Thoughts on purchasing a Rebuilt Prius

Having had the calibrations done/checked by the Dealership should be good - better than a Crash Repairer who usually wouldn't have the equipment and specifications.

 

Looks as in nicely painted bodywork, or have you inspected the sub-frame? Please tell us you aren't judging the vehicle's status based off of the exterior bodywork.

 

Check the cabin air filter and the engine compartment air filters for any indication of rodent damage. I thought I was getting a value-for-value deal when I purchased my '16 Prius Three with ATP and relatively high mileage.

Boy, was I mistaken. Also, run the vehicle's VIN through the toyota.com website for particulars on the packages, special details associated with it. I ran the VIN you supplied and the owner's site vehicle specs mentions nothing about "Touring." It you create an account and then run the VIN, you can access all the service records Toyota knows about.

These cars have a ton of stuff - radar; active grille shutter - at the very front end of the car. Additionally camera's on out-facing rearview mirror mount - if the windshield was smashed, that could be a problem. From reading here, there's a TSB on the grille shutter of some of the '16/'17 vehicles - if that had been repaired prior to the crash, do not know whether the rebuilder would've known about it or corrected it when preparing the car for sale.

Finally, carefully, carefully, check the laws governing vehicle sales in the state where you are thinking of buying the car to determine what your rights are in regard to the sale, subsequent dissatisfaction or discovery of seller misrepresentation. Check the FTC rules as to whether this fellow must display a Car Buyer's Guide with any vehicle he sells.

All of the advice I've provided would have helped me avoid the, oddly coincidental, $14,000 mistake I made in early January.

Soyez sage,

C.

 

It's a Federal Trade Commission requirement to prominently display the Car Buyer's Guide in every vehicle sold by someone who sells more than five cars a year. They're liable for a nuisance investigation and around $42,000 fine if they've failed in this. I think reading it through serves as a speed-bump for someone primed to buy - I think that's its true utility.
Dealer's Guide to the Used Car Rule | Federal Trade Commission

 

Yes, but only AFTER I bought the car. Is there a weeping, face-palm emoji here? Also, the plastic tray that holds the filter was clearly gnawed by small teeth. It's pretty easy to access the cabin air filter above the glove compartment - several YouTube videos. Thank you for your kind thoughts regarding my car problems. C.

 

Weird to say this, but don't expect the toyota.com web site to necessarily be right. I looked at a 2010 being advertised as a V that was clearly a IV: not only did it lack the V-specific options, it had the solar roof, a IV option not available in trim V. Unquestionably a IV.

The seller told me V was what the toyota site said for that VIN. I plugged it in myself and, yup, it did.

 

To the OP...I have a salvage 2015 which I bought almost 2.5 years ago. It was in a front end collision and was bought from auction and repaired by a body shop to resell. I paid $9k for it with 24k miles. I have owned other salvage or rebuilt titles over the years and consider myself somewhat "experienced" on salvage titled cars.
Firstly, the general value for a well repaired totaled vehicle is normally around 2/3 of book value. Mainly because if it's newer the warranty is voided so if something goes wrong/bad, you have that much cushion from your purchase price to have it repaired. Secondly because it will be harder to sell if/when that day comes...people are generally afraid of them.
So was mine perfect? No, the skid plate underneath was left off (I don't care), the fuse box housing under the hood is cracked ( I supported that with a large tie strap...and one wheel was replaced and they didn't put in a TPMS sending unit in the new wheel/tire so the TPMS light is on (I don't care)...we pass inspection here with that light on. There are likely a few other minor parts missing (plastic snaps, and the like).
I suggest having it put on a lift and see what's under there...look for missing supports, new welds, etc. Make sure all the wheels are straight up (as opposed to leaning.
Check the doors and make sure they all open and close properly and listen for air noise around the as you drive it.
As for insurance, some companies won't insure them, some will, mine provides full coverage for a normal price. (Erie Insurance).
I've put 31k miles on mine now with not a single problem...and I average 52 mpg overall so I take that as the car runs normally.
Salvage vehicles can be a good money saver, but you need to be careful (as you seem to be doing) and buy with the intention of driving it "forever".
Check KBB value for the car, year and mileage and if that's 14k or under I see no reason to be afraid. If the seller wants more than 2/3 value...he may get that because I see a lot of salvage cars being sold at high prices to knowledgeable buyers that don't understand what a salvage title is and the seller says it was totaled due to a "minor" accident.
I hope this information helps you and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

One other thing....find out when the accident happened and how long the car was not being run/used while going through the insurance salvage process, auction, and being repaired. Long periods of inactivity re not good for the hybrid battery and could cause premature failure. Mine sat for 6 months or so and it seems to be fine but time will tell later on if/when it ever fails. I plan to keep it until I can't get in and out of it any more (I'm 65 now)...so far so good!

 

Holy Smoke. I guess nobody is infallible. Regarding long-term service records, I've found that CarFax on my vehicles indicates Toyota dealership service that was not reported on the Toyota site. I guess some dealers intermittently or simply do not transmit their data r/t vehicle service.

 

Sounds like a 5 or $6000 car tops

 

I'm sorry, did you say CarFax to me?

 

Er, I did, yes. More potentially detrimental reliance. Ugh. Thanks for the thread-link. C.

 

I would never buy a salvage title car. I am into safety and buying a car where the airbags may not deploy is a no-brainer for me. I do not even like cars that have been in an accident. Found a kia sorrento at the dealer with a good price and carfax said accident but no air bags deployed. Saw the ladies name in the glove box and called her. She said that she had been sandwiched between two cars and that the car was in the shop for 4 weeks. Asked my neighbor who is manager of an auto body shop what he thought and he said to run away. Found another kia sorrento that had been in one accident and told the dealer that i would not buy it unless i got to speak to the previous owner. The dealer balked but eventually gave me the phone number. I called (and yes it was the owner, i am a long time landlord and am pretty hard to fool) and she said it was a minor fender bender in a parking lot to the front side panel. bought the car. don't take the chance. it is a big decision.

 

Years ago, I bought a 1997 Volvo 850 base trim sedan with 5-speed manual transmission that'd been rebuilt from totaled w/o airbag deployment. That was probably the best running and best handling vehicle I've ever owned. BUT the rebuilder is also the mechanic who's worked on my Volvos for the past nearly 25 years, so I know his work - meticulous, enjoys problem solving and is a former rocket scientist (for real). While searching within the past few months for Prius cars to buy, I've balked at purchasing two or three rebuilt 3rd generation Prius because, for me, too many unknowns. $.02

 

To OP:
Look for the repairs done to it. Specifically if they replaced the radiator support and if they adequately welded back on the weld spots.
Also check the frame rails for deformation and crush. Usually they pull it back to place. Also I would highly advise to get it aligned before you commit to buy.
I've purchased salvage and rebuilt vehicles all my life. There are more salvage vehicles out there that don't get properly repaired.

The most recent salvage purchase was a flooded car. While many people would panic and say electrical problems. I'm at 35k miles and zero issues. Only maintenance is oil changes.

ONEPLUS A5010 ?

 

Still no issues?

 

I personally would never buy a prior salvage and now rebuilt vehicle from someone whom I do not have a long LONG history of personal relationship ANd I know 100% that this friend is doing this for me as a favor.

The way that this kind of deal works is this (I welcome any and all corrections from actual industry insiders...but I've had a couple of friends who bought salvaged Priuses before themselves and fixed it and got a rebuilt title).

Prius gets totaled/in a wreck. Insurance deems the car a total loss (something like repair cost is 40-50%+ of the market value of the car). This estimate is likely done by an adjuster who knows what they're doing or a repair shop that is certified to repair vehicles properly. Insurance cuts check to the owner, insurance sends car to auction to recoup whatever cost they can. Car is auctioned off to...various types of people...generally you have backyard mechanics (ie, those who work out of their own garage...I have a friend whose next door neighbor always has all kinds of 2nd gen priuses parked and in various states of repair...) or people who have access to a repair shop of some kind and can repair things at a very cheap deal. So the dude buys the car for....I don't know probably something in the 4-5k or even 6k range....spends a few thousand more to fix it (MUCH less than 14k all in, of course) and then flip it for a nice profit.

Here are the questions you need to consider when buying into these types of cars:

• Do you expect him to act anyway other than superficially honest? His demeanor/charm/perceived honesty means squat. This is not his first rodeo and he knows he has to act a certain way to gain your trust. Like I said...unless you know him personally for a LONG time and can swear your life on his honesty....his demeanor counts for nothing
• Did you expect all the papers and sensors being checked out to mean everything is fine? Again, now his first rode...he would know to make sure to fix parts that will be easily picked up by a cursory dealer check/alignment/etc.
• Do you have an itemized receipt of ALL the parts that were used to fix this car? I have a 99.99% chance that majority/if not all the parts were used from a junkyard or another donor car that he bought at auction. I highly doubt they were Toyota OEM parts
  
• How do you know for certain that it was repaired to the level that it is as good as it was prior? Some backyard mechanics working off of Youtube and their "experience?"
• There are MANY things that can occur that will not happen in a very very short time of test driving it. Prolonged exposure to rain, heat and cold, vibration, and wear on the car as it drives over time. If this car breaks down 3 weeks from now and is now needing a $5000+ repair....what do you do?
• Is the price SO low that you're willing to risk this car having an issue so expensive that it may be better for you get another car? (see question above). At a certain level, one would be willing to risk such a car. (A friend of mine bought a 2019 Prius with only 1k miles for only $11k...it was a recovered stolen vehicle and he had to replace some of the sensors/computers, and otherwise it looked like there was no other issue...but it's always a risk)
• Water and moisture can seep into various areas that are not properly sealed/repaired (what if a certain structural/metal piece that is imperceptibly bent causes slow seepage of water into an area that overtime corrodes certain parts and once they go...you are now on the hook for a multi thousand dollar repair bill?)
• How much more are you willing to spend or wait and get a non-rebuilt car? Is this a must have now?
  
• The Toyota reliability is out the window when you talk about cars with this much damage. There's no telling how reliable a prior crashed car can last...they can go 500k miles or they can give out on your drive home...that's the risk you take.

 

I thought flooded cars usually have a line and a mark that says "WL" to demarcate how high the water line was.

Do you own a shop or have access to a shop or is able to work on these cars in a way that the majority of public can't?

 

I did not have any issues. I put about 66,000 miles on it before it was crushed on a rear end collision.