I bought a 2010 Prius for $3000

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There is an app called Dr Prius that can test the battery health. But it takes some time to run. You have to charge the battery up fully (brake+gas). Then you discharge the battery at a moderate rate - the app will coach you to discharge at the right rate - until the car detects a need to recharge it. From that, the app determines what % of the original battery capacity you still have.

I think this is something that I would only run if I was a very serious buyer.

You also can just drive around and see how fast the battery loses its bars when it's driving in EV mode or sitting with the A/C running, but that's not scientific at all.

 

[bdc101]

Are the head gaskets fairly straightforward on these? Usually buying something for me is a no with a blown head gasket but don't know much about these cars. Several for sale around me for 3 to 4,000 that don't claim to have any issues. Also any easy way to check on a test drive the battery health?

The head gasket was a pretty easy job for me. I used all factory Toyota parts and also had a machine shop resurface the head and clean out the EGR cooler, which cost a bit extra. The EGR cooler was a bit tricky to get out, and takes a bit of work to clean out if you do it yourself. It cost me about $2,000 total for parts and machine shop, but you could do that a lot cheaper. I replaced the electric water pump and thermostat at the same time. I intended on keeping the car when I did the job, not as a flipper.

The only way that I know of to test the battery is to use the paid version of the Dr Prius app. To test it, you sit the car in the driveway, floor the throttle and stomp on the brake at the same time, to charge the battery completely. Then you turn the A/C on and let it sit until the battery is drained and the motor turns on again. I think it was $10 for the app. My car had I think 59% battery when I got it, and I drove it for almost two years without any weird behavior or problems at all. (I got it at just over 260k miles.)

The head gasket fails on all of them, it seems. The only other real problem is the brake vacuum pump/accumulator. It tends to go out on high-mileage cars and costs a couple grand to replace.

 

[brages]

The head gasket fails on all of them, it seems.

Not on mine

 

[bdc101]

Not on mine

Lucky! Or just "not yet"

I agree with you on running the Dr Prius test. I felt a little weird stomping on the brake and gas pedals at the same time and having the engine screaming while parked in my driveway. A seller might balk at letting you do that, just because it seems like it would be bad for the car.

 

[brages]

Lucky! Or just "not yet"

It was totaled last weekend, so I expect it will meet the crusher with an intact head gasket.

 

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Find one with a blown head gasket - they're out there.

There is in fact a 2017 with bad head gasket that just got listed in my area for $1000. Unfortunately, I'm at a place in my life where I think I have more money than time and garage space.

 

[92saturnsl2]

There is in fact a 2017 with bad head gasket that just got listed in my area for $1000. Unfortunately, I'm at a place in my life where I think I have more money than time and garage space.

Link?

 

[The_Jeff]

There is in fact a 2017 with bad head gasket that just got listed in my area for $1000. Unfortunately, I'm at a place in my life where I think I have more money than time and garage space.

OMG, buy that. The catalytic converter has a heat exchanger that warms the engine coolant loop and these crack all the time. Lets coolant into the exhaust and people misdiagnose it.

Of course the car has no temp gauge so one can run low on coolant until the red idiot light comes on, which would stress any head gasket.

There's a TSB on it, and people in PZEV states (Cali, NY, MA, ME etc) get a 10 year/ 150k mile warranty on the complete catalytic unit, including the heat exchanger, so.... free fix!

If one is outside of the emissions warranty, they can just loop the coolant pipes to themselves and endure a slightly longer warmup time. No codes, no complaints.

 

[brages]

I think it's already gone. It had been diagnosed based on the spark plug and cylinder condition, though, so it may have overheated after losing coolant through the exhaust.

 

[The_Jeff]

^ Yeah 4th gen Prius owners should keep an eye on their coolant levels, check every weekend. That's the only warning.

 

[brages]

Link?

Here's the link, I searched my history to find it. I was not the buyer: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1388686489671695

 

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Kept our boys safe... just purchased a 2015 tonight...!

 

[dwcopple]

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My $2000 Ranger was probably my biggest dud, but it continues to chug along, made it past $300k recently.

$300k!?!?!?!?!?!? That's a LOT of money for a Danger Ranger!!!