Who should and should NOT buy a 2001-03 Prius

Introduction

This model, used Prius may or may not be a good value for a new owner. For some, it will give great value but other folks need to look at other options (aka., more recent Prius or other cars.)

	characteristic	value	comments
1	body style	compact	5-seat sedan	similar to Ford Focus
2	engine	Atkinson-derated	1.5L	excellent MPG when rpm < 2600 rpm
3	acceleration	0-60 mph	13 sec.	good torque up to ~25 mph
4	best city speeds	38 mph or lower	up to 41 mph	52+ MPG
5	best high speeds	48-65 mph	good highway range	52+ MPG
6	max speed	~100 mph	~22 MPG	above 85 mph OK if tires and good pavement
7	max distance	~18 mph	~85 MPG	cruise control lower limit is 23 mph
8	warm-up	~5 min.	~20 min.	time to 'hybrid mode' and fully warmed up

Ideal Owners

This can be an excellent car for:

• those with backup transportation - older cars break so it helps to have an alternate way to get to work, school, parts store, or shopping while working on repairs.
• those who can 'turn a wrench' - get the two shop manuals (used on Ebay or new from Toyota) and the electrical diagram. Everything is pretty much there. Oil, fluids, tires, and spark-plugs, are fairly routine, even alignments. The more skills you have, the better to manage repair and tweaking costs.
• join Yahoo "Prius Technical Stuff" and/or "toyota-prius" - with photos, files, and message archives going back to 2000, this is the home of technically skilled owners ... many of whom hang in PriusChat.
• ISO-9141, KPW2000 scanner - recommended are
  • repairs -> miniVCI (~$35, look for Xhorse associated) with Windows XP laptop that comes with a pirated copy of TechStream, the Toyota diagnostic software.
    
  • repairs -> AutoEnginuity ($500) also uses your laptop PC, to gain access to the car diagnostic codes and engineering data.
    
  • on the road -> ScanGauge II is smaller, a driving aid. However, it can hold up to 30, XGAUGE programs for in the field diagnosis.
    
  • NO! -> Standard OBD scanners can not read the hybrid unique codes and information.
• work area - not a parking lot.
• patient drivers - although it has surprises, this is not a pocket rocket and really prefers to run 65 mph or less on the highway. Climbing tall, steep hills, 55 mph works best and descending tall hills, use "B" to keep speeds moderate.

Not Recommended Owners

Obviously, the inverse of the ideal owners, emphasis on these:

• limited funds - the risk of an expensive repair bill and down-time can totally destroy any mileage savings. There is nothing so expensive as a broken car and no money to pay for it.
• must use mechanic - only 54,000 were ever sold in North America so there aren't many, good, 3d party mechanics. Conservatively driven, it seldom breaks but you need to have some minimal diagnostic ability to understand if it is major or minor.
• a hurry driver - if you prefer to drive over the speed limits; hate to be passed, or; tend to leave late . . . not a good match.
• hot and hilly terrain - climbing hills in hot weather at highway speeds is rough on the car. Climbing tall, steep hills at 55 mph is much better and using "B" on all significant downgrades helps a lot.

Good Cars

There is no hard and fast rule but here are somethings to consider:

• from a dealer - ask for a list of any codes; the traction battery, module voltages, and; alignment results.
• tires - don't worry but use the wear pattern to check alignment. You will replace them with better ones.
• Scangauge, miniscanner, OBD scanner - previous owner had a clue, car is probably in reasonable shape.
• weak 12 V battery - easy enough to repair, a jump start is OK, ~$150-200 to replace.
• small dents, paint chips, glass crack - cosmetic if small, don't sweat the small stuff.

Bad Cars

Cars have no morals so they technically aren't 'bad' but there are some you want to avoid:

• broke - this car needs to become parts for repairable cars.
• hot, hilly, rural - this car likely has seen a hard life, probably needs to become parts.
• fixer upper - (see "broke" above).
• auction - (see "broke" above).
• salt-areas - caution as this can lead to an expensive, exhaust repair.
• accident repair - caution as frame issues can be very difficult to fix or work around.

How to Buy NHW11 Prius

Good, fast, cheap, pick two. There are lots of things you might want to do but you're only going to have about 10-15 minutes before you and the seller will get impatient:

• Walk around looking at the body, tires (swat down to look at the tire tread even if you don't know what to look for,) and glass. Defects you call out can soften the price. Defects the seller points out make the asking price harder.
• Open the trunk to make sure it will carry the stuff you want to carry but also ask,"Where is the jack?" This feign signals you've got more tricks than the average bear. You'll also get to see if they cleaned up the wheel well ... a dirty one softens the price.
• Open the rear doors and take a seat, shift a position to middle, and shift to far side, and get out. You want to know if it is practical for any extra passengers or stuff.
• Ask to open the hood and ask the seller to show you the oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, and inverter coolant level. Show interest and even wet finger to smell ... DO NOT TASTE! Ask, 'where is the air filter?' and take a measured look and peek down the throttle inlet (that big hole under the filter.)
• Ask if the seller would start the engine while you monitor everything with the hood up. Very important, make sure the inverter coolant shows motion ... no motion, the inverter coolant pump needs to be repaired, $300-500 depending upon labor and parts.
• Lower and latch the hood and ask the seller to take the car on a 10 minute, test drive to a low-traffic, parking lot, while you sit in the passenger seat. Driving is a distraction so use this time to go over the controls, mirrors, light, seat adjustments, and generally get a feel for the car without the distraction. Listen for a rumble that varies with the car speed, not the engine, the car speed, as this is the signature of a failing transaxle, $$$.
• At the parking lot, ask that the car be parked and swap drivers. It is best if they leave it "ON" and just put the car in park and set the parking brake. After 5 minutes, the car should by itself, shutdown the engine (it is a hybrid and this is a very good sign!)
• Drive around the lot and announce when you're about to brake hard. Don't worry about the driving part because if it works in the parking lot, it will work everywhere.
• On the way back, ask about past repairs and maintenance, and foster a cordial relationship.
• With the VIN, the maintenance history is available from Toyota and CarFAX.
• Negotiate . . . I could tell you but I may be selling my NHW11 someday . . .

Very Expensive Things That Can Break

• Transaxle - rare but high-speeds and hills can lead to MG2 short. That speed related rumble is the signature of something wrong and needs a proper diagnosis. It is a miserable job and even getting a used one is not cheap.
• Steering torque sensors - rare but they can go bad and lead to steering oscillations. If you go with a Toyota part, it is as bad as a failed transaxle but there has been an extended warranty (more details: steering gear jitters | Page 2 | PriusChat.)
• Traction battery - they fail but they can be replaced from $1,500-$3,500 depending upon who you go with. But if the car passes the driving test, you are probably OK.
• Inverter coolant pump - if it fails, the inverter can cook and that is expensive.
• Accelerator pedal encoder - if it fails, the car will go into a 'safe home' mode but it is $500+ at Toyota but others can do it for less.
• Exhaust/catalytic converter - the exhaust manifold has a valve that is subject to salt induced corrosion. The catalytic converter can also fail. Both are pretty expensive.

Now That You Bought It

Every time I buy a car, I will spend a little more money or time ... tagging the car as 'mine.' So here are some suggestions that will return value:

• Scangauge II ($100-150) - added to your new Prius and you can monitor four live fields such as engine rpm (important for mileage,) engine coolant (also mileage,) and any two other fields that 'crank your tractor.' But you'll also want to find out how to program XGAUGEs so you can read out stuff like traction battery, transmission temperatures, and the error codes to diagnose your own problems.
• Tires - read the "max cold temp pressure" and fully inflate front tires and -2 psi for rear.
  • Buy a salvage 14" Prius wheel for a full-size, spare tire.
  • Hold off and let the current ones 'wear out.' The wear pattern will let you see what is wrong with the alignment. Then have the new alignment done with the new tires. Research your next tires and investigate four-wheel alignment.
• Change:
  • transmission oil, drop and clean pan
  • engine oil and filter
  • engine coolant
  • inverter coolant
  • spark plugs
  • engine air filter
  • cabin air filter (under glove box)
  • inspect water pump belt and carry a spare and wrench
  • inspect brake pads and replace if needed
  • inspect and replace struts if needed
• Clean:
  • throttle plate
  • injector cleaner in tank
  • PVC valve
• Window-shield sun screen
• 1 kW inverter (if you have crappy power and no other emergency power source)
• trailer hitch

That is all I can think of, anything else?

Bob Wilson

 

Hi folks,

I appreciate the comments but I wanted to keep the scope limited to evaluation and initial purchase. I think there is a need for an "NHW11 User's Guide" that covers what isn't in the Owner's Manual but adding it here would really blow-up the volume.

This is the sort of effort that should incorporate whatever legacy content we can borrow from John1701a, "Prius Technical Stuff", and "Prius-Owner's" messages. But I would also use the shop manuals and look at "addendum" pages for either the Owner's manual or the Toyota shop manuals for structure ... an outline of what is needed.

The new owner of an NHW11 will in 45-90 days begin to wonder about 'what else?' with questions about extending the NHW11 operational life. This is when specific steps and photos are needed. So we could assume the reader has 'hands on time'. Whereas I've assume the reader of this note has no Prius time.

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

 

I'm of mixed mind on this:

• I adding text to the 1st post - I hate doing a 'cut-and-paste' of someone else's words or work. It is too easy to make a screw-up and I always want to give attribution.
• I like adding a "link" to the 1st post - this lets the first post also serve as an index to more detailed descriptions and threads.

If you'll propose the "link", I'll pick it up later and add it to the first post. But I wanted to keep it brief enough that newbies would read it but with enough 'linkage' to point them to the more detailed discussion . . . but I can be persuaded to take a better approach.

Thanks for all your help in this area. Like the old "Stone Soup," everyone brings a dish to the party.

Bob Wilson

 

You've bought a broken car so you're about to learn a lot about tuition in 'the school of hard knocks.' I've updated the first posting but further technical details will be in the vehicle specific thread.

I've known two people in Huntsville who decided to go into 'rebuilding NHW11s from auction business'. The first learned about traction batteries and the second about a burned up transaxle and failed inverter. It sound like you are about to find out about the brake system.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson