I'm considering buying a Certified Pre-Owned Prius (liftback, Gen III, probably Prius II). But I'd want an independent mechanic to inspect it before I'd buy one. The dealers always try to talk you out of this ("But we've already done a 10,000 point inspection!") A sales manager I dealt with recently claimed that because Prius is different than other cars, an unspecialized mechanic could damage it during inspection. When I explained that I wouldn't consider buying from them if they didn't allow independent inspection he relented, but it made me wonder: Is there any truth to the claim that a mechanic could damage it? Or - would an unspecialized mechanic have problems spotting potential trouble spots in a Prius? If there is, how does one go about finding a good independent mechanic with Prius chops? (I've found a thread here from a couple years ago that mentions one San Diego area mechanic, but wondering how to find out if there are others.)
