Hi all, I just bought my first hybrid - a used '02 Prius. Think I got a fairly good deal -- it was $16,200 BUT it only has 7,200 miles on it. I know the lady that had it and it hardly got used. Any advice for me on how to drive it or any possible problems I might have with it?

Thanks

 

Kirby,
That's some lowwwww miles. What's the story behind the low miles?

 

The lady only spends about half the time here in NJ and is in another state half the year. While here in NJ she only used the car to do local things and rarely went any distance. The car just sat in the garage most of the time. She decided she had it three years and went out and replaced it with a mini cooper convertible.

 

Nice! Welcome to the Hybrid club.

We have the 01 model, and had no problems with it, but there were a few recalls for certain things, like the tires got replaced, and the battery pack terminals were cleaned and sealed, so as long as whatever maintenance should have been done to it was done you should be in good shape for a long time. So far the reliability of these vehicles has been outstanding, even under severe driving conditions.

 

I went to the local Toyota dealer and got the service history on the car. The lady brought it in like clockwork every 4 months to have it checked out. Last oil change was 1100 miles ago which was July-04. They said they replaced the hybrid battery pack as part of a recall in Dec-04.

 

Sounds like you got a cherry little car there. If you feel inclined and you aren't quite to the 3 year mark yet from her original purchase date, I think you can get a Toyota Platinum extended warranty, if you are so inclined. Good prices are to be had out there. Check out the offer that stands from a Dealer that is offering it through priuschat.com

 

Hi Kirby:

___I do not follow the Prius I and II nearly as close as the real enthusiasts but a recall on the pack of a Prius I? I have never heard of it? I would look into the details a bit further because a Toyota sponsored recall/replacement of a group of packs in a Prius I would have made big news? I am not saying there wasn’t a recall but I would make a few more (deeper) inquiries to find out what really happened is all.

___Good Luck and enjoy your new - used hybrid.

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

See https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...tery.1439.html

The recall (405) was due to an improper seal on the positive terminals. The battery is removed and all the positive terminals are cleaned then resealed. The battery is then put back into the car.

The cars would register the problem in their ECU because of the added resistance due to corrosion, but was not causing any serious problems. I would imagine the corrosion problem to be worse for cars that parked outside or in humid climates, but AFIK it was a full recall.

That's what it's all about, I'm not sure why they would say the battery was replaced, other than technically it was removed (repaired) and then replaced, but that's a minor discrepancy. As long as the Toyota folks had their hands on it your car should last for years to come.

 

Hi Schwa:

___Thanks for the link and it explained everything. I bet that is what Kirby’s 02 endured even if it wasn’t a real pack replacement.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net