My mother needs to stop driving soon. (More like last year.) Her 2010 Prius with around 70k miles seems to have been well maintained. Other than weak rear hatch struts and one mismatched tire it seems to be in good shape. California car, so no rust. She took it regularly to a reputable shop for service, but either never kept records of the work that was done or has since misplaced them. Do shops hang onto records for the cars they service? There are family members who could use a car, but none of them have deep pockets. Since it definitely will need a new HV pack in the immediate future, and is likely due for a head gasket failure, does it make sense for any of them to take it as a daily driver, even if it is free? Or would it be better to sell it and put the money into one of the usual suspects (Corolla, Civic, Mazda 3)? They gave their other car to another family member when they went down from two cars to one. That was a Honda sedan in good shape, so there was no question about keeping that one.
If the service center is digitized, they'll have the records. Don't expect them to go digging into boxes for hard copies. If none of your immediate family wrenches; IMHO - it's best to sell it and buy something cheap and reliable.
Well, the battery is original, 16 years is a lot for a NiMH pack. I drove it recently and the SOC was bouncing up and down pretty quickly, suggesting the pack doesn't have much capacity. No codes though. With regards to a head gasket failure, honestly I am surprised it hasn't happened yet. Maybe the shop they took it to has cleaned out the EGR a couple of times? For the last 10 years at least the car has only made a few short trips (like 2 miles each way) a week. That sort of service is pretty hard on a vehicle. I charged the 12V while I was there, it was down to 12.4V, and it charged up very quickly, as if there was little capacity left. That wouldn't be a deciding factor though, the 12V is a wear item.
PriusChat has a "buy/sell" sub-forum for cars. I would try selling it there where an informed Prius enthusiast might appreciate the real-world value of the car. At 70,000 miles and in California it might be worth more than you think, or less. I'd buy one in a nano-second if the price were right BECAUSE a properly cared-for Prius would be good for potentially another 100k with an easily owner-replaceable battery pack. Either way you can use the proceeds in whatever way is suited for your family's situation, without entangling family or friend with the blessing (or the curse) of Mom's usta-car. Good Luck!
