I want buy a Prius but need some help/suggestions

dont buy anything over 5 years old.. the cost to repair the common problem will far exceed the money you will save on fuel..
for example the 2010's 2011's and early 2012's had issues with burning a lot of oil so the motors need new rings or replacement and the batteries are near the end of their lives.. older then that had bad brake actuators,digital dash issue,body leaks at the seams and their batteries are also at the end of their lives..

look into other brands that get close to 40mpg if you cant afford a newer model..
I have found low mileage hybrids are always problematic as the batteries arent allowed to charge properly on short trips or degrade as the car is parked for long periods of time..

California prices are insane on used Prii, Id look out of state for one if you insist on getting one.
good luck

 

The only way you're going to get factory USB (or Bluetooth streaming) on the 2010 and 2011 is if the car is equipped with the navigation system. Granted, you could get the system in a package even on something as low-end as the Three model, but one quick romp through my local Craigslist shows that there aren't any that have it. However, the Threes have Bluetooth for phone calls AND an aux jack, so if you're willing to put up with a couple of cables running around your dashboard you can use the power outlet for power like any other older vehicle. A two will get you just the aux jack.

Conversely, a 2012 will get you USB, Bluetooth streaming, and a backup camera even on the lowest-end Two trim.

 

welcome!
one concern with gen 3 (2010-2015) is oil burning. i don't know if there is any way to check that before purchasing.

 

Don't buy from out of state because you'll probably lose the sweet CARB warranty on the hybrid battery for 10/150k.

The more miles you have left on the warranty, the better, because that has been the most common costly repair on the Prius. IMO, a weakening traction battery has been the reason why some owners put their Prius up for sale and let the next (unsuspecting) owner deal with it.

 

There isn't (or at least I couldn't with my v), nor is there an easy way to check the status of the battery. But if the oil burning is the only real issue you ever have (besides wear / tear) over however long you have the car, the extra $90-120 per year in oil (assuming 1 quart every 1,000 mi) is really no big deal. If it gets low, run to the store, fill it back up, right?

When you purchase a vehicle you should definitely have a maintenance budget in mind, mine is $100 per month that I just put into a savings account.

If you like the car, ask for the breakdown of fees. You can always negotiate.

 

What kind of small dealer lot charges fees?

 

There's a way to check the strength of each cell, but I'll let more experienced people address that. Personally, I would prefer to have my traction battery die out on me before the warranty is over so I'd get a new replacement OEM battery.

If he's a dealer, then he'll likely provide the carfax for free. You need to check the background and while carfax type services are not always accurate, it's much better than nothing. Get the carfax and post the info on here.

You can also see accidents and if the title is clean. Salvage/rebuilt titles and prior accidents are some of the main reasons why cars are priced below book value. Or maybe you found a car sitting on a lot for too long and the dealer just wants to move it.

 

You're in the Prius capital of the US, so hopefully you can afford to be patient. I travel to Ca to purchase my preowned vehicles from private party sellers. With the Prius, I have access to the selection but not to the CARB warranty.

Remember that a salvage vehicle will likely eliminate your traction battery warranty- call Toyota customer service to verify.

 

I purchased a salvage Land Cruiser some years back. It was due to theft. Never again, because when it came to sell, nobody wanted it unless the price was greatly reduced. I had to drop the price to trade in value and it was worth much more.

If you plan on driving a salvage Prius until it dies and if the traction battery warranty is over, then it could make sense.

 

Sorry to harp on this, but remember to call Toyota North America Customer Service with Vin# to see if you still have a traction battery warranty, or if the salvage title invalidates it.

Also the Prius C may not come with the extended CARB warranty, from what I've read here.