I'm in the process of buying a used 2012 prius c4 with 66k miles. Thinking this a high number of miles for the common prius user for a 3 year range, what should I check for specifically to ensure I'm making the right purchase?
PAY a dealer or other qualified shop to pull codes and inspect everything and recommend what service needs to be done. ASK for service records. ASK point blank if there have been any accidents or known problems not resolved. There is always some element of risk involved but you shouldn't be paranoid about it. Take it for an extended test drive over as many different types of roads as you can find. If any of the electronic "gadgets" are important to you, test them to be sure they work......as some don't work the way you might want them to and any that are broken likely will be expensive to fix.
check any insurance claims and for signs of accidents/repairs. Look at tire wear, mismatch. Take for test drive and look for rattling noises/vibration. Any leaking fluids. Signs of abuse. 22K/year isn't much for Prius. Majority Prius buyers buy it b/c drive alot and want to save on gas.
Agree with the mileage comment. I'm currently selling mine (upgraded to a PiP) with the exact same mileage after 3 years. I would look for general cleanliness, tire wear, thorough records of service.
Look to see that all panels are symmetrically placed. For example, stand in front of the car's hood, use both hands and run your fingers down the crevice between hood & fender to see if the hood is closer on one side than the other, or if the hood is at an angle. Open the hood and check to see if parts are all original parts (one time I saw a mini cooper that had one light from Taiwan - dealer insisted car was not in accident per carfax, but mini does not use tongyang products). Look for respraying of paint / dust from repainting/wet sand. These are a few things I look for the moment I see the car to see if there may be a story behind the car that is not reported on carfax.
Carfax. Maintenance records. How well it was cosmetically taken care of. 66k miles isn't very much. A couple of years isn't very long.
