Unfortunately that day has come for us nervous parents: our oldest child is of driving age. I cast the used car buying net far and wide looking for something safe, reliable, and reasonably cheap and it always kept coming back to a used Prius. Funny how that works. We were very fortunate to find a creampuff '06 Base with rear cam with only 44k miles. Yeah, that's not a typo. Literally owned by the proverbial little old lady who only used it around town (I'm sure she went to church on Sundays too ). All recalls done, dealership lifetime records, and comes with tinted windows, a new optima yellow top and brand new tires too. There is some bad news. The battery threw codes, verified by the dealer, and has had one module replaced by a family member so we are on borrowed time. My plan is to soldier on his final two years of high school, condition the pack with a grid charger, replace any possible future failed modules and eventually replace the entire pack with a new one when he leaves for college (and we kick him out the door HAH!). He thinks it's pretty cool.
Hey congratulations! Looks like a keeper! I would definitely go with the grid-charger solution (I recently started using one on my 2009 Gen II (110,000miles) no problems yet with the Traction-Battery, but I'm doing it just in case! (I recently replaced the 12V Auxiliary-Battery - one sign that it's on its last legs is you might notice the SKS system starting to get flakey - I see from you pics that your car has SKS) - hope this helps - Nice car, love the colour! - Wil
man that car is clean! You should see our 06 after carrying 3 grandkids in the back quite a while now. Baked on Cherrios etc. Hey but our HV battery solid! Go figure?
+1 on beyond clean. Get Weathertech floor mats and trunk mat fromPriuschat Shoppe. Since grandma paid for dealer maintenance, I would hit up the dealer and Toyota Customer Care for a discounted HV Pack. Maybe they'll offer you one for $1500?
Wow! That is one clean car. Congrats on the purchase. I've heard that sometimes a hybrid being underused can cause problems for the battery. Is there any truth to this? Just curious.
A 2006 model year would likely have been purchased in 2005 or 2006. That would make the battery 11 or 10 years old. Most likely age and heat killed the battery.
I'm so jealous that car is SUPER clean. I'm considering using a grid charger on my 08 that I just bought with 191,000 on it, and with original traction and 12v battery. Great buy and I think with your game plan, the car will serve you well. I'm looking for a luggage cover....are you planning to use yours?
Thx! Yes, I am definitely going to pursue grid charging. That's what the dealership told her too. Also over the years, it had been in twice for a dead 12v. Sorry, we are going to keep it but I'm sure they pop up on ebay.
