Is Toyota's certified pre-owned inspections BS?

It could happen if it is an HID type. They become intermittent close to end of their life. Sometimes they work, sometimes not. It is possible that it was working when the inspection was done.

 

We need to check each and everything, from headlights, locks, aux port, 12v ouput plug, all glove compartments are closing etc. I took a certified vehicle and still did a 40 point check at firestone (now on sale for 10$). There are no issues, as they check / certify only the engine components/mechanical etc. We need to check each and everything and no other way to find this and get them fix before it is too late. If the dealer did not agree and mention they are due to our usage, then its a point of worry. I took my car for a long drive (200miles) on the weekend I bought and found TPMS light next day. In the past 3 weeks I am going back to the dealer many times to get it fixed... I am not sure if they will charge extra.

 

they probably don't check anything. they have to fix it if you find it. if you don't, they save money.

 

But HIDs were NEVER factory standard nor an option on Gen 3 (2010+) Priuses.

 

I've often wondered how "diligent" they are when going through their 100+ point inspection.....in your case, maybe they were too busy checking the boxes as "OK" to bother verifying the results. A bad headlight is a pretty obvious miss.

 

IMHO what its mostly worth is the extra warranty. That and if its certified, they can't really come back and argue, "well the previous owner must have..." becuase supposedly they checked it all out, whether they actually did or not

 

You should have the 12 month/12k warranty, just take it back if you find something wrong with it and they'll take care of it.

 

Well.. the inspection from the dealer might not be as thorough, but if anything goes wrong with it you have the bumper to bumper for a year/12kmiles and it's great how they cover the hybrid powertrain for i think 7-8 years or up to 100k miles (don't quote me on this)..

I traded in my 08 Lexus IS250, after my wife and I had our second son and bought a 2010 Prius TCUV last year with 40k miles for 17,000 - I thought it was a steal. Although the vehicle was used for a rental it's in excellent condition. I've had no issues so far.. just starting to mod it now..

How much did you get the car for compared to new sticker price? It's human nature to be skeptical about used products, but overall I think Toyota certified cars are very good deals esp. if they have promotions for like 1.9% APR financing if you go that route.

 

Used Toyota Warranty | Extended Warranty for Used Toyotas

 

What about purchasing additional warranty (Toyota extra care platinum plan - bumper to bumper) for 2800$ which covers upto 8years/125k??

 

To be honest with you, I think dealers push those because they carry a high profit margin.. every time I say no to additional warranties they would usually keep cutting down the price until they figured out I was not interested at all.

When I bought my Prius they offered it for 2500 and went as low as 1100. IMO, stick with the premium you are paying for the Toyota certified vehicle, if nothing goes wrong in a year w/ the 12k bumper to bumper warranty the car should be solid - (it's a Toyota) - But for some, the extra piece of mind an additional warranty offers is worth the extra $$$. Let me know what you decide, and best of luck.

 

My problem is my usage. I believe if I travel 2kmiles a month i will reach the 12k warranty in 6 months. As this will continue for a while atleast a year, i may be using around 30-35k miles in 18 month duration.. thats y i am afraid, because of the usage whether i will have more wear and tear and since i cannot get the bumper to bumper coverage after 12k miles exhausted, i thought of getting one. negotiating price with the dealer for 8yr/125k. i have this in my other thread.. but just wanted to get some fresh ideas.. will keep posted 2006 prius, certified used from dealer.. should i have to shed another 2500 for 8 year/125k covrerag | PriusChat

 

I drive 2-4k/month and did not get the extended warranty. I work with Subaru dealerships and some of them have Toyota franchises as well and have told me the Prius is a very reliable vehicle with very little maintenance. After speaking with them, I skipped the extended warranty and just have my certified warranty.

I'm at about 2600 miles in my first 3 weeks and the car has been great!

 

With which package? (See Toyota Vehicles : Toyota Announces Prices for 2010 Prius / Toyota.)

 

Congrats on your "new" to you ride Vas

Rga before I bought my used prius I've read articles where taxi companies in New York use/abuse the hell out of them and see well over 200k miles but I think the city mandates them to replace after a certain extent not because it stopped working but because the mileage was too high, its a pretty impressive vehicle I came from a Camry 05 , Lexus is 250 08 and now the Prius - it's been so inexpensive to run and maintain compared to my other vehicles.

 

I know this is diagonally off-topic, but:

Part of the Canadian Maintenance schedule is to check all lights, and signal operation, every 6 months or 8000 km (5000 miles). The US schedule makes no mention of these items.

My wife and I will usually do this when returning home: stop in the driveway, and she runs 'round the car while I flip switches and toggle signals, depress the brakes, shift into reverse, and so on. Guess we should switch roles some time...

The flipside: every scheduled maintenance in the US schedule starts with "check the driver's floor mat". And that has no mention in the Canadian schedule. Anyway:

Checking the lights/signals is a very simple chore worth doing, kind of like draining a bucket of water from the hot water tank to blow out the rust, say every 6 months.

Dash lights burn out too: ever have a "I used to be able to see..." moment, for a switch or dial?