Advice on selling my 2008 Prius

Then you start getting into prices where people look at the car and go well there are a lot of generation twos out there for $4,000 that are high mileage run great don't have the oil burning problem so unless the cars and really nice condition with leather interior that's been well kept etc etc etc it's going to be really tough unless it's going to somebody that already knows the deal trying to coax some young kid who really wants a raptor truck is going to be tough to make happen usually the kid will win out some kind of way and they'll actually lose but they think they win. So you want to stay away generally from first time children and buyers and friends especially this is how you can become not friends very quickly so basically this car needs to go to somebody that somewhat understands the deal and knows the pathway that the car needs to go on. That's just how I see it anyway these are a tough sale to first-time buyers with high mileage especially because now everybody knows what we know here on Prius chat then again a lot don't but it's easy research to understand even though many don't it's not hard I wish you luck on this

 

This is a recipe for ruining a relationship. You learned the DIY stuff and saved a lot of money, now the new owner may or may not follow suit. And a new driver can be really bad on this stuff. Like my son putting ATF in when his oil was low! So they will either be calling you for help a lot or over paying for small stuff at the dealer. Even if you disclose all the potential repairs wait till they take it in for a factory battery and display replacement. There is a high probability they will end up spending the purchase price in repairs.

On the price, IMHO you are high. Not the fun high, over priced on the value. But so are the numbers you quoted. I would say 2500 -3000 is a fair number for the car. I know there are some crazy asking prices out there. If you look on craigslist and note how many days the post has been up that is a good indicator. I bought an ugly but well maintained one with 200K miles for 3 grand this summer. It had been up for a few weeks priced at 3500 with no takers.

 

You have to keep in mind now that insurance companies are writing these things off and great numbers so what that means is I regularly see 90 to 150,000 mi 04 to '09 Prius little old lady cars in great shape beautiful interiors with a dent in the rear bumper or the front one and the insurance company has written the car off I just got back from one with a brand new hybrid battery brake actuator just replaced beautiful interior if the two driver side doors hadn't been sold off the car I would have bought the whole car for $600 It needed a front fender at most The frame rail was not damaged and these cars are popping up almost daily on the backs of wreckers and are on the Facebook marketplace trying to sell parts and there's no takers Good luck

 

KBB doesn't seem to account for "impending catastrophic failure" in it's valuing model. It detracts "X" percent for mileage but that's not the same.

Would YOU pay $4k for a 15 year old beater knowing that it likely needs $5-8k+ in repairs in the (near) future? HV battery + engine + CM (+ cat, as oil burning can/will kill it).

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

based on kbb, i'd say your price is more than fair.

i never sell used cars to people i know.

what avenues have you tried? craigs list? sign on car? ebay? facebook?

people pay way more than 4k for similar age, miles and condition every day. but you have to market it, and see what you get for offers.
do some research and see what is out there to buy, and what they are asking

 

I think it is normal for the battery to run out quickly, as you say, when driving up a mountain. So not sure that it is indicative of the state of the battery. Other more experienced Colorado mountain residents may chime in.

Oil burning, maybe try a piston soak. A more user friendly kit for combustion chamber cleaning try
Berryman Intake Valve & Combustion Cleaner
Berryman® Intake Valve & Combustion Cleaner - Berryman Products

Available at any O'Reilly Auto Parts for $32, inexpensive and not as involved as a piston soak.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/berryman/berryman-intake-valve-and-combustion-chamber-cleaner/bry0/2611?brand=true&pos=9

Some piston soak links:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2007-prius-piston-soak.320599/

200k 2009 Prius with oil burning at 1qt for 1000 miles highway and less burning in stop and go. | PriusChat

 

You start at $3500 to allow negotiation. Take $2500-$3000 cash. Meet in a public place and require they show you their current insurance. Phone number and email verified. Take a photo of the insurance and their drivers license.

Create a Bill of Sale and make two copies, both signed, one for each party.

In Texas we sign the back of the current Title and a Title Application form. We have an online transfer form that gets you off the hook if they have an accident before registering it. Check into what is needed in your state. You want all the paperwork signed at the time of sale.

Realize there will be flippers who will slightly fix it and resell without registering in their name. Also people who want the catalytic converter and just want to find out where the car is being left unattended.