Hello- my name is Andrew and I’m looking to buy a 2008 Toyota Prius to replace my 2006 Toyota Camry that’s a manual transmission and my arthritic hip can no longer shift gears. 255,000 miles privately owned second owners last 12 years not the prettiest thing in the world, but runs and drive as well as it’s quarks am I crazy for doing this buying it for $2000? from their ad below 2008 Prius Within the last year : Refurbished hybrid battery New car battery New injectors New coil packs New spark plugs New hybrid coolant pump New tires 5000 miles ago 255,000 miles -Check engine light is on -Currently showing a p0304 code -does not have a current inspection (it sat for awhile while we were saving up for another hybrid battery) Has been a great car for us we just got something newer Excellent mileage -we always averaged 43-48mpg or better May be an easy fix on the check engine light - we just don’t have the time to look into ——————————————— my mother-in-law has a 2007 Prius original 200,000 miles and she loves it. Served her well just wondering if I’m making a great decision I drive maybe 5000 miles a year I would appreciate your thoughts for a newbie here
New injectors New coil packs New spark plugs Possibly because they were trying to fix the p0304 code and weren't successful. (I picked up an intermittent misfire as a result of routine maintenance because a new NGK plug from rockauto was internally broken. I doubt that you'd be as "lucky", but it COULD be that one or more of the new parts is bad. Easy to test. I was dumb and didn't suspect the reputable new plugs from a reputable source first and swapped coils between cylinders and tested fuel injector pattern with carb cleaner and battery first before going back to the plugs.)
welcome! while many 2008's are great cars, it is possible that this one could be a major project. the refurbished battery alone could be a huge expense. I wouldn't get involved with an old hybrid unless I knew the complete history first hand, was hybrid savvy, and had all the tools and skills to keep it running at a reasonable cost. there's no comparison between hybrid and gasser maintenance once they're old. all the best!
Sounds like this car may have a set of counterfeit plugs you want to sort that out real quick as they've already put new coils and everything else in line
IMHO; if you don't "wrench" you should steer clear. They've already showed you the parts cannon they've already threw at this car without resolution. Your buying someone else's problem child. Just because your mother-in-law has one, doesn't mean that car has received the same meticulous maintenance routine, your mother-in-law has bestowed on her car. Most cars will make it over 200K if routine maintenance is performed at or before OEM specified intervals. Food for thought.......
I hesitate to comment because a real mechanic doesn't argue with Google mechanics, but this vehicle has way to many red flags. Do yourself a favor and walk away from this one.
