what problems with prius should i watch out for?

Used NHW20 (hatchback) Prius in the US are currently going for near or over new MSRP, due to availability and high demand. So the low price does seem like a red flag. Even http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars/PricingReport.aspx... is behind in their pricing (lower than reality), but they list a base 2005 w/40,000 miles at around $17,275 in Fair condition for trade-in price. Definitely do a CarFax report, and be sure that there hasn't been a wreck or flood in its past or a change (such as different state) in title. $9500 sounds too good to be true.

Otherwise, check that the (Special Service Campaign, a preemptive recall) SSC 60C for the Steering Intermediate Shaft replacement has been performed. If it hasn't, don't worry, Toyota will still fix that for free for you.

At 40,000 miles, the OE Goodyear Integrity tires are probably at/near end of life. So, check to see if new tires have been put on already, or if you'll have to add a new set of tires after purchase. (Most owners suggest changing to a different tire, especially if your car will see slippery or snowy roads in the future.)

Be sure that the touchscreen operates as expected. (i.e. there's no "check condition of air conditioner" or "item not connected" errors, the touchscreen responds immediately to a touch input (not wait 5-10 seconds), the outside air temperature is displayed when the car is on, the arrows flow on the energy monitor as expected and the MPG bars show up as expected on the consumption screen.) Some 2004 and 2005 Prius (and Land Rovers and Highlanders) have had faulty touchscreen displays that would need a replacement display.

Then, check for the usual stuff for a used car.

On Toyota Prius sold in the US, the entire hybrid system (including the hybrid battery pack) is warrantied for 8 years/100,000 miles. In California-emission states, the hybrid battery pack is further warrantied under the CA emissions warranty for 10 years/150,000 miles. That's a full warranty (so no parts/labor charges to you), NOT pro-rated. And yes, the warranties transfer to later owners.

You'll be out of the basic 3 year/36,000 mile basic new vehicle "bumper to bumper" warranty by now, but should still be under the 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty besides the hybrid and emissions warranties, and most any extended warranty if the original owner purchased one.

Hybrid battery replacements are extremely rare (in or out of warranty). If you plan on buying the entire pack from a dealer, new it would be about $3000, but then again you could just replace the individual bad cell, or you could get an entire used battery pack from a wrecked vehicle for much cheaper (less than US$1000 on eBay).

The Prius receives Edmunds' Lowest True Cost to Own award in its market segment (sedan under $25,000): http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/tco/2008/index.html

The Prius consistently is rated on the best bets for used cars and new cars lists, too.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/used-cars/...

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/n...

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/bestbet/articles/in...

Meanwhile, there's a lot of myth, urban legend, and misinformation out there on hybrid vehicle batteries and vehicle production, thanks to a flawed marketing paper by CNW and a poorly researched student newspaper article that keep getting quoted...

Anyhow, I suggest reading:

Hummer versus Prius: "Dust to Dust" Report Misleads the Media and Public with Bad Science: http://www.pacinst.org/topics/integrity_of_science...

Prius Versus Hummer: A Nickel for Your Thoughts: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200711/mrgreen_ma...

"I read an article stating the Prius has a worse impact on the environment than a Hummer because of the enormous pollution created in making the car's batteries. True?" : http://www.straightdope.com/columns/080404.html

Prius Versus HUMMER: Exploding the Myth: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/Green_Ca...

Giving Directions: No, the Hummer Actually Isn't More Energy Efficient Than A Prius, Let's Put This "Debate" To Rest: http://www.betterworldclub.com/articles/hummer-not...

Dust in the Wind: Hybrids' Total Energy Cost: http://www.hybridcars.com/environment-stories/dust...

Hybrid Battery Toxicity: http://www.hybridcars.com/battery-toxicity.html

Heard the One About the Hummer?: http://www.toyota.com/html/dyncon/2007/september/h...

Usually the mythic "article" from The Mail on the nickel in the hybrid cars' NiMH batteries is quoted from a now retracted article. The retraction that clears up this bit of misinformation is at: http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/...

(They were using data from the early 1970's about the INCO-Sudbury nickel mine, which was more than 20 years before the first hybrids needed NiMH batteries, and the plant has greatly cleaned themselves up and reforested the area since then. If you were to add up the amount of nickel in the million+ hybrids sold since 1997, the total is less than 1% of the world's annual nickel production (far more nickel is used for stainless steel, for example).)

Here's the 2004 Toyota Prius Green Report (life cycle assessment): http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/k_forum/tenji/pdf/pgr_e...

(you'll need to download the Japanese fonts for your PDF reader in order to read it, but the entire document is written in English.)

Over the lifespan of the Prius, when compared to a comparable mid-sized gasoline vehicle, the Prius comes out ahead in the life cycle assessment (LCA) for airborne emissions for CO2, NOx, SOx, HC, but actually does worse for PM (thanks to the material and vehicle production stages). Measured lifespan is given as 10 years use/100,000km. The CO2 break-even point for the 2004 Prius compared to this unnamed gasoline vehicle is given at 20,000km. (more CO2 is emitted during Prius production, but the Prius makes up for it over it's driven lifetime.)

Another neat thing is that the Prius is one of the first uses of Toyota's Eco-Plastic (plastic made from plants, as opposed to petroleum products). The battery is recycleable (NiMH), as is much of the car (steel and aluminum body, for example).

As for the batteries themselves:

The lead-acid (Pb-A) 12v accessory batteries in hybrids tend to be smaller than those found in every traditional gasoline vehicle. Recycling programs are in place for traditional lead-acid batteries.

All the hybrids on the market use NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) batteries, which contain no heavy metals (so they're not hazardous waste, like the Pb-A batteries), and are easily recycled.

The hybrid battery packs in the Prius have labels on them for whom to contact to recycle them. See the HV Battery Pack Recycling section in the Prius Emergency Response Guides.

page 11 (of the printed version):

http://techinfo.toyota.com/public/main/1stprius.pd...

page 19 (of the printed version):

http://techinfo.toyota.com/public/main/2ndprius.pd...

To quote Toyota's press release:

http://pressroom.toyota.com/photo_library/display_...

http://pressroom.toyota.com/Releases/View?id=TYT20...

<quote>

How long does the Prius battery last and what is the replacement cost?

The Prius battery (and the battery-power management system) has been designed to maximize battery life. In part this is done by keeping the battery at an optimum charge level - never fully draining it and never fully recharging it. As a result, the Prius battery leads a pretty easy life. We have lab data showing the equivalent of 180,000 miles with no deterioration and expect it to last the life of the vehicle. We also expect battery technology to continue to improve: the second-generation model battery is 15% smaller, 25% lighter, and has 35% more specific power than the first. This is true of price as well. Between the 2003 and 2004 models, service battery costs came down 36% and we expect them to continue to drop so that by the time replacements may be needed it won't be a much of an issue. Since the car went on sale in 2000, Toyota has not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.

Is there a recycling plan in place for nickel-metal hydride batteries?

Toyota has a comprehensive battery recycling program in place and has been recycling nickel-metal hydride batteries since the RAV4 Electric Vehicle was introduced in 1998. Every part of the battery, from the precious metals to the plastic, plates, steel case and the wiring, is recycled. To ensure that batteries come back to Toyota, each battery has a phone number on it to call for recycling information and dealers are paid a $200 "bounty" for each battery.

</quote>

And I'll note that even when considering the emissions of the fuel source and that of manufacture, the Toyota Prius came in 2nd for Greenest Vehicles of 2008 among US models in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's (ACEEE) Green Book, behind the Honda Civic GX.

http://www.greenercars.org/highlights_greenest.htm

http://www.greenercars.org/greenbook_method.htm

1. Your 12V battery is dead. The life of the small 12V battery is about five years. It's time to replace it as it won't hold a charge. 2. The Prius doesn't have an alternator and there is no starter motor so there isn't any real warning that the battery is near the end of life.

I have an 07 and 160,000 miles and haven t had to do anything but replace a headlight on it and its just now in the shop to get a smaller battery replaced not even the big battery its still fine according to the dealership mechanics

They only last 100k miles. There are studies that found out that it is more cost efficient to drive an H2 per mile because of the short life of the prius. Also, the prius isn't good for the environment. The factory that puts out the batteries for the prius is more than two normal cars per prius.

The batteries must be replaced @ 40k. The cost to do so in Australia is $3,000AUD. So I would be checking that bit first.

BLACKCRU DOESNT KNOW HIS *** FROM A HOLE IN THE GROUND I HAVE 2006 WITH 48900 MILES ON IT NO PROBLEMS WHAT SOEVER AND O YEA HAVE NOT REPLACED BATTERY THANK YOU

Your getting a hell of a deal. Id carfax it.

thats a great deal id buy it in a heart beat.must be a catch.?????????