how high is too high for mileage of 2012 V i might buy

In most cases I would say find something with well under 100k miles. Some of these start to burn oil and may require an expensive hybrid battery on your nickel before it's over. But if you get at least $2.5k off a private party value and you can somehow believe it does not use oil, then go for it. They do hold up well in most other areas.

 

There are maybe four different classes of Prius. The biggest is the Prius v, but it also gets the lowest mpg of the group. Then the Prius Prime and standard Prius from a size standpoint. The Prime is different because it has a better battery that allows about 25 miles on electric power alone, a big plus if you have a short commute, because it's electric only mpg is about 133 mpg gallon equivalent (in cost for electricity to charge the battery). Then the Prius c is the smallest and cheapest.

Engines are 1.8L except for the Prius c which has a 1.5L. The Prime is the only one you can plug in but costs the most.

Hybrids get expensive if you have to pay to fix them especially the battery which has a hard to define but limited life. Most might say 175-200k miles but this could vary. That's why I would be sure to get a good enough deal where that is affordable if necessary. Oil burning is a different problem and it would likely result in having to replace the engine with a used one for significant dollars depending on who did it.

Don't get me wrong, the Prius v is a nice family car, arguably better than almost any SUV in terms of room, ride and mpg.

Since you are in SF, visit Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists in person and discuss. Given your area is generally cool year round, battery life may be better and the oil issue may not be a concern.

For a more detailed look try wiki on each model:
Toyota Prius V - Wikipedia

 

Here is a kbb used car price for the car with your mileage in the Vegas area, using a private party sale and in very good condition. It's roughly $8,343, but even from a dealer, the fair price is around $9,200. SF might have slightly higher book value, but I'd steer away from the one you're looking at.

Based on being in a CARB state, you have a sweet hybrid battery warranty that will 10 years and 150k miles (with a 2012 Prius v). But only if you choose a '12 model that gives you a decent starting point with lower miles (and non salvage and not from out of state).

Here's a list of Autotrader cars (both Prius and Prius v for '11-'13) in your area. Good selection of cars under $20k. Since you have a reliable mechanic, you can also expand your search to Craiglist. Here is a list of CL's cars, but be extra careful from there. Remember to check the title history through a carfax type of site. Good luck.

 

Steer away = because of mileage. Probably for price, also, but that is a measurement of how much time you have to shop. If you are patient, you can find a low mileage Prius for book value or lower. I was lucky to find a low mileage Prius at trade in value. This site was very helpful in my process and I'm hoping to return the favor for future buyers, like you.

This is my first Prius and I was trying to avoid being an owner that had to deal with looking for a new/rebuilt hybrid battery. Many threads here that convinced me to look for one still under original warranty.

I get an 8/100k miles warranty in my state. I'm very envious of your 10/150k miles warranty. That's why I think you should utilize it.

 

My family has 2 Prius v wagons, one Prius hatchback.

The other day I asked my son who has the hatch how many miles it had and what he was going to do. He said 150k+ and he drove 50 miles to work and 50 miles back each day. No plans on retiring the car. His wife bought her v used based on his experience.

Wonderful cars in our experiences. But define what you want the car to do before choosing as the hatch gets better MPG but has less passenger room and less cargo capacity. So one might be appropriate for your use and the other not.

Good shopping.

 

We just bought a Prius v in the SF Bay Area 6 weeks ago (we live near Berkeley). We actually purposely looked for a Prius v with 80,000 - 110,000 miles because we knew the price would be lower than one with fewer miles, but not so low that we could expect major repairs within a couple years.

A really key variable is how many miles/year you expect to drive. From what I've read (mostly on Prius Chat), below 200,000 miles, a well cared for Prius will have few major repairs, especially in mild weather areas. So for us, 100,000 miles on the odometer was fine because we drive around 7,500 miles/year. It will be around 13 years before the odometer reaches 200,000 for us.

If you drive 10,000+ miles per year, then you should get a vehicle with fewer than 100,000 miles on the odometer, in my opinion.

BTW - we saw many Prius v's for sale below $17,000 - there are lots and lots of Prius v 2014 models on the market that just came off lease. So if you can afford $16,000, you should have no problem getting a 2014 model. There were very few in the $13,000 and below range, and the ones that were typically had a little something wrong with them or were very high mileage. We ended up finding a pretty good one from a private party that was 100,000 miles (2012) and under $11,000, but we immediately had to put money into it, including a set of new tires.

Be sure to use Car Guru and give it a radius of at least 50 miles. You'll see quite a few options.

 

1. I'm a fraidy cat, so I would prefer a Toyota CPO used car- with the extra 12mo/12K warranty and the extended powertrain warranty for 7yr/100 miles. I have seen a few 2012-13 models, here in Florida, that have just ran out of the factory 5yr/60K power train warranty with these CPO extended warranties.

 

Toyota said they only give 8/100K for my hybrid battery in California.
That is also on the owner's manual, am I missing something? I have a PriusV 2014

 

Fiy... Toyota now has a ten year 150,000 mile battery warranty on 2020 models for everybody. That tells you what they know about its lifespan. The 2020 batteries are primarily the nickel metal hydride versions which are not any different than earlier models. You can get 150,000 miles pretty easily.

 

I know this post is old but if anybody is looking at this .......Don't do it..... unless your a good wrench and have a parts car....

 

In California, the Prius has a 10/150k warranty on the battery. An exception is for the Prius c, which has the 8/100k. Keep in mind that the car must be a California (or CARB state) car. For example, a preowned Prius from Las Vegas, sold via auction in California a few years later, would not qualify. Another exception would be if the Prius has a salvage title. Does your Prius fall under any of these exceptions?

 

2020 Prime manual p721 Lithium ion

 

depends on the prius model