Hello all,

I posted earlier about a 2003 Prius with 75k miles on it that I am thinking about purchasing. I got some great information on the battery from some of you last time and I'm hoping you can help out with another concern. 75k is a lot of miles for a used car. I know that Toyota has a reputation for making durable cars and I have a Hyundai Elantra with ~95k on it that is still doing fine (but beginning to show its age).

Basically, I'm looking for some real-world information about what I can expect: How many miles do you have on your Prius? What year is it? Any problems with it so far? The term on my lease will be five years and I will be driving about 50 miles a day for my commute so am I pushing my luck in hoping to have the thing paid off before it starts having problems (assuming it's in decent condition now-- carfax shows no evidence of prior issues).

Thanks a ton in advance to anyone who can offer advice. This is my first used car and I'm more than a little nervous!

 

Our 2001 Prius has gone 43167 miles (69471km) and we've had absolutely no problems with it.

There were a couple recalls, one to replace the original tires and the other was to service the traction battery.

We expect to keep it at least 10 years, and from the looks of the 2001 Prius taxi that went over 200k miles with no problem, I think it should be just fine.

 

Mine has 52K. There have been 2 or 3 recalls for updates to the computer software, but I will not have the updates performed. I am happy with the performance so far. Never a problem. If it ain't borke, don't fix it.

 

My used '02 had 7,100 miles on it when I bought it two months ago, it now has 10,800 miles and runs great with no problems. It had the hybrid battery recall done by the old owner and another minor recall.

Just curious, why are you looking to lease an almost 3 year old car for 5 years? If you don't have the cash why not just take out a loan -- it should be much cheaper. Leasing normally only makes sense if you plan to keep a car 2-3 years and have no intention of buying it at the back end. Further, what could the residual for the lease be at the end of 8 years? I think you are effectively just buying it but paying a higher interest rate than if you financed it. Please let us know why you think this makes sense -- thanks.

 

2001 Prius received 8/01, 78k miles to date. It has had the SSG 40C (HV battery resealing), TSB EG 011-03 (HV ECU), and a rear wheel bearing replacement done for free under warranty. I have paid for a new set of tires and a new 12 volt battery. It is not well-documented in the maintenance info supplied to the consumer, but these vehicles ought to have soot removed from the throttle body assembly at 60k mile intervals (or shorter). I paid $100 for this, and in the future will consider DIY. 46 mpg lifetime, excluding time with roof loads carried.

With attention paid to tire rotations and inflation pressures, tire replacement intervals of about 50k miles can be expected. DIY engine oil and filter changes, engine and cabin air filter changes can be notable cost savings over the long haul. Document all DIY servicing.

Other than the above, no maintenance or repair expenses to date beyond those scheduled. I intend to drive the car to 300k (assuming gasoline remains readily available!).

DAS

 

We actually aren't leasing, but buying with a loan through Toyata motor finance, which we'd pay back over five years. That was the only way to get the monthlies down the what I was able to pay. We could probably get a better rate through our bank, but we just moved and don't have accounts with a local bank yet. I figure we can always refinance later.

 

OK, you had me thrown as you said, "The term on my lease will be five years " so I assumed lease cause you said lease.

 

A week ago, I bought a used Prius (affectionately named "Rachael"). She was originally purchased 3/2004 and has 27,500 miles. I don't do a lot of driving, so hopefully I'll be able to keep under 36,000 for the remainder of the 3-yr warranty.

I did notice that this car was on their lot for many weeks (at least 3+), and (my theory) they had trouble selling it because it was rather high-mileage for a used Prius. I only say this because I talked them down an extra $1000 on a price that was already $2000 below blue book. Good luck!

 

I financed my Prius with my old Credit Union from a different state. We did all the paperwork over the phone and through the mail. Contact your old bank (even though you moved) to make sure you are getting a competitive rate. Just a thought!

 

Hehe. Just noticed that. My bad.