Brand-new Prius with 255 miles?

welcome and congrats! i think you'll be fine. you can check to see if it was registered. if so, selling it as new would be illegal. otherwise, it's probably just test drives, and no biggie. all the best!

i will add that they should have disclosed the mileage, instead of hoping you wouldn't see it. but this is par for the course with most dealers. try to put it out of your mind, you bought a great car, joined a fabulous community, and will have many years of reliable, fun transportation.

 

DP,

Welcome to PC! A lot of useful information here!


It sounds like a demo car, or one of the salesmen 'borrowed' the car for a while.
If your out the door price was good, you are happy, then just accept the sale.
Car is still under warranty.

My car mileage at pick up was 2.
Enjoy your 55+ mpg!

stt

 

We test drove our car before deciding to buy. Obviously not 250 miles put on, but just saying: several potential buyers might test drive, but walk away. I would just listen carefully as you drive, and read through the manual, make sure all the bits are present, nothing missing.

 

My guess is one of the salesman drove it a fair amount. Considering it's not that many miles and under new car warranty, I wouldn't be too worried.
That said.... It is frustrating that car dealers get away with selling cars this way as "brand new"
It's like paying "new" price for electronics that someone else took home and used for a week or two....

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Register the VIN at http://www.toyota.com/owners to see the service history.

You didn't ask about the mileage before you went to the lot and the dealer didn't tell. You saw the mileage on the odometer before you bought the car.

I would have pointed out that you were expecting less than 10 miles on the new car and 250+ is not making you happy.

Toyota paid the dealer to prep the car and deliver it with a full tank of gas. Finding a library book and stuff in the console proves the dealer didn't prep the car for you. Things to point out.

Since everyone so far is just shrugging and dismissing your concerns now it is time to talk to the owner or at least the Sales Manager. Explain the situation pointing out that you aren't satisfied and that you are holding on to the Customer Satisfaction Survey until the rear bumper cover meets your standards. Now you have their attention and can negotiate for what you believe should make you satisfied.

Keep a record of everything and review it when you do complete the survey. If you aren't satisfied then slam 'em on the survey. Maybe Clint & Puddin' won't get a bonus. Maybe the dealer has to work harder to maintain their 5 star status or whatever they call it. Maybe the dealer's slacking employees will realize they need to do more than a half @$$ed job when they prep a car for a sale--including removing the salesman's junk.

In the long run the day's experiences really don't matter. You got the car you wanted. If you return for the dealer's new Customer Party ask the assembled group if anyone knows Clint & Puddin'.

 

My then pregnant wife was adamant about a specific color for our first minivan and the dealer had to get one from out of town which was driven back. No biggie. True dealer demo units typically rack up thousands before being returned to the sales lot but are discounted as such.

 

The clock starts ticking on the In Service date, the date you bought the car. Ask the Service Manager about their policy on warranty work. Do the warranty miles before delivery count?

 

I've yet to read a "miles less demo or test drive miles" exclusion clause in any manufacture warranty; however, I do know GM demo units start the warranty clock when the car is put in demo (service loaner) use.

 

is this southeast toyota?

 

Not many people do what I do when I look at a new car. First, I look at the bottom corner of the window sticker. It tells you the original dealer that took delivery of the car. If it has a different dealer name than the one you're at, it was traded at some point. Ask the dealer where did they get the vehicle from. If it matches the window sticker, it's only been traded once. If it doesn't that mean it has been traded at least twice. As for how many times, you're not likely to find out as dealers won't share that info. Second, I look at the VIN plate on driver door frame. It tells you the built date. If it's November now and it was built in Feb, I'd question its history and its treatment. Third, I look at the mileage.
Knowing these 3 information can tell you alot about its history and why. For example, you're at Bob's Toyota and you saw a Prius 4T. The window sticker shows Tom's Toyota that's 50 miles away. The VIN plate shows it's built in February. It has 70 miles on the ODO.
I would ask how many times it has been traded amongst the dealers. How was the car transported driven or flatbedded? Why did it sat in the lot for 9 months? Keep bring up this point. It sat in the lot for 9 months. It means nobody wants it. If it's only been driven 70 miles in 9 months, has it been routinely started to keep the battery charged? You can use all of those points to renegotiate down the price even more. Worst come to worst, walk away. Most likely they will call you back. Dealers don't want to keep inventory for long because it cost them money on storage, cleaning and up keep. If it sat in the lot for too long, they're more desperate to sell and willing to sell at lower price than the ones fresh off the boat.
Once you bought the car, you have 12 months/12K miles complete EVERYTHING warranty that covers things like alignment that the 3yr 36K comprehensive won't cover. Make sure you get everything taken care of during the 12mo/12K miles period.
Forgot to mention that you should check if your dealer has a rental program and loaner program. It's possible that it has been rented out or loaned out. If it is, it's possible that you can claim fraud because it's not a new car anymore.

 

Hi Diane! Was this at Beamen Toyota downtown? I'm guessing it is since you're from Nashville, and I'm sad to say, it sounds like something that would happen there. I never got a good feeling about them when I had to deal with them. For both my Prius and my best friends Prius (who he bought it there)

 

We bought a "new" Accord once, then looking at the bill of sale saw the warranty was a month or two shortened: the car had been "owned" by the dealership, used as a demo for that time frame, had about 100 km's on the odometer. I questioned it, and we got a letter from them extending the warranty. Bottom line, it can be stressing, but in a year or two, not so much.

 

Don't you just hate car sales people?! It seems they all lie, and they all play games. They hide things. I'll never understand why they can't be truthful. Its a very shady business. (Along with the service departments!)

I have to be honest Diane, I probably would not have bought that car. Unless they offered a substantial discount. Once I saw the wad of wipes in the center console, and the scratched rear bumper, that would be it for me. I hate to admit it, and I'm including myself here, but a lot of people sure get impatient when buying a new car. Go with your first gut instinct… If something feels wrong about it, walk away.

(My car had 40 miles on the odometer when I bought it. Even that low mileage made me uncomfortable. So I spent an hour going over every inch of it before I signed the papers. And I didn't find out until I got home, and entered the VIN at Toyota.com, that my car was first delivered to another dealer. But that other dealer was only about 3 miles away. The other 37 miles must've been "test drives." )