Buying a 2005 Prius. What should I check?

IMO that seems like a lot for a car going on 14 years old.. when you say dealer is it a Toyota dealer? just remember the three most common failures on 04 to 09 Prii are the Battery $2000 and up , brake actuator $2400 and up and the cluster where the speedometer is $800..If you are at a Toyota dealer ask about these items and cost to repair if your not a fix it yourself kind of person Id avoid any car that old... you should also check for signs of water getting into the hatchback by the 12 volt battery on the right side and the spare tire area.. it comes in through seams in the body where the sealer has dried out, easy to fix if it happens.....good luck

 

check kbb.com for values. make sure it has 2 working fobs. find out how old the 12v and tires are. you will need complete fluid changes and plugs at 120k.
reset the trip odo, and take her for a long test drive under varied conditions, and see what she returns for mpg's.
all the best!

 

I second the importance of the 2nd fob. I think some dealers even say they don't have it, even when they do.

The price you negotiated could be a good one, based on kbb listed here. Of course, that is related to the current condition and upcoming repairs on the vehicle.

 

I would assume they installed a used inverter. What about the traction battery? I'd be very concerned on that, past due.

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Yes

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I own a 2005 package 6, and I wouldn't buy another one unless they either 1) Certify the hybrid battery was replaced, or 2) discount the price by $3,000 (enough to pay for a replacement battery - P0A80 is a code saying the battery needs replacing).

I am on the board tonight because my 2005 battery just died. I watched a Youtube video on how to fix it, and the guy doing the demo was on a 2005. So, they are definitely coming due. He said he bought his car used, just months before.

Now, depending on where you live and how many miles are on the tank, there 'may' be a way to see how weak the battery is at a glance. The first 6 years I owned this car I got over 50 MPG for a whole tank anytime it was warm outside. Before the battery died years later I had dropped a full 10 MPG under the same circumstances. So if it is warm out, a couple hundred miles have been driven on the current tank, and the displayed MPG is 40 or below for that tank, then I'd be asking for the discount (they probably won't give it to you).

When my dealer said the battery was dead, one of the options I considered was to buy a new car and let them keep the old car. I asked him how much he would give me as a trade-in. He said "probably only about $500, after all it's got a bad battery in it". And mine is in better condition with less miles!

To you

Good luck.

BTW, here is the post I made tonight Bad Hybrid Battery & Mileage Chart | PriusChat

 

Papa, I'd pass on this one. Nice job digging up the past service history.

Again, when you see a Prius this old for sale, there is an increased chance that it's for sale because of a weakening traction battery. An owner can sell it now for a few grand, or wait until the battery dies and sell it for $500- using Wayne's post as an example. A 3rd option is to put a cheap band aid on the battery to allow the car to run well for a short period of time while they shop for a newer car.

 

If you can get one for ~$500-$1,000, like Wayne was quoted, then you can put in a new OEM battery and be ahead compared to your current strategy. Of course, then other things can still go wrong since your still dealing with a 10+ year old car.

 

the reality is you can take your money and spend it on a newer non hybrid car that gets almost 40mpg (a little research will give you a good list to pick from) the money you will spend fixing up an older hybrids far out weighs the fuel savings.. 90% of the mom and pop repair shops will not touch them because they dont know how to fix them.or they will lie about knowing and screw something up. every trip to the dealers will be very expensive.. you can find a nice newer civic or focus for $5000... also Id avoid buying from the dealers they really dont know anything about the cars they sell.. they buy them at auction by the truckload clean them up and flip them. as you found out by digging up the service history yourself on this 05.. good luck in the search

 

Any Prius with a new hybrid battery that still under warranty is worth more to me than one that doesn't. It should raise the value of the car for someone in the know and is a good selling point against another car the same year and similar mileage and condition.
JMO

 

true but from what ive heard the warranty is only 3 yrs and is non transferable on the traction battery .. so when you sell the car the new owner isnt covered..

 

Let’s just stick with the traction battery issue, Toyota’s are very well built.
An 07 prius is going to need one, after it gets a new factory battery it’s going to get 50+ mpg for five years, how many cars on the road get 50+ mpg, are dependable, and don’t emit diesel fumes.

Looking at the big picture, you can get into a great car for 1/4th the cost of a new car, and as brakes and tires wear as they do with every car, simply maintain.

Just be sure to buy a clean prius, no wrecks, no flooding etc.

So, 3-4,000$ for the car, 3000$ for a new traction battery, good for five years, win-win.

 

The point is they last a really long time but all batteries fail eventually. A new hybrid battery in a Prius is a second lease on life.
A warranty is all in the details.