I Bought a 2017 Toyota Prius with 69k Miles For $14,500, It Was an Exceptionally Good Bargain, But There Ended Up Being A Catch

Even smart shoppers who do all the right things when it comes to buying a used car at a dealership can slip up by not reading the fine print. Case in point: a 2017 Prius shopper on a recent Reddit r/prius forum made a near-fatal buying decision by not paying as close attention as she should have when the dealer handed her a Carfax Report.

A Homer Simpson Moment

Imagine feeling like Homer Simpson with that slap on the head "D'Oh!" moment when you've just realized you may have fallen for one of the most common used car scams―an illegally rolled back odometer―all because you did not look closely enough at a Carfax Report.

According to a recent post from MudiMom on the Reddit r/prius forum, she did all of the right things before snapping up what would surely be sold if she did not act quickly enough:

1. She knew the current market prices for a range of decent-condition Prius models with low and high mileage.
2. She viewed hundreds of models over the past few weeks to find the best condition models at reasonable prices.
3. When she found a 2017 model listed late on the weekend with 69,000 miles and a price tag of $14,990 from a dealership, she did not waste any time and pursued the potential purchase immediately before someone else could beat her to it.

Late Sunday night, I saw this car listed online with an asking price of $14,990. It had 69,000 miles on it and was a 2017 model with a leather interior and most of the tech from that gen of vehicles. This was a hell of a deal. I called, and they actually stayed past close so we could check it out. We were so impressed with the condition of the car we bought it immediately (after a test drive). I was able to negotiate a little off the price and we got it for $14,500. The only issue at the time seemed to be a ripped-up rear headrest from a dog that had been left in the car. Because I'm using this car for pet sitting, I didn't care.

However, upon arriving home with her new purchase and going over the paperwork to get her car insurance started right away, she realized she had made a mistake:

My heart absolutely sank. In 2022, the mileage of the car was recorded in Chula Vista at 242,221 miles!

"D'OH!!!"

According to her paperwork, including a Carfax Report provided by the used car dealer, which she admits she did not pay close attention to, the car had a history of no mileage recorded during its first DMV registration. A second record of the mileage was recorded in 2022 in Mexico, with 242,241 miles on it. Then, a third record of the mileage was recorded during a car auction afterward of 24,228 miles before it wound up at the dealership where she had bought it.

Bear in mind, however, that you cannot depend on a used car seller to tell you everything you should know about a used car they are selling. In fact, even when they or someone else hands you a CARFAX report attesting to a used car's history, you should never base your final used car purchase decision on a piece of paper.

But in the case of the OP, it looked suspiciously certain that she had just been duped with a rolled-back odometer sale that she would have caught if she had only paid closer attention to the Carfax Report the dealer handed her before sealing the deal when she believed that she was buying a model with only 69,000 miles.

I have been SO smart about car shopping and selecting the right car after looking at hundreds of cars over the past few weeks, but it was late, and I did the one thing you aren't supposed to do―buy without an inspection. I also paid very little attention to the Carfax. We were just so excited about the price!

Looking a little deeper, she found another discrepancy and knew that something just was not adding up aside from the recorded mileage numbers:

Additionally, we learned through the Toyota website that the trim level for our car doesn't match the actual vehicle we have in our possession.

So now we're worried we bought a heavily modified car. But again, the car works fine. It looks great inside and out. It's very clean, with no rust, no odor, and no worn pedals.

While the mileage record and trim discrepancies weighed heavily on her mind, she could not get over the fact that the Prius did not like a heavily used car. It was then that she decided to get help from the DMV before confronting the dealership.

The DMV got back to me within 20 minutes of my request…and the car's mileage is accurate! The entry from Chula Vista was a clerical error. The reason the trim doesn't match the trim models offered here, is the same reason there is no record before 2022: this Prius is from Mexico!! It was originally purchased there.

Feeling relieved from the news, she wanted to share her experience with other used car shoppers:

I was extremely lucky that this all worked out in my favor. That said, please pay attention to the CarFax and demand an inspection if you're buying a used car. Don't be like us and hope luck with get you out of what could have been a very bad situation.

The Takeaway Message

The lesson here is that even when you do all of your research and finally find what good looks like a good deal, you still have to take a moment or two to step back and make sure you have done all of your due diligence. Aside from failing to analyze the Carfax Report more closely, the OP failed to have a pre-purchase inspection.

In her case, she was fortunate, and her experience after buying it showed that digging a little deeper into a used car's history can reveal that all is not as it seems. Even with those used models, you sometimes reject a little too quickly.

For additional articles on used car shopping, here are two highly recommended reads:

1. Used Car Shopping Warning That Could Save Your Life
2. Used Car Seller Tricks to Resurrect a Flood Damaged Car

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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