Toyota Prius (2nd hand, Hybrid) - any good?

bubbleoflife_2

As I've been looking to replace my car (sell my current Renault Kango) with a car that will keep my running costs low, I stumbled across a 2nd hand 2007 registration Hybrid Auto for £2000.

I checked the road tax and it's £10 per year!!! :T What a dream! Is it a dream?

Does anyone have experience with a Prius? What should I look out for in the logbook (any known faults, repairs,...don't know )?

ratrace

bubbleoflife wrote: »

I stumbled across a 2nd hand 2007 registration Hybrid Auto for £2000.

That seems like a very good price for a hybrid whats the mileage on it? also how many keepers has it had?

Generally speaking Toyota are quite reliable as far as i know the thing to watch out for is the battery's lots of taxis drivers have them so it may worth talking to them about the pro's and con's although the ones they drive are fairly new so any "common" faults may not have developed

hope that sort of helps

captainawsome

Do a google search. I'm sure the HV battery has a shelf life (poss 5 or 7 years but not 100%). They are not cheap!

forgotmyname

The £10 tax is a tiny proportion of a vehicles running costs though.

Especially when it may need a battery thats valued at £000's rather than £100.

Is it the 2007 import thats really a 1999 car? Watch dodgy sellers that state the import/registration date not the genuine build date.

£2000 for a 2007 car i best it wont be as cheap to run as you hope.

cootuk

That seems way too cheap unless something majorly wrong.


Toyota main dealers will now do a high voltage battery check (Hybrid health check) for £39 which also warranties the battery an extra year or 10k miles up to 10 years. Free with a service. HV batteries are lasting 10+ years generally, not the 5-7 years lots of people think - that's the 12v battery.


Main things are check tyres are low rolling resistance, brakes can corrode, 12V battery is a bit weak and needs replacing every few years (£90).


A failing 12v battery can throw up all sorts of nasty warning errors.

bubbleoflife_2

Thank you all for tips and thoughts!

Seller says '...car is in excellent condition, immaculate inside and out it looks, feels and drives like new, 50,000 miles, no damage, no accidents, no scratches, garage kept, non-smoker, Full Clear HPi report, 2 keys, V5, logbook, service book and all handbooks. The interior is also in perfect shape. The engine is also in great condition, no problem with it. The vehicle comes with Full documentation and Full Service History, 12 months MOT and 12 months Road Tax.'

I've already checked on DVLA's website and date of manufacture and 1st registration both match, which is a good sign I guess.
The MOT and Road TAX, though, don't expire in 12 months but in few months (July & November 2015). Yes, price seems very good.

I've still to receive a reply by the seller about the state of the battery (does it need replacing; is it a hybrid type .....).

Well, I'm learning a few things about 'hybrid' 2nd hand cars. Cheers! :-)

forgotmyname

Wait for the its on its way over from spain. Send them a refundable deposit or transfer the payment to some supposedly secure scam site and they will deliver the car to you.
If your happy the secure payment will get released and your all happy. Except there is no car, no secure payment method and you lose.

Where did you see it advertised?

The tax expires the instant that you buy it. You need to tax it before you drive home.

OddballJamie

If something's too good to be true...

Here's an idea of what a 2007 Prius for around £2k is like
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-Toyota-Prius-Hybrid-T4-VVT-I-Salvage-Category-D-044433-/161524642408

bigjl

I would also suggest there is something not right with that car.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

A 2007 Prius is worth much more than 2k.

daveyjp

£2,000 for a 7 year old car with just 50,000 miles. Does this car also have gills and a dorsal fin, because it certainly smells very fishy to me.

Hoof_Hearted

I think it's a scam advert. Does it have an email address rather than a telephone number?