Hey y’all,
I’m thinking about getting a used Prius for work because I drive so much. Found a (I think) very good value on 2006 Prius (70k miles, $7k); no accident history.
However I’m a bit worried about future mechanical repair costs on the car going forward because it’s so old. I don’t know much about cars. What could I reasonably expect from this car if I purchased it in terms of how much life it has left? Does the age of the car matter more than the miles at this point? Also, I intend to have the car checked out by a mechanic before purchasing. Are there any specific questions I should ask the mechanic so I can assess whether the vehicle is a good purchase?
Ideally, I’d like to drive the car for 6 years and put another 120k miles on it at least. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated! I drive in California so not much winter weather if that matters at all.
I bought my 2006 prius used from the original owner in 2017. It had 189K miles when I bought it. I have been commuting 150 miles a day round trip 4 days a week for my commute. I now have over 345K on the odometer. Original ICE. I run synthetic oil and change it religiously. Just changed out the spark plugs myself. Runs great with 45mpg average, mountain/hwy driving. I have replaced the inverter coolant pump myself last year. Just did the struts last month. Hybrid battery was replaced 2 years ago. The car is a runner and Toyota is very well built.
I am not a mechanic so I’m curious, all those changes you did, about what do you think it would cost me if I had to do the same?
Believe me, I am no mechanic. But I have had to learn by necessity and budgetary constraints how to do some maintenance myself. There are many videos available online for our make and model, covering a wide variety of procedures for the home mechanic/DIY’er. I do not have a covered garage to work in, and must do the work outdoors.
All that being said, the spark plugs (4) were $36, each oil change runs about $36, inverter pump and coolant replacement $125, all done at home. My local tire shop just replaced my struts for $1100 and a local hybrid battery recycling shop replaced the hybrid battery for $1200 2 years ago. 12v battery replacement was $185; the car needs lots of juice when shut off to keep systems running and is a huge draw on the 12v battery. So, if you’re running an old 12v you may have to replace it with a top-end AGM 12v battery. I was surprised how expensive they were.
Anyways, regular preventive maintenance and upkeep should be a regular budget item.