Hi there, I have been lurking on this site for a few weeks since I've been looking for a new car, and have wanted a Prius since they came out in '01. Have driven a Subie Forester for 185K and it's starting to have pricey problems, so am looking. I found a 2004 Prius with 53K miles through a friend of a friend, literally owned by an old guy who died last year and now being sold thru his son. We drove the car yesterday and it performed beautifully...I even tried braking over uneven ground and it held up just fine. I love the car and the price is okay if he'll come down just a bit, which I think he will. But I can't help feeling uneasy about a Toyota! My husband drives a completely reliable '96 Camry, which is still going strong with no major repairs yet, but I cannot help being affected by the news. I guess I'm wondering if, knowing what you know now, if you would still buy a Prius, and a 2004 at that. Thanks so much.
I own a 2004 with 99K miles and the car has been quite reliable. There have been a few SSCs, relating to engine/hybrid ECU firmware updates and the intermediate steering shaft replacement. Your local Toyota dealer can check the VIN and see whether the SSCs were performed; if not the dealer will do the work for you at no charge. Prius is a very reliable vehicle, as Consumer Reports user surveys reveal. The main problem with Prius is that when you have an unwarranted failure, you most likely have to rely upon dealer service. Plan to spend 4-digits each time that happens. The good news is that doesn't happen often, the bad news is that if it happens to you then the repair takes a big chunk out of your bank account. I just bought my dad's 2007 Prius as he took delivery of a 2010 Prius V w/nav last week. So I for one am not concerned about the recent news. Good luck with your decision.
The news seems to be somewhat over hyped. Personally I've had zero problems and I don't know of any other regulars here with a real and serious problem as per the current news stories. So if it's true I guess it's pretty rare.
I've driven my 2004 Prius 169,000 trouble-free miles. It is a great car. There are a few items you may think about: This Prius has not been driven a lot. You should watch the little 12v battery status as, unless it has been replaced, it may need to be replaced soon. (mine is showing some weakness, but it doesn't owe me anything at 6 years old). You should drain and refill the Transmission fluid (Toyota type WS ATF - a Toyota dealer should charge about $100 for this job) right away and have the used ATF tested by a lab to see its condition. This a preventative measure to extend the life of the transmission - an expensive job if it has problems later. The early Gen2 Prius (2004-2005) did have a number of failures of the MultiFunctional Display (MFD) due to a manufacturing defect (Mine has not failed yet). A dealer will quote an expensive (not under warranty) repair, but should this occur, you can get it fixed for under $50. Just ask in the Technical forum for details should you have MFD problems later. A complete description of the simple repair is available on line due to the great work of one the active users (Hobbit). JeffD
Thanks for the below advice. We have plenty of Toyota dealers around here; I live in suburban Atlanta so I can take my pick. I am actually not going to go with the 2004 because he wouldn't come down at all on his price, but now am looking at a 2005 with lower mileage too. I appreciate the prompt responses!
This is too funny. I had a '96 Camry and sold it after I got my 2004 Prius. It's really hard for me to say if I would have gotten a Toyota after all of the news if I had never been a customer. But, because I know first hand how well the cars hold up, and just how great they really are...I would get a Toyota. It really sounds like a great deal. I support jdenenberg's suggestions, and we did replace our 12v battery recently.
I would be very resistant to buying anything but a Toyota knowing what I know now. I know in Australia Toyota have had less safety recalls than any of the domestic manufacturers in the last 3 years and the only volume sales manufacturer that has less in Mazda but they sell a much smaller volume of vehicles in Australia than Toyota and a smaller model range.
Thanks you all. I just drove a beautiful 2005....but it has a salvage title. Argh. I'm not ruling it out because there was no structural damage and the carfax is pretty straightforward, but still, gives me pause. I really hate car shopping and just hope that I can find a nice Prius one of these days so I can officially join you all.
It sounds to me that you want three things: a. The "Prius Experience" (fun, high mileage, green, etc) b. Low price c. Low risk car history -- It's likely you can get any two of the above, but not all three. I got (a) and (c) when I bought my used 2009 a couple weeks ago. Actually, I didn't do bad on (b), either...it wasn't a low price but the dealer in my case did drop $2K off his asking price. If you afford paying a bit more, I would look at 2007-2009. Earlier vintages are now entering their higher cost/higher maintenance years. John
