it has 122,000 miles and looks to be in pretty good shape. I was just wondering what to look for beyond the normal used car things to look at? from reading the posts, it seems that the batteries should still last a good while and that is one of the reasons I would balk. can anybody tell me if this should be a problem? I don't want to spend the money on the car and then need to spend several more thousand dollars on batteries in a year or two. yes, I know that if I buy a regular vehicle I could just as easily spend more money on mechanical problems too but the whole EV element of a Prius just adds to the uncertainty. Thanks
I have an ,05 at 103k miles ... Totally reliable. Check plugs, pcv valve and transmission fluid were serviced at 100-120k ... Else budget for that ... Also that hybrid coolant pump recall service done. Shocks and struts probably getting towards end of life .. That is probably $1k to replace .. But any car that age would have similar issue although maybe a little cheaper to replace on a Chevy etc. all in all best car I've ever owned from reliability point of view - still drives almost like new .. No problem to run to 200k plus if you take care of basic maintenance
Look around the forum. There are quite a few posts from owners with 200K and 300K on their odometers. Yes, they have had to make repairs. But that shows that a Prius is like other cars. You simply have to take care of them. If you are still uncertain, have the car checked out by a mechanic who is familiar with a Prius. They can tell you if anything is wrong with it. As long as the car is maintained properly, it should last a long time. If it needs a repair to make it roadworthy, see if the seller will fix it or discount it accordingly.
