery, where to get replacement. if you get stumped on a specific problem, ask away! all the best!
85k miles. I'll have to check all of the tips mentioned when I get a chance. Another thing I was wandering was th transmission drain and fill. I called the dealer and they said "We have literally done zero drain & dills on Prius', it doesn't need it" Is there any truth to this, usually they can't wait to sell extra services
I bought mine on ebay too, had approx same mileage. Did you get yours from around philly? The guy I bought mine from seems to sell a good bit of them on ebay.
Few service writers know what to do with a Prius. This is compounded by Toyota claiming that Type WS ATF is good for the life of the car (it isn't). They will then tell you that a "Flush" is better (they can't do a flush on a Prius). So do your own research and make up your own mind. I change my ATF every 60,000 miles (tomorrow is the 180,000 mile ATF drain and refill day for my 2004 Prius). JeffD
if you're gonna keep it a coulple hundred thousand, change it now and every sixty. and don't ask the dealer, search this site. the dealer doesn't go to the trouble of sending oil to an analysis shop for testing. some people here do. the dealer doen't care if your car breaks down.
I'm making a list of what to do on my 90k servicing. I'm not going to buy their $399 package which includes an in-depth 27 point visual inspection and other things I can easily do myself (windshield wipers, air filter, etc) seriously? They do a coolant change/flush or whatever but that's about it. I will achieve 90k in 4,000 miles so help me put together a dream list of what should be done (assuming it has been neglected by the previous owners) * Coolant change * Transmission dran & fill * Oil Change (please recommend what kind? Regular or synthetic?) * Replace spark plugs * Tire Rotation? * Change 12V Battery with suggested replacement * Alignment check * Cabin Air Filter Replacement Am I missing anything?
Mine was a different guy, i actually picked mine up by meeting him at a warehouse. Very shady, looking back but it turned out good. Anyways, I just spend much time trying to figure out what to do with mine, and slowly i've been completing my maintenance. Other things to add to your list are serpentine belt replacement, and inverter pump replacement. Also, I would recommend putting a bead of silicone down your plastic cowl, (after doing the maintence, or you might have to do it a few times like I have had to). Because of the flaw that water drips down into the ignition coil and causes it to go bad. This left me having to tow the car, and it is a reported problem. I am not sure how common, but its a headache. Otherwise, I think you got everything down. I am not mechanically inclined and so far, with the help of this site I have done everything myself (excluding the inverter coolant pump and serpentine belt, I just haven't got the chance to do them yet, which by the way is when I am changing the coolant). Good luck, and hopefully you try some things yourself, I feel much more connected to the car, and if something were to go wrong better apt to diagnosis it now. EDIT: had i have known my car like i do know, I could have easily checked the ignition coil and replaced it. So it wouldn't have been as big or costly of a headache.
All the tips suggested are great. Search ALL of Pat Wongs postings. He is our DIY expert on maintenance. Don't try to do this all at once. Search for a subject, do it and then move on to the next. You mentioned rust under the seats, I would remove all the seats and check any and all connectors you can find and inspect them carefully. There are sprays on the market which will clean up rusty connectors. Just disconnecting and connecting several times will also help. In the process of removing carpeting you may find other saturated deteriation. Many cars were slumped off after Hurricane Katrina and sold to innocent parties.
