My local Toyota dealer (Acton Toyota) has two 2010 with ~95k on there lot for $13,200, one is a June 2009, the other August 2009, and I am considering one of these as my current car, '97 Corolla with 243k is almost end of life. Are there particular issues I should be concerned with given that this was the first year of a new generation? Are there any independent hybrid knowledgeable mechanics I could bring it to for a once over? Cars are in the Acton MA. Are there particular maintenance item I should preform (still reading up on Prius maintenance threads). I'm sure other questions will come to mind. Thanks in advance.
welcome! i can't answer your questions, but i can tell you that acton toyota is well respected in the hybrid community. they hold hybrid events and promote them more than any other local dealer that i've seen. all the best with your decision!
Mine is a 2010, Aug '09. Love the car, but the one issue I've had with it is the squeaky dashboard. Lots of plastic parts joined together, including on the center bridge and they make lots of noise. Took it to the dealer and they tried to cram clay between the joints. Didn't work. (funny thing is they said they didn't notice any noises whatsoever, but I later found the pieces of clay AND a whole role of clay that they forgot in the glovebox by mistake!). I think Toyota learned how to dampen those noises over time. My neighbor has a 2012 and it's completely silent. I've just learned to live with it. Still love the car. But if I was getting another 2010 I'd test drive with that in mind.
Agreed...many first G3s had (have) rattle issues. Maybe Toyota is using softer plastics now on the interiors. Some dealerships knew how to fix the rattles using felt tape on interior connection points. Mine did a good job of it. You might also notice a lot of road noise transferring into the cabin at speeds over 70. Since it's summertime, take a whiff of the AC vents while on to see if they are foul. Have the dealership give the evap coils a de-molding treatment, if so. Also 95k miles is a tad high for average driving on a 2010 (24k per year over 4 years). Make sure there's some warranty left on the HV battery. Bottom line...have the dealership agree to address any issues concerning rattles or mold in the vents if you discover them within 90 days.
Oops - just noticed the similarity myself! Jokes on me. Now I'm wondering which dealership he/she refers to. I'm not familiar with Acton Toyota. I think the similarity is in the name but not the location.
When looking at any used car pay particular attention to the front bumper area. A buddy of mine owns a body shop and tipped me off on how to tell if someone is a lead foot. The more paint chips on the bumper, hood and micro chips in the windshield, the harder the car was driven on the highway. As your speed increases so does the amount of power needed to obtain that higher speed. Same applies to road debris, the higher the speed the better chance with the additional velocity that small stones and larger bugs will penetrate that clear coat and chip the paint underneath. It may not have the mass and velocity to damage the paint at 55 mph but it surely will at 70 mph plus.
I don't know about US second hand Prius. The longer I follow PriusChat the more I realise there are differences between Australian (Asia/Europe) and US Prius. However I think the drive train is pretty much the same. I have 100k on my 2010 Prius and it still runs like new despite having collided with a roo last christmas. I don't lose oil between services and the oil remains as clean as when new. My HV battery has still got all cells well in the normal range. I would, however, check the service history of the vehicles you are looking at.
We have a Jul 2010 prius, gen III with nearly 100K miles on it. We've not had any problems whatsoever. We purchased it new from Acton Toyota. We came in with the internet price (actually, their internet price). DH says the guy he dealt with was good and responsive with questions and call backs. Know that you will probably have to change the transaxle fluid, PCV valve, engine and inverter fluid, and have an alignment done, serpentine belt replace (? about $650- 800). Within another 25K, probably: spark plugs, brake fluid flush, throttle cleaning, , fuel injector cleaning, clean and adjust brakes. Other big ticket items that might need to replace: engine thermostat, front struts, rear shocks. 12V battery. Take a look at the carfax and service record to see how well maintained the car was. BTW, Nashua Toyota has slightly less expensive maintenance costs.
