Who should and should NOT buy a 2001-03 Prius

bwilson4web I have and love a 2010 prius 4 and love it (wifes car). Problem is my commute just quadrupled 45 mi day. I'm looking at a 2003 with 95/100000 mi on it What is the life expectancy of these cars if driven on flat land and temperate climate. would a gen 2 be a better idea longevity/technology wise. Anyone eles please chime in. Thanks Tom

 

Thanks for the input. Tom

 

Thanks for the details

 

This is my 1st 2001 Prius and so far I fixed the traction battery on it. (I plan get another as I learn more about it as I am planning to make a solar mod addition to a Prius).

Using Techstream I noticed that it failed the Evap test and checking VSV rear and front seems to be in order. However, I noticed that when I open the gas cap to put gas in the tank there is no sucking noise like I get from my Nissan.

I am wondering if this is normal for the Prius not make the sucking sound? I am trying to isolate a leak somewhere.

Thanks

 

my mechanic puts the car on a lift and sprays liquid wrench (or other equivalent) on the frozen valve and charges me $20. customers call me back the most because of this as the car will not pass inspection if this valve is frozen. all in all an easy fix if it's just the valve; i've never had a bad catlytic converter.

​

I saw your comment on the prius catalytic converter. My question is : do the cars you sell have high miles? I just got the converter code and have 166,000 miles on mine. This would be a miracle if that is all that it is.​

 

Hello. I usually have lower mile cars but it's easy to check. Lift up the car and take a look at the valve that sits on top if cat converter. It's very common for it to rust and stick.

 

Thanks for the response- I will see if I can get someone to look at it today and let you know.

 

Thank you so much! I made arrangements for someone to clean the valve later but all by itself, the light went out and the gas mileage went from 39 back up to 42. I'm so glad I checked here first instead of spending several thousand for a part I didn't need.

 

Just acquired an 02' with 143k, can anyone give a few details on this, and does anyone know what this specific recall #/code is?, and if its still free (or recall has already expired) .... I'm getting a rattle on the front end and couldn't for the life of me figure out where it came from.....


On a side note i just registered on here today, and im positive given enough time using the search feature i'll find it, just trying to get a lil "headstart"

 

Doing it right now!

 

Just passed 300k in my 02. No main battery issues but AC light flashes alot.
resetting sometimes works.. Probably posting this in wrong section. sorry if so.

 

Roy from canada here:

The valve on top of the converter diverts or bypasses exhaust air from one side of the catalytic converter for a short time during the warm up of the engine. This is done by vaccume from the intake manifold. When this valve sticks and will not move with the vacumme applied a code is triggered. The solution is to raise the car,spray the device with lubricant while moving it back and forth manually, I use never seize lubricant plus a silicon spray lubricant.

 

Your AC light blinks (I think) because the clutch is slipping. When new there are 3 shims in the clutch plate, removing the smallest one will reduce the magnetic gap and allow the magnet to pull in better ( right now it is intermittent thus the blinking light) . It is an easy fix if you follow some of the posts on this site that tells you how to do it. Some posts give more detail then others so look at more than one.

Roy from Canada

 

If the 12v system Is functional, all you need to do to check the inverter pump is turn on the ignition, open the cap in the inverter pump reservoir and you should see coolant moving in there. If not there are some very good YouTube videos showing how to replace it, it's quite simple.

 

Open the cap? You're working too hard. You can see through the plastic reservoir.

The coolant returns through the hose at the front. The reservoir is shaped so if the coolant is flowing (which should be at all times when the ignition is on), the level at the very front of the reservoir will be a couple cm higher with a little mini-waterfall down to the level in the rest of the tank.

-Chap

 

I generally agree on all points, excerpted above.

However, I also own a brand-new 2014 c One and a slightly-used 2012 LB Two, and my reason for subsequently purchasing the 2001 was mainly to own, use and admire Toyota's first-year Prius, certainly a "historic" hybrid if there ever was one (lots of other folks must believe the same, as there are at least five 2001-2003 Priuses within a three block radius of my residence, two of these "first gens" being in a three Prius household along with a "second gen").

My 2001 was not a "salvaged" car, but it was a "livery" car (essentially, taxicab services from my suburban town to international airport cities, and return, and is noted "Prior Taxi" on the "pink slip").

What I quickly discovered was that:

1) the 2001 is actually a better car, for my intra-city purposes, than my 2014 c One, which I plan to sell, and

2) the 2012 is hands-down the better car, for my inter-city purposes, than any of them (perhaps no surprise here).

Obviously, should the 2001 fail, my fallback is the 2012, and that is a pretty good fallback position to be in.

I usually put about 35 miles daily on my 2001, running errands in and around my town, or to the next town, and the performance of the 2001 to date has been flawless. The car had been exceptionally well-maintained by its former taxicab company owner, and when I purchased it it had received all new filters and fluids and new tires, and had no DTCs whatsoever.