Hello again, Thanks for the help on my question about warranties. Sorry to bother you all once again: I have another newbie question. My search for a nice, cheap Prius continues: from what I've seen on this forum, they're a lot more expensive here than they are in America. Given that, I'm probably looking at a 2004-2006 model. I may be able to get a 2007 at an auction if I'm lucky. One of the things I particularly want is rear curtain airbags. I know these were standard in the i-Tech model, and that they were available as part of an optional safety pack on the base model. That's certainly the case for pre-2006 ones: do any of you know whether they became standard across the range on the MY 2006 upgrade? I'm getting conflicting information on that. The question is, how do I tell if a car has them? If I phone a vendor when I see one online, or if I look at a car myself, how can we identify whether it has the airbags? Where should I look, and will I see the word "airbag" or a sign or a bulge or something? Or do I just have to hit the side of the car with a big truck and see what happens? Thanks again, hkmb
If it has the side curtain airbags, it will be printed on the interior plastic panels at the pillars (look at the angled plastic panel that would be near your head when seated). Also, if it has the side airbags (in the seat - tag on side of seat - it should have the curtains as well, as they all came as a package). Hope that helps.
the easiest way is to check the VIN 7th digit: 0=Side airbags, 2=NO Side airbags check the site 2004 Toyota Prius FAQ - Miscellaneous http://www.cartrucksite.com/articles/toyota-prius-vin-decoder.php
hkmb, I recently bought a Prius (I am in Melbourne) and was shocked at how much more expensive they are here too. That being said I love my Prius and I'm so glad I have one. I had a car to trade in and haggled hard on the price. Good luck with your search.
