Advice for buying used 4th Gen?

1) Do you know what the build date is on this car? Sometime during the 2017 model year, Toyota recalled all Gen 4 Prii to add a clip to the emergency brake cable to reduce the chance of it slipping. Cars that were produced after that date were fixed before they left the factory. Also, there was a recall for many 2016 and 2017 Prii to add insulating material to an electrical harness that could possibly short out and catch fire if exposed to an abnormal amount of heat. With the VIN, you can check the Toyota.com/owners website to see if either of those recalls applied to your car and were already addressed.

2) With an investment of the magnitude you are talking about, the dealer's inspection fee seems like a fair price to reduce your risk, although of course it is not completely fool-proof.

3) You are getting the Heads Up display and Moonroof with that package, correct? Whether or not those options add value is an individual preference. I chose to get the Touring Package instead when I bought my car, because I preferred what came with that. To me, $19k seems a little high of a price to pay for a car that has some cosmetic damage, even if you don't particularly care how it looks.

4) My Gen 4 was my first new car, what will probably be a once in a lifetime experience for me. (I am now 64 years old). Was it worth buying new? Hard to say. If I hadn't bought a new car, I would probably always wonder what it would be like.

5) I went for the non-plugin Prius, because I expect to do a lot of cross-country driving, value the extra luggage space, and as a retired person could not make use of the tax rebate. If you are not going to be a lot of driving, you would probably be better off with a fully electric car, a plug-in or even a regular gas powered car.

I hope this helps.

 

I would look at going with the prime, depending on your area and your tax situation, it might be worth it to you to go brand new and get the 4K back on your taxes, assuming you paid in at least that much. I got the 3 ATP with moonroof brand new for 27500 OTD in July 2016, and I know right now they have a quite a few tax incentives to clear out prius's lately so you might be able to get a better deal than what I got on a brand new one when they first came out. I think for a hail damaged car, you should be looking a bit less than the 19k but its up to you. This was my first brand new car as well and even though I don't know that I will always buy new going forward, it was neat to have that experience at least once.

Edit: Ok, I just noticed you have a Prime already. I guess as far as other recommendations go, maybe take a look at the Scion IM used (corolla platform old Matrix) or the new corolla wagon. The Scion IM is pretty decently featured (2016 only till they moved it into the toyota lineup) if you dont need radar cruise but want all the regular bells and whistles. Of course it depends on how much youre going to be driving the car. Over 25k a year, then gas mileage really means alot.

 

I did not notice he had a Prime in his profile, either. I'm not sure that means he has already bought one, but at least he has been looking at that option. I guess some of my advice would not be particularly applicable, then.

 

put your vin into the toyota owners site and get a car fax

the deal should be based on the body work cost. when you go to sell it, the same will apply.
i would be concerned about eventual corrosion from the paint damage.

 

The safety options available changed in mid-2017. I have an early 2017 without BSM..
There was also a recall to inspect & tape the engine wiring harness to avoid wear-through.

 

don't you get 5k in colorado on a prime, on top of the 5k discounts and 4.5k fed tax credit?

 

i think you're mistaken about investments. you just need tax liability on income.

 

I'd be asking why the seller didn't get it repaired on his insurance ?
I would have the damage assessed, the cost to repair, the book value of a similar car without damage and if the difference is less than $19,000 then either offer him that or walk away.
If the hood and roof are damaged then it's likely the front and rear screens were and have been replaced. Replacing the front screen requires re-calibration of the front camera and if the correct Toyota screen is not used you could have problems with double vision on the HUD.

 

Yes, replacing the front windshield in any Gen 4 requires re-calibration of the DRCC camera, & possibly the HUD. The DRCC is a safety issue and I think a Toyota dealer needs to perform it.

 

Run the vin on Toyotas site and run the vin through carfax, and take it to a toyota dealer to have them plug into the obd2 looking for codes, as well as checking the car over.

Run the car through kelly blue book for values, including the cash offer, chances are the cash offer is what you will pay, so you need to know what it is.

 

there are several threads here on tax liability. it's not complicated, but difficult to understand. if prime is out of the question, i won't bother you with details.

 

I’d buy new. I’m on my 3rd prius (2016 current Prius 3). I get 300k out of them. I’m at 100k now after 3 years. Virtually no cost other than tires and oil. Go new or go home !

 

There's nothing wrong with buying used. There are far more cars sold used than new - just don't expect a new car, because you didn't pay new car €£$.

You just have to:
1) do your homework with checking it over - eg - make sure the previous owner was a non-smoker and is in good condition for the money (kids can deteriorate a car if not supervised);
3) get a mechanical check if you can't do it yourself; and
2) accept that it mightn't be the colour you want, or has a sunroof you don't want etc etc.

That said - there are cars on the market with high mileage, may be a bit rough around the edges - but the price will reflect it and can be a good buy for some people.

 

I would add
4. Verify all recall work has been performed.