Hi everyone! This is my first Prius and I don't know much about cars, so I would appreciate some advice here I bought my first 09 Prius today for 11k out the door with 63k miles on it from a dealer. Clean carfax and great condition inside. Was it a good deal? I was a little impulsive and bought it after the first test drive. Looking at the carfax, it seems that the previous owner took good care of the car. The car was serviced at the dealer just two months ago. Should I still bring the car to a mechanic to do another inspection? Or I should be good to go? What should be my next maintenance and at what miles? Thank you all!!
congrats and welcome! looks like a great deal to me! 2009 might be the best year ever. the service recommendations are in the owners manual. did you get two fobs? check the spare tire pressure, make sure the tools are there for changing a flat. prius requires service every 5,000 miles or so, but you should learn how to keep the tires inflated, and the oil topped up. also, cabin and air filters are fairly easy, and the 12v battery should be tested for health. now is the time to learn where the battery is, how to access it, and how to use the jump point under the hood. you may want to consider having the tranny fluid changed at your next service, (it's not in the manual) if you plan on keeping it a long time. all the best!
Thank you so much for your advice, that was very helpful! and yes I did get two fobs Earlier I was driving around to see which auto shop can do a same-day inspection, and this older mechanic told me that I got a horrible deal He said I'll have to replace the battery sooner or later since the car is almost 10 years old. But then he told me the dealer would charge me 9k to replace the battery and at their shop they would charge 3.5k for the aftermarket battery. If I remembered correctly the dealer probably charge 4k? But I'm afraid that he might have a point or did he just bs with me?
Smells like BS to me. I have not heard of a dealer charging $9K for a battery, those that can do work themselves can usually get a brand new Toyota battery for under $2.5K, if I recall correctly . A user here is selling a new cell kit for $1600. The "aftermarket" batteries are usually composed of used parts that can fail at any time.
you are fortunate to be close to a couple of the best hybrid shops in america, take advantage of their expertise. and run fast from the 'old guy'
Remember you have a 10 year 150k miles warranty in California. So you'll be fine for a 8 more months. Sold August 2008
Don't worry audrey, the guy is totally full of BS. Prices for Prius battery replacement (with new batteries, not rebuilt or reconditioned) are getting lower than ever recently. More likely to be around to 2 to 2.5k mark if you ever need it. Just drive and enjoy your new car. Keep an eye on the oil level though, because some Prius do consume a bit and need topping off between oil changes. So check it every week, at least until you get a good feel for how much it consumes. Check it right now if you haven't already. done so. Also learn to watch your energy monitor SOC (state of charge) display. If it stays mostly around 5, 6 and 7 bars (5 and 6 are the top blue bars, and 7 is when it first turns green) then it's likely that you have a really good battery. If the SOC fluctuates a lot, like going down to the low pink (some people see it as red or purple) bars and back to green very readily in normal driving then you may have a weak battery.
Oh I see. Yes then according to you I think I have a really good battery still Thanks a lot for the advice! I'll definitely keep an eye on the oil level!
if the battery dies can change a cell yourself for about 100 dollar. Did it myself and its easy to do if you dont have 2 left hands! My prius needed new battery at 11 yr old and 150k miles. Congrats on your prius!
Yes, you can replace it with another used one of unknown history and wear. You can charge, discharge and balance with the other cells but it is still a used cell with some wear.
