Has anyone bought a Prius with a rebuilt/salvage title?

Used prius cars are not that expensive, you can easily find clean titled ones for under $5000

 

Rebuilt depends on luck.Sometimes its a great deal like my uncle got 2011 prius which was had minor hit on the side but no problem until now.I have read horror stories about salvage title on internet but Prius being hybrid I wouldn't take a risk until you know exactly what was rebuilt .I would think about it if they offer 30 to 60 days return policy.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

some have had great experiences, some, total failures. it's hit or miss. usually people who do well are excellent diy'ers, with a good understanding of prius intricacies, and the correct tools for the job.

 

Both of mine are salvage/rebuilt..

The 2010 we have owned since 2011 starting at 17K now at 95K no issues

My 2008 purchased 2.5 years ago with 86K now sitting at 108K this one has never left me stranded but I did get a light show when the 12v battery needed replacing.

Salvage or not, they are great cars. The only warning I can give you is.. They can be difficult to sell or trade but then again, I always feel like I got raped on trades so I just run my cars until I'm thought with them and with a salvage, anything I get is a gift as I see it.

 

I bought a 2005 one 8-10 years ago from Green Valley auto in Asheville, NC. I was a little worried about this purchase but I got a great price, an immaculate car, and the seller charged me less on arrival than the listed price–with no negotiating!

He only sells high quality salvaged titled cars and does so at a great price. My experience was so awesome that I'd buy from him over the phone the next time. But I would probably be unsure with anyone else. I was just lucky.

I would ask to be able to take the car to an outside mechanic and bodywork shop that you trust and ask for some sort of warranty. I think I got 6 months with mine. The only issues that I've had are that I've replaced both the hybrid and 12v batteries twice each, and am about to replace the hybrid once again. While this is strange, I didn't have anything to do with the original damage based on where the damage was. My seller also provided me with all of the paperwork documenting the original damage and the work that he did.

Good luck with your buying process.

 

Wow! Did you really need three new hybrid batteries over just ten years? That sounds like they only last 4 years, or so...

That said, in glad you got a good deal from your guy and have faith in him for future.

 

RCO: No, I didn't buy 3 new hybrid batteries. The original one failed in 2012, after I'd had the car for 5 years. At that time I had been sick for a while and could not afford going the brnd new $3600 Toyota route so my regular mechanic put in a salvaged battery, though I didn't think to find out how many miles it had previously been driven. That battery lasted until until February 2016, when I put in a salvaged Dorman that was "new" in a car that was wrecked within weeks of buying that battery. So I thought I'd be set for quite a while with that one, except that I wasn't.

So last week that one went down. I spoke with one of the forum members who offered me a battery with Gen3 cells from a very low mileage 2015 Prius. He drove 6.5 hours roundtrip to install it for me and gave me a 3-year warranty on it, and he was fantastic to deal with.

This is a much better battery than even the original one and I instantly noticed improved performance in the car.

 

RCO: No, I didn't buy 3 new hybrid batteries. The original one failed in 2012, after I'd had the car for 5 years. At that time I had been sick for a while and could not afford going the brnd new $3600 Toyota route so my regular mechanic put in a salvaged battery, though I didn't think to find out how many miles it had previously been driven. That battery lasted until until February 2016, when I put in a salvaged Dorman that was "new" in a car that was wrecked within weeks of buying that battery. So I thought I'd be set for quite a while with that one, except that I wasn't.

So last week that one went down. I spoke with one of the forum members who offered me a battery with Gen3 cells from a very low mileage 2015 Prius. He drove 6.5 hours roundtrip to install it for me and gave me a 3-year warranty on it, and he was fantastic to deal with.

This is a much better battery than even the original one and I instantly noticed improved performance in the car.

This is where I purchased my 2005 (salvaged title) originally. The car looked brand new in every way when I bought it from him.

Green Valley Auto - Used cars in Asheville NC

 

rebuilt have low resale value and most insurance companies will not give you full coverage because the car was already totaled and paid off once... NEVER buy anything with a flood history ... for a few extra bucks get an older one with a clean title

 

AutoBeYours south of Indianapolis specializes in rebuilding salvage Gen 2s in their own facility and to high standards; the specialization makes that economical for them, as they have a big inventory of Gen 2s with different forms of damage to get parts from. I think Steve shows up on PriusChat now and then, and hobbit paid a visit and wrote it up.

I haven't bought a Prius from AutoBeYours, but I probably would with confidence if the need arose.

-Chap

 

I would never buy salvaged car unless I'm buying it for spare parts....


Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Care to give any rationale you may have? Salvage cars, repaired properly are a great option. Note- for those who scream "FRAME DAMAGE" no repair person is going to fix those cars as they are too much work. The only economical cars worth fixing are the easier fixes which is never a damaged frame. Also, cars now are uni-body so no real "frame" per se.

 

it's the unknowns that are the problem. for an expert, it may not be an issue, but there are too many people here who no little to nothing about auto mechanics and electronics, and are just hoping to score a good deal, and that it was fixed right.
but there are too many unscrupulous individuals who are hoping to make a profit, and don't fix them right.
it's never a good idea to recommend something like a salvage vehicle to a stranger on the internet.
and hybrids are about the most complex car going.

 

Even if it was repaired properly, which in most cases proper repair simply doesn't occur due to parts&labor costs alone, you're still taking a gamble on used parts:

This is not the first nor will it be the last time someone has suffered tragedy due to salvage/rebuilt titles:

Attorney: Faulty air bag nearly cost Las Vegas valley woman her life - KTNV.com Las Vegas

Caveat emptor.

 

I have bought 6 vehicles from Steve at autobeyours.com. All six are still in the family. The first one I bought was a 2004 with about 80k. That was in 2009. My son still has that car today and it has about 280k on it now. My most recent purchase was a 2016 with 900 miles on it.