Should I buy a prius with 137k miles?

I had a 2011 Prius Two. When I had a software recall a couple of years ago they gave me a 15 year warranty on the inverter. I have no idea why they did that. Next time you go to your Toyota dealer might be a good idea to ask if you got the 15 year extended warranty on your inverter.

 

Though some PC members are against it because of the unknown, a friend bought off lease/rental. I think they went with Hertz Rental Sales, 2012 Prius. They have lots of cars and no hassle pricing. I think they have owned for about 6 months and are still very happy.

Good luck!

 

I was trying to help steer you toward a good 3 year old car with about 45,000 miles and no damage. You are determined to buy a rebuilt car. I wouldn't go there.

 

I know you are trying desperately to save money by going rebuilt or salvaged. You might be saving money but you will be dealing with alot of $$$ in the future.

I say you play it safe, spend just a little bit more, and go with a Prius, with one owner and a clean record.

Good luck on your purchase. I'm sure you'll make the right decision.

 

Guys that rebuild batteries know how to put together a battery pack that's on its last leg. Will maybe last a year. Just because the car is 7 years old and salvaged, does not mean it's the original battery, it could be older.

The traction battery is made up of lots of very small batteries wired together. They can build a bearly running battery pack and put it in your salvaged car.

 

I think we've said it all.

 

you can't go wrong with steve at autobeyours.com, he is the most knowledgeable and honest prius wrencher in the us of a. all the best.

 

he also put a prius drive train in a motorboat. it's not a joke, the guys a genius, and also very friendly and helpful to anyone calling him for help.

 

I've scanned through the thread and don't see what year the repaired prius was. Probably doesn't matter since the deal is off but I wanted to see its kbb value.

In my area a 2004 goes for $3700, which would be an option on your budget. If the battery dies in a year $1300 for a refurbished one and a few hours with a socket set and you are back in business.

 

Yeah, kbb "excellent" rating in my area (about 3 hours from you) is worth $5500. "Fair" is 4200. I'm sure even "fair" means no prior major accident. With a severe accident I wouldn't offer more than 2500-3000 since you are taking on liability for future repairs that may show up after you buy it. His price is nuts.

Consider an older one with no accident.

 

Dwight, Taking a quick look at cargurus I see there are some decent Yaris sedans and hatchbacks as well as Echos that aren't showing any reported accidents, some under 100k miles and in your price range. It was also previously mentioned you can probably find a good Corolla or Honda Civic, too. As a student on a budget you should consider getting one of those and save the goal of owning a nice Prius for when you get on your financial feet. As dependable as the Prius is, when something goes wrong it's usually very expensive and in your price range you're not going to find much of a warranty on anything.

Get something dependable without the hybrid baggage and focus on just getting relatively trouble free transportation to get you through your near future. The cars suggested are going to minimize what you're giving up in mpg. Then, when you get out of school and get settled in you can "upgrade" to the Prius of your dreams, trading in whatever you get now. It's only for a few years and will be worth the wait.

 

Here's the only Consumer Reports article I could find about Prius batteries. They tested the battery and discovered it to be almost as good as new after ten years:
The 200,000-mile question: How does the Toyota Prius hold up?

Please point us to whatever surveys at Consumer Reports, PriusChat or ANYWHERE that show a higher percent of failure (NOTE: 1-3% is NOT a "high" rate of failure).