Buying a Gen 2 (‘04-09) Prius? Here’s what to look out for.

The 2nd generation Prius is a fantastic car and it is not uncommon to see Gen. 2 Priuses with over 300k miles or more on them. Luckily these cars can be found for quite cheap as many folks have moved on to newer, low-mileage vehicles. There are some common issues to be aware of that are quite common with the Gen. 2 Prius:

1. Hybrid Battery Failure (POA80)

It is best to ask the seller when they purchased the vehicle and if the car has the original hybrid battery pack. Is it an after market hybrid battery? If so, was it purchased from a reputable company or a cheap craigslist battery replacement service. Often times these services are patching up old salvage yard batteries and/or purchasing them from junk yards and re-selling them to unsuspecting naive consumers. The term “You get what you pay for” definitely applies in the hybrid battery business. There are many factors which can make a hybrid battery worth $200 or $2000.

2. Inverter Coolant Pump Failure (POA93)

This is a known flaw in the Gen. 2 Toyota Prius and luckily is an inexpensive repair. The cooling pump that supplies coolant to the vehicles inverter (square silver box under the hood) usually will become intermittent before it fails completely. If this pump fails the inverter can over heat causing quite an expensive repair or replacement of the inverter. If you look under the hood (to the left of the inverter) you will see a reservoir filled with pink coolant. While the car is on you can place your fingers on the black hose coming from the reservoir. If you feel turbulence in the hose the coolant pump is currently working. If there is no turbulence the pump is not working.

3. Speedometer Cluster Failure

If you turn on the vehicle and your dashboard is completely black you have a speedometer cluster problem. This is a well known problem for Gen. 2 Priuses and usually begins as an intermittent problem before failing completely. It is a fairly easy repair however the labor charges can be quite high as the entire dashboard panel and front dash trim will need to be removed before the speedometer cluster can be accessed.

4. Brake Actuator/Brake Booster Pump Failure (C1256)

This problem is not as common as the above mentioned issues however we have seen this more than a few time with Gen. 2 Priuses. This is a time consuming and costly repair and is not for the faint of heart. Unless you are a skilled mechanic stay away from any vehicle with a C1256 code.

5. Coolant Control Valve (P1121)

This is another common issue and is a fairly inexpensive repair. This P1121 code indicates your coolant control valve is stuck (usually due to corrosion) and needs to be replaced. The valve is inexpensive and can be installed by most mechanics.