Buying a 2005 Prius tomorrow (maybe!)

Make sure the O2 sensor wire(s) is not shorting out after the catalytic converter theft. Tape it up or you’ll have even more problems than replacement of converter. Read prior threads about that.

 

"He says the 2nd cat is still on the car. but the cat under the car was stolen and is now straight piped."

Huh, that doesn't make much sense. The two cats are connected as a single unit - what thief would only cut out one cat? Maybe he means he bought a replacement but hasn't yet installed it. Assume the battery will need replacing soon.

 

not much else to worry about. you might need a brake actuator someday, or an a/c compressor. both high priced systems.
combo meter might go out, and/or audio display.

any way to check how much oil she burns?

 

Has had it for 8 months and wants to sell it again=LEMON $$$

 

Are you a decent DIY driveway mechanic? If not move on. Especially at $5K, you can budget another $5K for Prius idiosyncratic mechanicals. Better off looking for a Corolla.

 

My 2005 has been a champ, replaced the battery pack a couple years ago and it just keeps going. it would be helpful to know if the transmission fluid has ever been changed. The dealer says 100k, most of the long time owners do 50-60k. If you not in California a replacement cat is a couple hundred dollars.
other than looking at condition of fluids if it runs it should be good. There are some long term maintenance procedures that would need to get caught up on and the shocks ore probably a bit soft buy now. Check the date on the 12v battery will give you an idea if it’s been maintained.

 

it makes a buzzing sound when you open the drivers door, then, as needed when you apply the brakes while driving.
as the unit leaks grow larger, the pump runs more frequently. but without knowledge to compare, it's hard to say what's normal.
maybe prius reader software 'tech stream' can evaluate it, idk. there are lots of threads here and youtube videos on replacing it. many have diy'ed a salvage unit.

 

$5k seems high to me considering the amount of money you may have to put in it. If you try to talk him down, make sure you tally up the amount of money it would need. There is a reason he is selling it, and if you don't see any check engine light you may want to drive it long enough that the light would reappear (I think it is two short trips, with it off in between). Then have a way to read the check light OBD2 codes. The mileage seems reasonable, you probably don't have to worry about the brakes or A/C compressor if it was well maintained and it blows cold and stops good. But there is a reason they are selling it, so do your best to figure that out.

 

There are many reasons people sell cars. Selling one after only eight months is a red flag but not necessarily a deal killer.

The best car to buy is often one someone doesn’t want to sell but has to sell. A 2005 wouldn’t be my first choice and $5k is on the high side of price given work you know you have to do. But, it’s possible the car and the repair is more than the guy anticipated and it is a negotiable good deal.

Did you even ask why he’s selling it? Like maybe his wife or kid doesn’t want it even if it’s fixed? That’s not uncommon. Also sometimes people get so pissed off about something on the car they just want to get rid of it even though it makes no economic sense.

 

Check the dipstick for deposits?

Ok so you know nothing about cars. And probably have no tools or clue.

It’s going to need a new windshield the AC is shot needs new hybrid battery new brakes and engine is an oil eating monster and if it pops the really really common ABS actuator that’s bingo right to the junkyard.

 

Buy the 09

 

Offer him $2,000
If he accepts immediately don’t buy it, it’s obviously got problems.

 

Seller's remorse???

Yeah, people keep thinking it's a grab handle open the hatch, but it's not.

They are likely HIDs if you have foglights, but having foglights doesn't necessarily mean it's a Touring model.

The top light is the brake light which is a LED bank. The tail light is a standard incandescent (if it is stock).

The LEDs are not serviceable, but that hasn't stopped at least one Prius owner from opening up the enclosure and replacing the burnt-out LEDs. At the conclusion of the exercise, he did comment he wouldn't do it again. In his estimation, it was a lot of effort to go through. YMMV.

Enjoy the Prius and take ETF5's posts with a grain of salt. Sometimes his crystal ball don't work too well.

All the best.

 

Glad to hear it, both of those things can be fixed when you pull the interior panel off of the lift gate. You may have to remove the hatch handle body piece and glue a broken mount, but the rest should just be loose nuts like the spoiler.

 

I have advice on the rear hatch project. Once you get the rear cover off and undo the 4 10mm nuts the hatch panel will come off. At this age the plastic is probably brittle. The 4 bolts are molded into the panel. I would put plastic epoxy all around the connection point the strengthen the connection. I did this on one car with great results but didn't do my other car and 8 months later It came loose, broke and I had to refab/reglue the bolt back in place. Which took a lot longer and was more work. Not sure if on BMW's the chemical engineers were lacking but on my 2002 Range Rover Lots of the plastics are brittle,cracking and in need of repair. The 4 dashboard panels on the Gen 2 prius are similar. and at $175 each to buy new ones. its a hefty price tag. The Rear spoiler loose has a pop rivet style grommet you can buy at the dealership for $9. I did that one too. Not a bad repair. Welcome and enjoy it! I wished I had more time to shop for mine. I would have gotten a black one.