Is $4500 for a 2003 Prius with 154,000 miles a good deal? And if i were to purchase this vehicle how much life can i realistically expect to get out before it encounters a problem? And if it does encounter a problem from your personal experience what most likely would that problem be? And would it be expensive to repair? Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...used-2004-prius-160k-miles-2.html#post1484900 might help. Personally, I wouldn't buy a Gen 1. However, if it's recently gotten an replacement HV battery, had its transaxle replaced and maybe the steering rack too, then maybe it might be worth a look. In general, I'd go for a Gen 2 (04-09 model year).
That is about the going rate, actually pretty decent, maybe even too good to be true, but it is not for the faint of heart. 2001-2003 do not have the longevity of 2004-2009. At that age and mileage, you could literally have a $2000+ malfunction happen before you get it home, perhaps as much as 10 times more likely than a comparable '04. If you can fix your own cars, up to and including transmission removal and installation, then it is fair to roll the dice. If $4500 is all the money that you have and can't afford to spend $2K on repairs in the coming year, then it is not such a good idea.
I know everyone says its best to buy Gen II (04-09) but, you cannot get one for $4500 anywhere (at least not that I've seen). Like cwerdna and seilerts say, there is an excellent chance you could have a major problem tomorrow but, there is also the chance that you'll have no problems for the next 50,000 miles. If you are mechanically inclined, many of the common problems can be DIY'ed. The common problems I see are: HV battery (DIY for $40 - $2000 depending on how you fix it). 12V battery (about $160 to DIY), front and/or rear wheel bearings ($80-200 DIY), transaxle failure (not recommended for DIY) big ticket item. These are just a few. The list could go on and on to include inverter, inverter coolant pump, struts, shocks, cv joints/boots and any other high mileage wear item you would find on any other car. I personally like the Gen I and believe it is an excellent city car. I will have to stop short of recommending anyone to buy a Gen I because as soon as I do, they will have problems but, I can say I enjoy my Gen I and find it to be highly reliable (fingers crossed). Here is some recommended reading for you. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...february/cars/toyota-prius/overview/index.htm Judging by the city mpg they achieved, the testers in the above article were not driving it correctly. I have found that the Gen I excels in city driving (consistently above 40mpgs and with correct driving, 50+ in the summer).
I just purchased a 2001 Prius with 175000 miles for $4200 expecting to put money into it. I understand that something could go wrong at any time (just like any car), but I figured that at that price and with the usual Toyota reliability, I would still be money ahead. I drive 22 miles to and from work each day on city streets and get just over 60mpg for the trip.
My personal experience with a 2002 prius.. 2/7/12 Bought 2002 prius with 140,000 miles for $5,100 2/27/12 got inverter error code. Cleared code and went on my way. 3/12/12 got inverter error code. Cleared code and went on my way. 3/30/12 got inverter error code. Cleared code and went on my way. 4/15/12 got inverter error code. Wouldn't clear and wouldn't run. 6/2/12 Spent $1450 for an inverter from Re-involt and My uncle and I installed it with no problems. 6/12/12 Strong signs of needing a new 12v battery. And a possibility that my HV battery is on its last leg. (lord I hope not!!!) No codes for HV yet. Hopefully the 12v will be the cure like so many other cars with my particular problem.. If I had to do over again, would I buy a prius? You betcha! But I would go on toyota.com and enter the vin number to get the history of the car first!! If I would have done that before hand, I would have never bought this particular one. Reports show car was having inverter issues regularly since 9/2011. But original owner refused repairs... And finally traded it in Febuary 2nd and here I came along a week later and bought all the problems. Oh, well... lesson learned. True, it is a royal pain in the behind, and I went almost 2 months without a car.... But the money I have been saving in fuel compared to my car I had before the prius, I will have the $1450 paid off in about another 10,000 miles. I also want to mention, The first two months I had the car, I put a hair over 5,000 miles on it... So compared to the fuel I spent on my prior car, If no other costs arise besides the $180 12v battery, my prius will have paid for the repairs and paid its purchase price off by the end of the year...
