Buying 2017 v Five 68k $20900 asking - Yay or Nay

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by g22, Mar 4, 2023.

?
  1. That's a deal!

    14.3%
  2. Asking too much, pay less

    85.7%
  3. Too good to be true

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. g22

    g22 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2023
    4
    3
    0
    Location:
    Boston
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Hey everyone!


    I'm new to the Prius community and have been diving in headfirst to learn all that I can about this awesome car.

    I've recently come across a private seller that's selling their 2017 Prius v Five with 68,000 miles and is asking for $20,900. Seller states car was purchased in Georgia, has lived in Florida until last month and brought to New England in February.

    Assuming clean title, ok maintenance since ownership and no rust, would this be an ok/reasonable price?

    Definitely doing a PPI and depending what work needs to be done, I would like to pay $15k-$17k.

    I really want this purchase to go through! Currently waiting to hear back from seller for VIN#/Carfax. Already looking forward to working on the car to keep it well maintained (in no particular order):

    - cat protector
    - oil catch can
    - fluid film
    - EGR valve and cooler
    - clean MAF and throttle body
    - PCV valve
    - install temp gauge
    - tint back windows
    - clean battery fan and filter

    These are just some of the things I've learned the last few days. I welcome recommendations and corrections.


    Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing your opinion about this car.
     
    bisco likes this.
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    8,701
    5,190
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Its a problematic gen3 at a ridiculous price. Run for cover!

    At a better price, $5k-$10k of repairs later on might be acceptable.

    Too many of these gen3 models eventually exhibit short duration and occasional "cold start rattles" that turn out to be head gasket leakage. Owners either ignore it or clean their egrs, change plugs and injectors and or add pcv oil catch cans, usually a waste of time. Overheating or blown engines can be an end result of head gasket failure.

    Buy a simpler used car.
     
    Tim Jones and g22 like this.
  3. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    7,548
    6,997
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I'm still in a bit of sticker shock. I paid about that much for a 1-year old car with 4,000 miles on it in less than two years ago.

    I can't imagine dropping that much on a 6+ year old car.

    rjparker may be painting it a little worse than I might, but not much. The way I see it, the first 10 years with any prius is very good. Very low maintenance & repair costs. But then they turn, and they turn expensive, and labor rates are going up.

    So myself I'd walk away. Just could not justify that much money on a car that old. Especially when prices are finally starting to come down.

    You can spend a pile of money saving gasoline with an old Prius- so make sure that's really what you want.
     
    Tim Jones and g22 like this.
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,104
    39,425
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    68k sounds promising: even if nothing preemptive had been done on the EGR front it’s pretty early. Unless they’ve managed an odometer roll-back, and it’s in fact a knackered taxi…

    prices are high now; I glanced at local AutoTrader, and see stratospheric asking prices for similar.

    go in with your eyes open, look it over carefully, knock the price down a little; who knows.
     
    g22 likes this.
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,443
    50,202
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    If it’s the best deal you can find, go for it
     
  6. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    7,548
    6,997
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Just to clarify- that car (absent any odo rollback) is probably in great shape today.

    It's just that it looks likely to me that this car will depreciate very fast relative to other cars. This is a combination of the high price, specific age and the recent peak of the used car market.

    If you have any opportunity to delay buying for a few months I think you'd do better.

    On the other hand if you're going to uber it for 250 miles a day and write them off your taxes, this might be good enough as-is.
     
    Tim Jones and g22 like this.
  7. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    4,057
    1,116
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    2012 v Five with all maintenance, 5,000 mile Continentals, and 51,000 miles penciled out at $20,000+…
     
  8. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2004
    952
    116
    0
    Location:
    Coconut Creek, FL
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have a Gen 3 v (2013) with close to 200k. I acquired the vehicle when it had 81k miles. I've had the EGR valve cleaned twice since I've owned it. I change the oil/filter every 5k. Vehicle does not burn a drop of oil. I do not regret purchasing this as a secondary vehicle. My other car is a 22 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid limited. Amazing that the Hyundai gets close to the mileage that the Prius gets. I've been averaging 45 mpg but since I just bought new tires, it is now averaging 41-42 MPG. Still happy. I think the asking price is absolutely absurd.
     
  9. Offline

    Offline Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2012
    640
    232
    0
    Location:
    Lenexa, Kansas
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    KBB valuations can be suspect but the price is at the lower end of what it says is common for the Boston area.

    IIRC, the head gasket issues were resolved by the 2014 model year.

    IMO, it might be a reasonable deal only if it has the Advanced Technology Package with Automatic Emergency Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control. Those features became standard on all Toyotas by the 2018 model year and were standard on a few Toyota models (but not the Prius v) for the 2017 model year.

    As far as the Prius v being reliable, our 2012 Five with ATP hasn't had one single problem since we purchased it new but it's currently at only 46,000 miles. Always garaged, looks and drives like new.
     
    g22 likes this.
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,104
    39,425
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    You recall incorrectly. :cry:
     
  11. Offline

    Offline Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2012
    640
    232
    0
    Location:
    Lenexa, Kansas
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    So when was the redesigned head gasket implemented? I know for certain that the 2015 Prius V had it.

    Edit: You were correct. It wasn't in the 2014 model year. According to the Toyota parts database, the redesigned head gasket was used on the Prius v from "02/2015 - 10/2018".
     
    #11 Offline, Mar 7, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2023
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,104
    39,425
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I don't think the head gasket itself is the problem; suspect it's gen 3 (including the Prius v) EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation). The EGR fixes occurred with the advent of 4th gen. Long story short: if you don't want to blow a 3rd gen or v head gasket, any year, keep the EGR clean.
     
    g22 likes this.
  13. Offline

    Offline Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2012
    640
    232
    0
    Location:
    Lenexa, Kansas
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    The head gasket failure had nothing to do with the EGR valve.

    The video at the following link explains the cause of the problem that the redesigned head gasket implemented in February 2015 addressed:

     
    g22 and Mendel Leisk like this.
  14. g22

    g22 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2023
    4
    3
    0
    Location:
    Boston
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks so much for everyone's input! I thought about it and realized that I don't need a $20k car.

    I ended up purchasing a 2015 Prius two for $7300 with 154k miles, religious oil changes every 5k miles. I think I got a pretty good deal, thoughts?

    I'm currently making an organized, priority action list and would love your suggestions. Will post my list later today.
     
  15. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    7,548
    6,997
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Yeah, that's a lot more like it. Congrats and good luck with it!
     
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,443
    50,202
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Other than the oil changes, do you have maintenance records?
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,104
    39,425
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Religious oil changes won’t help the EGR. Better get on it ASAP.
     
    g22 likes this.
  18. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    8,701
    5,190
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
  19. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2018
    1,729
    560
    3
    Location:
    SE Texas
    Vehicle:
    2011 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    ----USA----
    DON'T DO IT!
     
  20. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2008
    2,006
    678
    0
    Location:
    Null, NL
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    How is it stock values went down but car prices went up. Just keep fixing the car you have and don't let them gouge you. The car didn't cost that much when it was 5 years newer