Hello, My employer is selling a 2009 Prius plug in hybrid. i'm sorry I am not sure of the exact model. The car has 33K miles and after 6 years was driven very little. It is in great shape. My question is around the battery. Given the age of the car and the low miles. Should I be concerned about replacing the battery soon based on the fact that the car was sitting and not being used for a while or should I primarily rely on the low miles to base my decision? The price is $7500 for the car. I offered them $6500 because the tires are almost bald and somewhat dry-rotted and has a tiny amount of rust near the rear hatch. I am waiting to hear a response on my offer but I have a feeling I may have to give them what they are asking. As far as I can tell it drives fine. I drove it about 30 miles around town at work. Is there a traction battery diagnostic that I can run to see how much life expectancy is left on the battery?
welcome! they did not make a plug in hybrid until 2012 is this an aftermarket conversion? if so, run, don't walk, as fast as you can, unless you have top notch electronic diy skills. all the best.
There is a 110v outlet on the rear bumper on the driver side. I dont think it was modified. I think they just listed the year wrong when they sent out the company email. It does not have the funky new style plugin connector like the chevy volt has. If its a 2012 or newer that will be all the more reason to buy it. This explains why i saw lithium ion batteries and not metal hydride in the trunk.
yes, there are very few 'successful' aftermarket plug ins on the road. if you know what you're doing, it can be removed. no way to find out from the owner what it is?
I am kind of on the same boat here. We have four cars in our family, 3 toyota Prius (2005, 2008, and 2012) and a honda civic hybrid (2003). The civic hybrid has been a pain in the butt ever since I can remember. Finally I have decided to trade in this car and was offered a little over $2000, the same dealer has a 2006 toyota prius with 93k miles on it. I am actually really nervous for some unknown reason. If any one owns a 2006 toyota prius, I would love to hear from you regarding your experience. I will really appreciate it. Thanks.
Like I said I think the person making the for sale post didn't know what year a car it was. I will check at work when I get there tomorrow and report back. I work for the company that is selling the car. I have access to the keys and can check the door jam and see what the actual year is. I am thinking a 2012 or newer.
it's not a 2012 prius plug in if it has a 120 volt outlet on the bumper. the plug in prius has the same plug as the volt, and it's under a cover on the right rear fender. if it is a 2012 for $7,500., offer them $8,500. before someone beats you to it. but honestly? i think you're out of your element, and need to do more research before proceeding.
Ok, I just verified the tag on the car and it's a 2009. So back to my original question... Should I consider the age of the car or the low miles when determining how much longer the battery may last. I am a loyal Toyota owner. I see a Toyota with 33K miles for $7500. Which sounds like a great deal. ...and Bisco; whether I'm out of my element or not I may not know a lot about hybrids I am no stranger to electronics and computers. After all this is a public forum and a place where one can do research!
dave, if this were a non modified car, there would be nothing to be concerned about. i would do a car fax, make sure there were no accidents and that it had all necessary regular service and recalls completed. what i am trying to say to you, is that a prius that has been modified with an aftermarket range extender is a whole different beast. they don't work, plain and simple. so you will have a lot of remodifying to do, or constant repairs to try to keep it running the way it is. and who knows what effect it has had on the stock hybrid battery? there are plenty of threads on the trials and tribulations of aftermarket battery mods in the mod section here, all the best with your research.
Thanks for the update. +1 Do your research. Since you work there , maybe you can arrange to borrow the car for a week and see how well the conversion is working as this will determine the price you may want to pay.
Offer then 7 even for the car. Then just drive the car as if it were a garden variety G2 while you research the aftermarket PHEV kit that's installed and decide whether or not you want to revert back to a stock G2, or rehab the other battery pack and use it as a pip. I'm thinking that most of the aftermarket kits that came out in 2009 allowed the Prius to just be a Prius when the battery bank was depleted, and so the only efficiency ding you're going to take is the 100# worth of ballast. As far as the OEM traction battery, you can get a re-manned unit for about $1200, and who knows? The aftermarket battery bank might be good for a while. Put $1200 in the back and sleep well at night. A 2009 in excellent shape with 40K miles on it represents a fantastic opportunity to get a pretty dang dependable used car at a bargain basement price - AND since you already know how to solder, read a schematic, and use a meter then you'll also have a pre-installed on-board tinker project.The car looks good and obviously drives well. I'd buy it. Good Luck!
No need to be concerned about replacing the battery. You should PLAN on replacing the battery soon. Sitting unused is much harder on batteries than use is. Is the car worth $7500 and the price if a battery to you? A 2009 with 33K could be a heck of a car for a long time. Take the plug in kit out. Brad
