completely new to prius, need help on buying please

Every Prius is different, but I would stay away from the 2004 just for the piece of mind.

With that kind of budget, I would look at 2006 and above.

 

It is listed in the "for sale by owner" section but is clearly a dealer. There is no plate on the car, it is professionally detailed and has no personal belongings in it and if you search that area for the phone number listed or google it, you can see tons of other cars and motorcycles for sale by that user.

If they will lie about that, what else will they lie about?

Be cautious.

 

Are you talking about an inspection by a technician? The reason I ask is that the car does diagnostics continuously so theoretically, any problems will trigger a check engine light or hybrid DTC. You will find many on here say to take it to the dealer for an inspection but, the problem with that is they have biases and they're out to make money. The two most common things they do is, 1) find things wrong that aren't (hoping you or the seller will fix them there) or 2) talk down about the car (hoping you will buy a car from them). There are also some technicians that have no idea what to look for on a Prius.

The cost of one of these inspections vary greatly but I would give an estimate of $150-$200.

There are two other options
1) Buy from a reputable source that really knows or specializes in hybrids.
2) Do the inspection yourself

There really isn't much to do different when you inspect a Prius. Brakes, oil level and color, exterior condition, interior condition, maintenance records, drive belt, etc. The test drive is really the key. Start by resetting the MPG readout on the consumption screen. Test it over a wide range of driving situations (city/hwy/intermediate/freeway etc). Monitor the "Energy" display for sudden changes in battery state (like from nearly full to nearly empty in 30 seconds). Drive it for at least 20 min. And finally, observe the MPG readout on the consumption screen. You should at least see 38 mpgs (likely more).

 

I disagree with this. There are many problems that will not trigger a warning light:

1) a suspension issue such as failing front struts/rear shocks
2) brake front pads or rear shoes that are almost worn out
3) mechanical issue with the transaxle such as a failed bearing
4) an electrical issue with a power window, power door lock, power mirror, etc.
5) a non-functioning multi-function display
6) an engine that has been poorly maintained - clogged air filter, engine oil change past-due, etc.
7) worn tires
8) an air conditioner in marginal condition

An alert driver can figure out all of these issues. However many prospective owners are not as alert as they could be. This is why you pay for an inspection by a qualified tech.

 

I looked for months at used Priuses. (Most all were ruled out as soon as I opened the door and got a whiff of that strong Prius smell) I too was looking at a 8k budget. I ended up bumping that up 10-12. I also use Edmonds as my pricing guide but using the Research Trade-in Tool to get the "trend selling" price of the Prius. You can save hundreds or thousands. Just chuckle when they tell you the Kelly Blue Book price and tell them you use Edmonds. You can watch the expression on there face change.

I had decided to give the non-Dealers a miss. Too much at stake with these cars to purchase a vehicle sent off to auction. I used AutoCheck and wasn't too surprised by how much bs I found in the private and small dealers. Plus, after shopping at the small dealers I found 80% of the cars were doctored from some problem that was undoubtable the reason it was traded in.

So I started sticking to Toyota dealers. I figured they would be more likely to backup the car and they have the knowledge and recourses to do so.

That said, you still have to be cautious. One car at a dealer made a strange sparking sound while I was standing next to it. I asked the salesman about it. He said they would have the car checked out. Next time I talked to him I learned the car had been sent off to auction. hmmm.... I wonder who will end up with that one.

Another time the car tended to wander all over the lane. The salesman told me that was normal. LOL

Finally, after months, found a 2008 Standard (not a leather seat fan) with 56k miles on it for 11,300 from a Toyota Dealership. Oh.. and amazingly enough, no bs dealer fee at this dealer.

Good Luck!

 

I disagree with this. For one, the OP was asking specifically about diagnostics so, I answered her question about diagnostics. Then I went on to tell her other things to look for. Taking a car in to have diagnostics read when its showing no DTC's or trouble/warning lights is ludicrous. All the things you pointed out have nothing to do with diagnostics.

There are hundreds of "qualified technicians" that could not find some of the things you pointed out. If one can't roll a window up and down to determine if it works, or look at the tires, something must be wrong with them.

And I love how you conveniently didn't quote part of my post that virtually said to check most of these things.

Its really frustrating every time I post something that I think will help someone, you come in and disagree with me to seemingly make yourself look good. I don't know what your motivation is but, I think you could exercise a little better tact. I understand you like bringing a car to the dealer to have it checked out. I don't, lets agree to disagree. There's no reason to continually quote and contradict my posts as if I don't know what I'm talking about and your are somehow superior. I personally would appreciate it if you would give your advice and let the OP decide. My advice is not bad and neither is yours.

 

One advantage in going to a Toyota dealership for a full inspection is that they might be able to access the vehicle's history.
They will be on the high end of the cost range for inspections, but an independent might not be as knowledgeable about Priuses.
Depending on your location, there might be a shop that specializes in Hybrids.....especially if you're on the left coast.
That's a hit and miss benefit, since the vehicle that I drove to work today has zero maintenance entries in 150,000 miles and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across the country right now.

Priuses are very reliable cars, but if you're new to the wonderful world of hybrids, and you do not do your own maintenance I would recommend that you start shopping in the Toyota dealerships.
You're going to pay a little (lot) more but you'll lessen your chance for getting a problematic car.

Good Luck!

 

She has Tampa Prius very close to her.

 

Ha!
The Left Coast!! (of Florida)

 

The last one is listed as a Prius III but judging by the steering wheel controls, it looks like it has NAV and BT. That one seems like a really good deal but the pics are limited. Some things I use to judge are the wheel rings (are they present and what kind of condition), the seats, are the floor mats original, what does the engine compartment look like, are there a bunch of small dings and scrapes etc. This car appears to have all the right stuff and less than 100k on a pkg 4 or 6 for less than $8k. Def worth looking into. IMO

Here is the dealer service history for it.

 

I registered for an account with toyota.com/owners then added the vin as a new vehicle then downloaded the service history.

I personally would not be concerned about the electrical problems/won't start. That was likely the 12v battery. Just find out when it was replaced.

 

The tire pressure sensors run on batteries. Sooner or later they will fail. If you can live with a constant idiot light and without the tire pressure monitoring system (like we all did in older cars) then the sensor doesn't have to be replaced. Those who run a set of snow tires don't have a functioning TPMS for the season.

 

A minor accident would not effect the title status. Only a major event like total loss, flood or fire damage that was not repairable , TMU(true mileage unknown), NAM (not actual miles) or salvage title would be branded on the title.

 

It must have been a repairable situation. Mine is a clean-title accident victim as well. Some repairs are great. Some aren't. I'm happy with mine.

 

I live in Fort Myers Beach (Lee County). Once I got my heart set on a Prius, I literally babysat CraigsList for almost two months before finding my 2008 with 131,000 miles and all the upgrades (Bluetooth, nav screen, etc) for $8,200. You are fortunate to live in a big city that's only an hour and a half from Tampa because I saw lots of postings in Orlando, Tampa and Miami but hardly any in my area unless they were crazy priced (<10k for a 2005). My advice is to keep looking and be ready to leap when one becomes available - mine was posted on Monday and I bought it the next day. Good luck - you will be very happy! I LOVE my Prius