New (to me) Prius Purchase, Have Some Questions About Repairs/Issues

The battery could last 100k miles IF it was a new Toyota battery. Which is unlikely. It does sound like a head gasket. If the car did not have big issues it would have sold for many thousands more even with 322k miles. $5k in repairs might not be enough on a car that has driven that much with those symptoms.

A good independent hybrid mechanic might give you a better estimate, but you probably need a replacement engine and likely, a hv battery. Rebuilt batteries are not worth it, don't go there or you will be fixing the battery every few months.

I would sell it and get a non hybrid Corolla or Camry under 150k miles in your price range.

 

wow, do they have a big life insurance policy on you that you are unaware of?

 

Unless you are studying to be a mechanic and this is going to be your project car the purchase makes no sense at all.

This is like buying your child a 14 year old German Shepherd with hip dysplasia, stomach cancer, cataracts, and incontinence. Sure it is a dog, it might even be a very sweet dog, but it is going to be a money pit and is not long for the world.

 

My parents supplied me with a similarly-situated car many years ago and I learned an inestimable amount getting it running and usable, and it became my daily driver until I was 24 (my friends had various names for it).

But my parents began that process when I was about 14, so I had about a year's head start getting the car in shape before even signing up for driver ed, or a couple years before getting my permit and driving it anywhere off the property. And I was interested in learning.

Starting at 18 seems more iffy, as you might need something you can depend on more from the get-go. Mine was quite dependable by the last years I had it, but not so much in the first ones.

Putting $5000 into a car in 2021 dollars would have been like me putting around $1200 into that old one, which is probably not far off what I in fact did put in, spread out over a few years. The guy at the local Dodge parts counter eventually started getting used to my visits and giving me trade pricing, which helped out.

Kind of comes down to whether the stuff you'd learn doing this is stuff you want to learn, and how it fits into your current needs.

 

Use it to get around for a bit, then as a trade-in for a conventional car, say Corolla, Matrix, Civic, or Fit, in decent shape, something around $3k

 

In another way of putting it, if you're planning to write that number in the "transportation cost" column of your personal ledger, it might be kind of steep. If you'll be writing it in the "tuition" column, it ain't bad.

 

I agree. Perhaps your parents thought they were getting a deal because its a Prius, or, worse, they got taken by one of those Prius seller scammers.

 

See if it’s got the original catalytic converters that’s worth $1300 on eBay due to the cat theft going on it’s become a very desirable and rare cat.
Sold mine the bidding was crazy.

Then I would sell the car.

 

Bad idea to advocate breaking federal law.

 

Sell your cat asap if your keeping the car. Cheapo replacement cat works fine my $125 amazon cat is working great months later.

 

Welcome to PriusChat!!

Which metroplex is closest to you?

Check for any dealer maintenance by entering the VIN here : Track Your Service Records with Your Toyota Owners Account

Personally see this as a easy learning experience, but only if you have some tools and a DIY attitude, or know someone who does.

If you want to get creative with finding an extra $1300 that can be used to fix this vehicle, see if that failing catalytic is still OEM or not.

Without tools and a DIY attitude, and some extra money or an OEM cat, then just pass it on to someone else. Bet it sells for 500+.

Special tools for testing/repairing would include a multi-meter (6+ usd) which can be useful for testing parts and batteries, and a 'mini-vci' cable (20+ usd) for retrieving OBD2 codes (DTCs), subcodes (INFs), and freeze frame data. If the combination meter is bad/failing you can DIY with a soldering iron (5+ usd) or buy a reconditioned unit for 150usd from Matt at Prius Speedometer Replacement.

Guessing $500 in parts/tools and some labor should fix this car enough to make it a daily get around until some other failure pops up. The current four main areas of concern would be engine, Inverter coolant pump, the HV battery, and free money to fix this beast.

• Look under the vehicle to determine if the catalytic converter is OEM factory or aftermarket. It will be difficult to get at the first catalytic buried closest to the engine, so check the second "converter" for stamped part # EA6. Post pics if help is needed.

The toyota logo and EA6 should be visible from the bottom of the "converter", as pictured below.









You many notice the downstream oxygen sensor between the two converters, check the one with the heat shield for "EA6".

• Check the four spark plugs for wetness, if dry then the engine may be fine. Post the results in this thread for the next step...

FYI : your posts are being moderated until you've posted 5 times.