Hi guys, Im newly registered here but I have been lurking for a while . I have a question regarding an 04 Prius that I'm interested in purchasing that has 50k km (31k miles). This Prius is nicely specced with parking assist and 6 disk changer. I could probably purchase a basic 08 Prius with higher milage as an alternative. I am concerned after reading on the forums that battery age is worse than mileage for a Prius - is this true? Will the 04 be at more risk for failure compared to a higher milage 08? Many thanks for reading and your response! Regards, Max
Hi Max, Battery age is not good, the newer the better. Extremes in ambient temperature (both hot and cold) are not good. The battery prefers moderate temperatures. Continual driving in mountainous terrain is not good as this requires the battery to repeatedly cycle between state of charge extremes (40% to 80%).
Where are you located? Check the battery warranty for your area, chances are the '04 is too old to qualify, but the '08 would still have a few more years.
Max, the truth is that neither age nor miles is a particularly good indicator of likely battery health. Calendar age is a factor, but it's less so in Nickle based batteries than it is with Li-Ion. It's really the number of charge/discharge cycles (especially the deeper ones) and the temperature at which they occurred that determines how likely it is that the pack is flogged. Of course miles and years are all we have to go by, but both of those are only indirect indicators. In other words, 31k miles is no guaranty that the battery is still in good health, and ten years old is no guaranty that it isn't.
Hi guys, Many thanks for you responses. Im from Auckland in NZ so we have a moderate climate, and the car itself is from Chiba, Japan (cold). After reading your comments I will need to rethink this purchase. I'm doing my best not to end up with a lemon, however compromises must be made . I will have another look around for a 08 model, I'm sure I will find one soon! Thanks again! Max
Hi UART, Yes I am, I went to test drive it yesterday, and apart from some cosmetic damage on the interior (arm rest fabric needs to be reglued) it looks OK. It drove well - I have driven an 08 model as well with 35k miles and I couldn't tell the difference between the two. Max
Are you concerned that the MFD will display Japanese language characters? That is a common issue. Some disassembly of the arm rest and the use of fabric glue to anchor the fabric in the right place is all that is needed, a fairly simple repair.
Ok that sounds good, it's probably fine then. It's just that with batteries there doesn't seem to be any sure fire way to predict future health. The only real guaranty is the Toyota one, which I think is 7 years 150,000k (it's either that or 8yr 160,000k) for the gen2. Do you still get the Toyota warranty on a second hand Prius there in NZ , we do in Australia. Having said that, I've got a 2005 model (I think it may actually be a 2004, but first registered here in Feb 2005) that's just about to hit 200,000 km and it's still going strong. I'm guessing the situation with the Prius in NZ is similar to here in Aus, no real alternative to the dealers for parts and repairs, which means you're gonna get screwed real hard if anything major does go wrong. I've been lucky though, I got mine s/h in 2009, put another 140,000 km on since then and not one thing has ever broken down on it.
Hi Patrick, thanks for your response. The Japanese MDF doesn't bother me, it is common in NZ as there are many Japanese imports here. The Japanese lady speaking to you adds a bit more entertainment for the ride ;-). Good to know about the fabric, thanks! Hi UART, thanks for such a detailed response! I will have to investigate Toyotas second hand warranty, which might be good for a later model. Good to hear that your Prius is running well. Yeah it is exactly the same here in NZ, only a few places specialize in repairs so it is important to get it right. This Prius has been sitting at the dealer since September so I will keep looking around for a newer version without too many kms. I just love that auto park feature . Many thanks for everyone's help on deciding the matter. I hope I will be driving my 'new' Prius soon!
