Where do you find a mechanic to inspect a used Prius before purchase?

RebL · Apr 29, 2021

ETC(SS) said: ↑

$13,000 US dollars????

I know that my beloved government is spending money like drunken sailors (I'm subject matter expert!) but I didn't realize that it was having that much of an inflationary effect on car prices.

Here's the thing with 9 year old hybrids....
If you "have to have it inspected", you may be venturing onto a vast sea in a tiny boat, and while this is true of any used car, it's more true of cars equipped with things like inverters, regenerative brakes, traction batteries along with the USUAL stuff that can go wrong with a pre-teen car.
Also......it's 2021.
What is a Floridian car doing being sold in the Bay state?
Aren't people migrating in the OTHER direction these days?

Was the car auctioned?
If so, I would give it a hard pass.
If not I would still be incredibly suspicious.

To be clear, a 2012 Prius with only 40,000 miles on the clock CAN BE an opportunity to have a very reliable, very economical car.....but for $13,000 it better come equipped with about $4000 cash in the glovebox for ME to take a second look.

Private Party Value for this car in Bean Town is $11,500 for an exceptionally clean example......with a verifiable pedigree.

YMMV
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This is very helpful information, and makes me lean toward getting the inspection done at a dealership.
According to the current owner, the original one was her father-in-law, who died of COVID; her mother-in-law does not drive. Current owner lives in MA, and for unknown reasons brought it back here rather than try to sell in FL. Carfax is clean (I bought it, not supplied by the owner). The servicing was done in Ocala, so hopefully there was less risk of flood damage than if it were on the coasts. Not no risk, of course: Ocala closes roads due to excessive flooding
Current owner is a 70 year old who works for a social service agency......but Bernie Madoff looked good until he got caught.

I'm buying this car for my daughter, who will be driving from Durham to LA (2500 miles) this June, then back to Atlanta (2180 miles) next June.

RebL · Apr 29, 2021

JohnPrius3005 said: ↑

Hi Rebecca, Speaking as an owner of 3 old problematic Prii, one ok Prius, a few other beat up cars, a former owner of a lot of old cars, and one new one, and having been involved in both sides of many aircraft pre-buy inspections, I'll give you my opinion. Which is worth no more than 0.05c

The only "safe" car purchase is buying new and negotiating the highest level of absolutely free maintenance while under warranty. And then selling before the warranty expires. Other than that you're on your own.

Buying used from a private party is absolutely my preference. Used car dealers make a sometimes very good living ripping people off.

If you can negotiate a price which is acceptable to you, then 40k miles is great!

If you want the highest level of no surprises, and you're able to negotiate it, take the car to a dealer and request the "next major service which will become due on the car". (even if it would only be due at 120,000 miles for example). (not just an oil change and tire rotation). This might be based on time or mileage. Agree that you will pay for the service if and only if the seller agrees to pay to have the dealer fix any and all discrepancies which are unearthed during the service. (this might include worn or old tires, etc). While none of this is any guarantee it does give the dealer the incentive to find rather than gloss over any "issues". Of course the risk, for you, is that the dealer tears the car apart, finds some big issues, the seller refuses to pay for them and demands the dealer put the car back together and you are out the money paying for the service, so you should negotiate that you only pay for the service if the seller fixes issues, otherwise the cost of the service is on him.

The market pretty much determines how much sellers can get for their used cars. And their anxiety to sell comes into play too.

In short, if the price is right, this could be a good deal with only 40k miles. If it was me buying, I'd plug in a scanner, look for any codes, be aware that the seller might have just cleared any which were there, and if the car looked good, offer $11k cash, and settle on $12k tops. People are wandering around with a lot of cash these days, but not too many have $11k immediately available.

Of course I might be wrong about every single point!
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Thanks!

JohnPrius3005 · Apr 29, 2021

RebL said: ↑

I'm buying this car for my daughter, who will be driving from Durham to LA (2500 miles) this June, then back to Atlanta (2180 miles) next June.
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Hi Rebecca, That's a little bit of a tough one. Have you considered other options - like her flying both ways? Will she have trusted companion(s)? I wouldn't hesitate to take these trips in my ok Prius, by myself. But I know cars a little bit, I can afford to rent a Hertz car if mine breaks down, and I've done it before. On the other hand if you get this car now and she drives it frequently, by June she should have pretty good idea if its ok. If she was my daughter I'd be sure to have a solid back up plan for cross country trips like this. And no work done on the car immediately before it leaves!! It takes a finite time to discover any discrepancies overlooked or created by mistake by mechanics even with the best intentions and professionalism. We try to take the mechanic with us in the plane they've just fixed when we go for a test flight ;-)

You're wise to be skeptical about the seller. Ask him all your questions directly. Why does he think it's worth $13k? Why didn't he sell it in Florida? The best thing about it is the 40k miles. I like that a lot.

Let me know if I can help you in any way.

ASRDogman · Apr 29, 2021

Have you looked on kelly blue book and find out the the average value is?

RebL · May 5, 2021

We ended up using Acton Toyota to inspect the car. They said it was a peach.(as in “great” not as in “sweet on the outside and the pits underneath”).

Now exploring having a catshield installed especially if the car will be residing in SoCal

Thanks everyone for your input!

RebL · May 5, 2021

JohnPrius3005 said: ↑

Hi Rebecca, That's a little bit of a tough one. Have you considered other options - like her flying both ways? Will she have trusted companion(s)? I wouldn't hesitate to take these trips in my ok Prius, by myself. But I know cars a little bit, I can afford to rent a Hertz car if mine breaks down, and I've done it before. On the other hand if you get this car now and she drives it frequently, by June she should have pretty good idea if its ok. If she was my daughter I'd be sure to have a solid back up plan for cross country trips like this. And no work done on the car immediately before it leaves!! It takes a finite time to discover any discrepancies overlooked or created by mistake by mechanics even with the best intentions and professionalism. We try to take the mechanic with us in the plane they've just fixed when we go for a test flight ;-)

You're wise to be skeptical about the seller. Ask him all your questions directly. Why does he think it's worth $13k? Why didn't he sell it in Florida? The best thing about it is the 40k miles. I like that a lot.

Let me know if I can help you in any way.
Click to expand...

She’s living out there for 12 months and will need her car possibly 7days/ week. Plus moving an apartmentfull of stuff, including a bike (ditching the furniture and has a fridge waiting out there). So could fly out and ship the car. Might have to do that on the way back anyway

bisco · May 5, 2021

acton toyota is one of the most reputable and knowledgeable dealers in the northeast

JohnPrius3005 · May 5, 2021

Hi Rebecca, Great on the Acton Toyota check out! I suggest your daughter ask around and see if she can rent/borrow a garage. It's a long shot but not completely impossible. If she's scheduled to drive across country alone and you want any help please let me know. If you want you can email me direct at [email protected] My girlfriend just cast a couple of big movies in Boston so its not impossible there is someone she knows who needs to get to LA..

Where do you find a mechanic to inspect a used Prius before purchase?

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Where do you find a mechanic to inspect a used Prius before purchase?

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