completely new to prius, need help on buying please

I can't answer your specific question, but it's interesting that older, high mileage Prius still command top dollar.

 

Welcome to PriusChat.

There's a lot to these crazy hybrids, and you'll learn as you go along, but to get you started:

The "battery" is the high-voltage (HV) traction pack that has had plenty of attention in the rumor mill. There is also a smaller, 12v auxiliary battery on board that boots the car into ready mode. The aux battery usually only lasts a few years, but it's less expensive to replace (~$150-200) than the traction battery, but when it starts to go bad, it can cause lots of strange behavior. Nearly all 2nd-generation (2004-2009) Prii should have had their aux battery replaced by now.

The traction battery has a somewhat inconsistent lifespan. Some go a long time and a lot of miles. Some don't. Overall, the Prius has a high reliability rating and low cost of ownership, and the failure rate of HV batteries is low, as far as hybrids go. There are factors that tend to decrease the life of the HV battery, such as being parked outside in hot climates, and frequently driving in mounainous terrain. The heat will probably be the biggest factor in FL. Try to find examples that were garaged, if you can (indicators of sun exposure include hazed headlight lenses and faded paint with damaged clear coat). When buying used, you may want to keep a rainy day fund of about $1500 so that you're able to complete a reconditioned HV battery swap, should the current one fail.

The HV battery isn't the only trouble spot. It's probably just the most "famous". There are certainly other things, such as the transaxle, inverter and multi-function display, that could require an expensive repair. Failure rates have been low, but there's always the possibility of an expensive repair. If you're prepared for it, you're less likely to have a problem, if Murphy's law has anything to do with it.

Another, smaller trouble spot on the 2nd gen is the engine coolant pump (the Prius has 4 coolant pumps). It tends to develop leaks and need replacing. You can visually inspect it--it's down the passenger side of the engine and has a large, black pulley. Look around the pulley for pink crusty buildup or streaks. It costs about $350 for a service department to replace, or about $100 at home if you like to turn wrenches.

There have been a few manufacturer recalls in the 2nd-gen that you could inquire about, including the inverter coolant pump, steering shaft, and gas pedal trim. I don't believe they all applied to every year in the 2nd gen.

The display you mention in the middle is the Multi-Function Display (MFD). It's a touch-screen that controls and displays many of the car's functions. It provides feedback on fuel economy and energy flow, displays the reverse camera, and it also controls the climate control system, audio system and navigation and bluetooth (if equipped).

 

I'd pay attention to where the car lived (if you can tell from Carfax, maybe). Hotter climates (if not garaged) and mountainous areas may have decreased battery life. Also, be sure to check under the spare tire in the back for signs of water/rust. There is a common hairline crack that develops on these Gen IIs which leaks into that area. Look for service records and possibly register on toyota.com/owners with the VIN to check for service history there. Other than that, @tanglefoot made an excellent post and the usual car buying tips apply.

The Prius is worth it for the extra cost. You'll make it back.

 

Yes, that seems quite reasonable.

Likely.

Yes, the traction battery eventually needs to be replaced. The expected service life is ~180K miles but the actual life can vary widely.

If the seller claims that the battery was replaced ask for written evidence so that you can see whether a new battery was installed (the best outcome) or whether a used or "remanufactured" battery was installed (an OK outcome but not much better than if the original battery was still in the vehicle.)

Ask about the same maintenance records that you would ask about when buying any vehicle. If you buy from a dealer there may be no records.

That is the multifunction display. One reason to show a photo is to display the vehicle mpg logged over some distance. If you see that the mpg has been accumulated over a few hundred miles then that is a reasonable representation of what the vehicle can achieve given its driving pattern.

Driver behavior can widely impact the mpg results. If you drive gently over level terrain, ambient temperatures are moderate, and you cover long distances at a time you can easily achieve 50+ mpg readings. If your driving trips are short, in very cold or hot weather, you proceed over mountainous terrain, and your speed continually changes, then you may log <40 mpg results.

 

I just recently bought my high mileage Gen 2 prius. I think what is driving up the selling price is good ole supply and demand. I found that there aren't very many available, at least not in my area.

 

Do your research. Find out as much as you can to know if it is the right car for you. Priuschat is loaded with lots of information, from actual owners. I just recently bought a 2004 prius. I did a lot of my research right here on priuschat. Also, I would suggest if 8k is your budget, try to purchase for 6k and put 2k into savings incase of an expensive repair down the road.

Good luck

 

Is Tampa (Lutz) too far? If I were you, I'd check Home - Tampa Hybrids Pre-Owned Prius Headquarters out for sure. He's a regular poster here and seems like a good guy.

 

Here is the car I would look at in your price range. It just had the hybrid battery replaced, its white (white paint last the longest and shows the least dirt), it has all the options including a cassette player (which can act as an aux jack with a cassette adaptor). It has nav, bt and smartkey and, its a one owner vehicle.
Lutz FL - 2005 Toyota Prius PKG #5 Navigation JBL Bluetooth 143k Miles - Car for Sale - Tampa Hybrids Pre-Owned Prius Headquarters

 

That's too bad. Good deals on used Prius go fast though. You have to be quick. When I bought my 05, I was quicker than the guy who looked at it right before me but wanted to take it to the Toyota dealer to have it checked out. I checked it out myself and bought it an hour later. If you want a really good deal, you have to be patient and you have to be ready to move on the one you see quickly. I can't tell you how many times I've seen cars slip away from someone in your situation. Keep in mind its better to lose a good deal than to rush into a bad deal and there is always another car out there.

With that in mind, The next best one I see is this one.

Lutz FL - 2006 Toyota Prius Hybrid PKG # 6 Leather Navigation 122k Miles - Car for Sale - Tampa Hybrids Pre-Owned Prius Headquarters

Its a little higher but newer, and less miles. From what I can tell it appears to be well worth the price. I would go look at it.

 

I suggest that you stay away, because 1) the quality of the rebuild is unknown and 2) the resale value of a car with a salvage title will be very low.

If the car has a major problem one year from now, are you able to pay low to mid four-digits to your local Toyota dealer to fix the problem?

 

yes, definately

I recently purchased a 05 Pkg 6 with 100k miles for a little under 6K due to outer cosmetic issues. The HV was just replaced at 99,300 miles too. The owner lived on a mountain going up and down everyday and left the car outside in the hot California Sun. They was fading clear coat on the rear spoiler and hazed front headlights. I personally think that its pretty difficult to find a well-maintained Prius. The previous owner would drop off the car every 5k for whatever service the dealer recommended (expensive but awesome for me). I'd definitely do a transmission fluid service upon acquiring the vehicle.

I had to drive 6 hrs 1 way to get the vehicle for my price with a great service history.

 

This car does look pretty well taken care of. 140k is high mileage but, some cars are well taken care of and drive like new. You will have to go look at it and drive it.

 

You can always get a headlight restore kit online to buff out the hazed front headlights or you can wet sand it with a very fine sand paper. The rear spoiler seems to be an issue with many GenII cars, the non metal spoiler seems to fade and the clear coat bubbles/flakes. You can remove the spoiler and buy a can of dupli-color paint and respray it, top off with clear coat spray. That should cost you about $20 to $30