Hello all,

I am currently looking at buying a used 2003 Prius with 75k miles on it (good carfax report with an extended bumper-to-bumper warrantee for 3yrs/35k). When I mentioned the Prius to my dad he brought up a point that I hadn't thought of. Like any rechargable battery the Prius' battery must eventually lose its ability to hold a charge. Some googling shows that this is indeed an issue, but I haven't found much guidance as to exactly how long these batteries last. Am I likely to have to pay $4k for a new battery in the near future since the car has so many miles on it already? Is there any way of telling what kind of shape the battery is currently in?

On a related note, does anyone have advice as to how I can further verify the quality of the car? I've called some mechanics in the area, but the only people who seem to have Prius experience are the mechanics at the dealership I'm buying it from (this is in Auburn, MA if anyone has reccommendations).

Thanks in advance for any help offered!
--Brad