2nd gen Prius a safe reliable buy?

I can't say what I really think here

 

Honestly I can’t tell you what a decent price for replacing brakes would be. I have been doing my own since 1977. 179 dollars in labor to replace the rear brake shoes? How many hours of labor is that?

I do think that if the dealer did decide to do some of the items on your list he would want to have the work done himself. If he split the cost based on your estimate and he has an in house mechanic doing it that is.

But then if the dealer sold a car that he didn’t even check the oil in himself he must not be a very good dealer.

 

This forum is made up of a majority who come together to learn how to exist with hybrid technology. Let's be clear, you came here, not the other way around. If you don't want to benefit from the majority's experience with hybrid cars, WETFOOM

 

Actually we don't know about the long term reliability of the Gen 4's yet. Can't. Time must pass.
BUT...
I agree that the Gen 2's have proven to be well built incarnations of the Prius. But even they suffer from miles, age and wear. Despite the well built reality of the Gen 2 Prius, it's still more likely a 2015 Prius has more life and less upcoming maintenance issues, than a 2005 Prius. It's just reality.

 

The quote has quite a number of issues. Regarding the oil change, the full synthetic will probably be a wash even if you do extend the interval. Oil changes are pretty easy on the Prius. If you want to learn and have the time, it might be worth it. You could also take it to a much cheaper oil change center like Valvoline, etc. Also, an oil change isn't necessary unless the "Maint Req'd" light is on. Just top up and keep going. Also, your oil may not be leaking, just burning.

The mechanic is very possibly recommending brake service before it "needs" to be done, but may not be counting on the long life of Prius brakes. Your brakes might be good for another 50k.

Spark plugs are way too expensive, as are other parts, and the fuel induction kit shouldn't need doing unless the car says there's a problem. The valve cover gasket may need doing; it's impossible to say over the Internet, but the car would likely tell you there was a problem. You might want to ask your mechanic what the symptoms of that are.

Parts cleaner and shop supplies are weirdly expensive. Finally, struts are not a significant maintenance or safety concern. They wear out quickly, it's true, but all that means is a rougher ride. You don't have to do them if you don't want to, typically, unless there is a massive safety issue.

I don't see any major service in here that is likely to absolutely need doing. Again, I can't verify any symptoms over the Internet, but if the car seems to run fine, it probably doesn't need several of these.

The seller may have been correct, although I don't know why he wouldn't check the oil.

 

I don't disagree with any of this.
But for purposes of this thread, I was comparing "corresponding new and used counterparts" or Prius to Prius. But certainly, different brands, different models, different manufacturers all have potentially different quality. I still say, as a generalization, newer and less miles is more reliable than older with more miles.

 

-it's your fault you were lied to because you accepted a written promise-The Electric Me??????-Looking through my posts...I never wrote or said this?


Let's stick to the topic of next steps. Not interested in the commentary, thanks.-Blargity

When did I say that?
That's not even something I said.
Please don't ask me to not comment, after showing a quote I did not even write or say.

I don't care if you agree or disagree with me. But I don't like quotes attributed to me that I did not say.

Listen, I sincerely wish you the best of luck with your purchase, and at every step my "commentary" has only intended to aid. But some things do come down to both opinion and reality. You posted a thread in Prius Chat...you're going to get commentary...it comes free.

You say you haven't bought many cars despite your age? That seems obvious.
I'm just saying if you think you can return a $3,500 used car, bought from a dealership under the "lemon laws" good luck. Unless the dealership is just "nice" and takes it back...the vehicle is yours now.

Next Steps?
I'm highly doubtful returning the vehicle is a plausible action. Most used cars sold at dealerships are sold "As Is". If you have a sales contract, I'm willing to bet that phrase is on it. The few sentence exchange over the internet where you ask if the vehicle has an major upcoming maintenance issues and the seller says No, I don't think would hold up as a written "guarantee". All the dealership (seller) has to say, is that the vehicle was running, you had the opportunity to check it out, and that to the best of their knowledge it didn't have any major maintenance issues.
Unless a dealership operates under a policy of allowing a "return" period (some do)...you rarely hear of a dealership taking back a used car once sold.
Which leaves you where you know you are at.

As far as potential damage done to the engine because of being run low on oil? You could have a compression test done to try to determine the condition of the engine. I probably would, so at least I'd know whether the engine was an issue or not. Or you could just drive it, and see what happens. But I'd probably have the compression test, if only to know and determine the condition before deciding whether I wanted to invest into the other repairs.

All the other issues, suspension, brakes, filters, .....are issues that I would address if I planned on keeping the vehicle. But I'd want to know what condition the engine was in first. If you have to tack on replacing engine to the rest of the needed repairs?

I'd start to gravitate towards the whole deal being a loss. But you'd still have the option of putting in a rebuilt engine, it's just that much more investment.

And finally....I'll admit to a bit of confusion. In your very first post, you refer to the vehicle as being represented by "The Owner"...then in post 39...it's a "Dealership".
There's a difference between a private party used car sale...which would be the owner...and a Dealership used car sale.

I just want to be clear....did you buy this from an "Owner" or a "Dealership"? Returning the vehicle in either case would be difficult.

 

i wish i had some good advice to offer. like i tell my kids, if you decide against my advice, i'm not likely to have a solution.
i didn't mean to pollute your thread, all the best with your situation, i hope it works out.

 

Listen to parental advice.

Learn the hard way.

I’m in the early phases of your above curve.

Hoping for a different result but I suspect similar results.

 

some days you're the windshield, and some days you're the bug.

i've had my own share of bug days, much as my own parents tried to prevent them

 

A car "needing" maintenance is a very subjective term. Different mechanics/owners see things differently.

A mechanic that needs to make some money will point out problems that may not be there, just to get some work. Like my local dealer telling me my air filters and windshield wipers are really bad and quoted $95 for wipers and $65 for an air filter. Neither of which I really needed to replace. And to make things worse, it was noted on my repair paperwork that I declined this most important recommendation.

Bottom line, at $3500 and it runs nicely. Just drive it until it breaks. Then sell it for $1000. Call the $2500 an experience of a lifetime

 

exactly. like my daughters '08 with 130k. car will probably be fine for another 100k or more, but buyers want every little thing done that 'mechanic' recommends.

 

It’s just like buying a house. You hire an inspector to “find things”.

Once he finds stuff, you then alert the seller and let the haggling begin.

If the main issue in your mind from the inspection report doesn’t get fixed, you probably walk. It’s very rare that everything from an inspection report gets fixed but yet you miss out on 100% of what you don’t ask for.

But once the deed is done, there ain’t no going back.

 

agreed, but there are savvy buyers, who understand the process, or get good advice from the inspector and/or agent, and there are clueless buyers who want everything done, and often lose the house because they're scared.

 

Do the crime, Do the time

 

Dennis Leary wrote a song that explains the reason quite clearly.

 

The maint req'd light comes back every 5k miles. It doesn't tell you when to change oil it just tells you that you've driven 5k miles since light was last reset.

It could have no oil in it and be about ready to blow and if the maint req'd light was reset 1900 miles ago it won't come back for another 3100 miles even though there is no oil in the engine.

 

How long does OP plan on keeping the Prius? From reading the thread I don't sense a feeling of enthusiasm toward the car, so I doubt driving it for an extended period of time would be enjoyable to the OP, however these cars are known to grow on people.

Fix the oil and the leaks, then resell it to gain some of your money back. Be sure to be open about the car's defects rather than hiding stuff like the dealer did. Then buy a different car. IMO a non-hybrid Toyota or Honda would be your best bet for a simple car with good reliability; obviously do some thorough research before buying.

Or keep the Prius. Either way get a second opinion on the pricing; that seems quite overpriced. Brakes should take an hour or two at most for the average DIY-er; a decent mechanic could easily do them in an hour. Cost should be much less. To reduce costs further, source your own parts and have a mechanic install them. I bet you could have that car fixed for under $1500.

I don't remember if it was included in the dealer list, but make sure to change the transmission fluid regularly -- good advice for any non-manual car, especially CVTs. Replacing the transaxle is $1000-$4000, depending on how you source the part and labor charges, and from what I've read it seems like most early failures are due to poor upkeep in this area.

If the hybrid battery is the original one, prepare for spending $2500 between 200k and 300k miles, sometimes sooner, sometimes later. Unlike the early Honda hybrids, you can't bypass the hybrid battery and run on gas only as a cheap alternative. The Prius shines in savings for people who drive over 20k miles a year, as the gas savings more than make up for the cost of a new battery. For those who drive <15k miles a year, unless the deal is stellar, a Prius may not be the best car for you.

Ultimately it's up to you. The Prius is definitely not a car to purchase without thoroughly researching it and understanding what you're getting into, but obviously it's a little late now to be saying that here. PriusChat is a great place to come to for researching and asking questions about Prii, but you can't blame the members if the car turned out to be a bad deal. The whole point of a forum is for networking, and asking/answering questions, which is ruined when either side turns to mudslinging. Folks, this isn't politics. You win people over more with honey than vinegar, just saying.

All the best with your Prius experience.