Prius Gen 2 and Gen 3 Buyers Guide
Things To Look Out For:
1. Rust
Rust is the biggest enemy of any car, especially in the northern states. Always take a look under the car with a flashlight to check for holes, cracks, and missing parts of the underside of the body.
2. EGR System (Gen 3 only)
The EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system on the Gen 3 Prius needs to be cleaned at a minimum every 100,000 miles. If this service has not been done it will cause the head gaskets to fail (really bad).
3. Mileage
The Prius is a high mileage car. It is normal for them to reach well over 300,000 miles. Finding out the service history of the car (through something like Carfax) is important, especially if you are buying a car with higher mileage.
4. Oil Consumption
It is normal for the Prius to burn oil. What isn’t normal is for the car to expel a cloud of black smoke from the exhaust when starting up or driving, although this can be remedied to a degree. Check the oil to make sure it is at a good level and isn’t super dark.
5. Hybrid Battery
The health of the hybrid battery is crucial to the operation of the car. A hybrid battery diagnostic test will give you a live data feed to “see” your hybrid battery and run tests to get an idea of its life expectancy. A specialty hybrid mechanic can do this for you.
6. ABS Actuator
This is what controls your anti-lock brakes, and is known to go bad and is an expensive repair. If the brakes feel spongy or the ABS and VSC lights are on, this can indicate a major issue.
7. Inverter Coolant Pump
This is what pumps the coolant through your inverter and if it fails it will give the red triangle of death, but isn't a super expensive repair. The car should be driven as little as possible if this pump is bad.
8. Other things to note
Wheel bearings can be a little more difficult than other cars, the Gen 3 inverter is covered under a 20 year warranty by Toyota, if gas mileage is below 35 mpg avg there could be an issue with the car, the Gen 2 Prius has a “Maint Reqd” light, which just means the car has driven 5,000 miles since the last time the light has been reset (typical oil change interval), “B” mode on the shifter stands for “Brake” which uses the engine to slow the vehicle down, and should really only be used when going down steep hills.