Good idea to buy an '07 Prius with 170k miles?

kissinger

daltonss wrote: »

It's unlikely it will have full dealership history as people tend to stop using main dealers after 100k or when the warranty is up. But this isn't really a big issue as any competent garage can carry out basic servicing for that car- as long as they used correct grade oil. Was this an ex taxi car by any chance?

I'm not sure. It doesn't say. Could have been but I would have thought a taxi would break 200k after 8 years (which is how old this car is), so it might not be.

bigjl

Amazing how much info you can find on Google isn't it Dark Matter.

Is this a new ploy to try and appear helpful and less troll like in some parts of the Motoring board?

Going back to the OP the Prius battery life problem was like the 2K computer crash. Everybody talked about it but it came to nothing.

There will be failures of course and a gradual reduction in efficiency but you also don't need to replace the entire battery but rather just the failed cells.

Though I suspect most people will just swap the entire battery pack with a low miles used one.

There are very good reasons why PH and Taxi drivers use them though as I have mentioned before.

300/400k is not unusual on the original battery pack.

When the battery pack starts to fail you get a gradual increase in fuel usage.

A Gen 2 Prius might not be every bodies idea of a perfect car but they are easy to drive, smooth and quiet.

victor2

We have had an 06 Prius for about 4 years. Now has 110K miles on it. It's a T-Spirit, so has the Sat-Nav and reversing camera. The camera is marvellous. Takes a bit of getting used to, but well worth the effort. Reversing in supermarket car parks can be a bit risky because it is usually done on battery power, so is silent. People will just push trolleys behind it despite the reversing lights being on, but the camera helps again.
As for maintenance, a local independent does it and says it's easy - just a standard Toyota engine and nothing required for the hybrid. Never let us down, although has started using oil - about 3 litres in the last 8,000 miles/12 months. Has averaged 50mpg over the last year, with a lot of town driving, so nothing amazing, but very easy to drive and comfortable.

agrinnall

daltonss wrote: »

Ignore NoddyingDonkey.

Ignore everything daltonss and his other Darkmatter101 alter egos say, ever! It may be right or it may not, the problem is he posts such a load of nonsense that it's a losing battle to filter the few good bits from the rest of the dross.

saveallmymoney

I had an 07 mk2 Prius and it was great, i'm sad i sold it.

Its only fault was that it was a bit to revvy on motorways.

I'd buy a Prius again, but I wouldn't get one with that higher mileage, and I would only buy with a full Toyota SH.

victor2

Forgot to add, it can't fail an MOT on emissions because they can't test it the usual way, so it's not required for the test.

WellKnownSid

+1 on the batteries for the straight hybrids. They are run in a very narrow SoC band (60-80% IIRC) so will last for a very long time. Even when there is a problem, replacing a single cell is almost a DIY job if you're safe working around a couple of hundred VDC.

arcon5

kissinger wrote: »

I found some data online about the battery failure rate on these Prius and it said that the 10 year failure rate was something like 1-2% depending on the particular year model, so I'm fairly confident in that aspect, especially seen as how I'll be buying from a dealer as opposed to a private seller.

But I was wondering more about general repairs. I don't know whether certain things start to go wrong on these past 100,000 miles. 170,000 'sounds' like a lot of miles, but I suppose that much on a really well made car isn't really a problem.

This isn't a typical 8 yr old one though, it's a high mileague one being sold privately. Every aspect that could potentially be a reason the seller has it up for sale is worth looking in to.

daltonss wrote: »

What is the service history like on the car you're viewing with 170k? Make sure it has full service history and no.2 keys

Why two keys?


Hardly a deal breaker.

kissinger wrote: »

It doesn't say on the listing. I'll definitely ask about it when I see them in person.

I've been told that a high mileage isn't a problem providing the car has FDSH.

Dealership history.. why? Its a 7 yr old car with 170k, like most cars of that era they stopped having DSH a long time ago.

kissinger

arcon5 wrote: »

This isn't a typical 8 yr old one though, it's a high mileague one being sold privately. Every aspect that could potentially be a reason the seller has it up for sale is worth looking in to.

It's actually being sold by a dealer, not a private seller.

chib

My second car was a Seat Ibiza with 124K on the clock and everyone told me stay clear of it. I got it for £400 in in two years of ownership and 30K miles the only thing I done was a regular service, head gasket change and timing belt change which the garage did for £100. I was gutted when I had an accident in it and the car was written off.

I've never actually bought another high mileage car since but my previous experience wouldn't put me off at all. What you'll find are other parts like bushes and suspension may require work before the engine and battery does and things like the interior may show some wear.