The car has always been garaged during my ownership. It has performed perfectly; the only visit to a shop was for a minor factory recall for the water pump. Tires are General Altimax, with about 75% of tread remaining. The car is equipped with leather, AM-FM radio with 6-CD changer, backup camera, Bluetooth, and NAV. Most features can be controlled either by voice or by way of buttons on the steering wheel. I have all manuals, the cargo mat, retractable cargo cover, and rubber floor mats. I have only ONE key. (I bought a spare key fob but have never taken it to a dealer to be programmed to the car. That spare key is included).

I purchased this Prius 3 1/2 years ago from a shop in Charlotte NC that repairs "salvage" cars exclusively. The North Carolina title, which is clear and in my name, says "Salvage Rebuilt" in the "title brands" box. The car was nearly new when involved in a front-end collision and the insurance company chose to write it off. The front fenders, hood, bumper, and radiator mounts were replaced with parts from another Prius that had been struck in the rear. North Carolina inspects cars regularly during this process, and acquiring the original title was not a problem. If you examine the photos carefully, you will see that there also is a slight misalignment of both front fenders where they meet the bumper cover. (In cold weather they stay in place, but in summer they pop out about a quarter inch.) A local body shop estimated less than $100 to repair this imperfection, but I see no reason to do so. A "salvage" title means two things: the manufacturers warranty is void and the car has been damaged with repairs costing over $2500..

The paint has the minor scratches and a couple of rock chips on the front that would be expected on a 4 1/2 year old car. The "outside temperature" monitor is not working. There is a small bleach spot on the rear cargo mat. For it's age, I would say that this car is in excellent condition, and with only 40,000 miles it has many years of service remaining. The odometer reading will increase slightly, as the car is being used locally.

This Prius is an excellent buy and I feel sure that it will serve someone well for many years. It would sell for thousands of dollars more without the salvage title. Mileage consistently averages over 51 MPG even in the mountains. We are selling because we have too many cars for a 70 year old couple! If you want to talk about the car, email your phone number to me.

Auto Services in North Carolina

Young`s Auto Center & Salvage ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Used & Rebuilt Auto Parts, Automobile Electrical Equipment

Address: 400 Nash St NE, Kenly

Phone: (877) 594-2693

Wright`s Transmission ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Auto Transmission

Address: 601 Julian Ave, Belews-Creek

Phone: (336) 472-0755

Wilson Off Road ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Automobile Accessories, Auto Body Parts

Address: 520 E Russell St, Lumber-Bridge

Phone: (910) 423-4947

Whitman Speed & Automotive ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Brake Repair, Engine Rebuilding & Exchange

Address: 997 jacob street, Archdale

Phone: (336) 313-5237

Webster`s Import Service ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Diagnostic Service, Automobile Inspection Stations & Services

Address: 306 Grumman Rd, Walkertown

Phone: (336) 393-0023

Vester Nissan ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers

Address: 412 Southeast Blvd, Faison

Phone: (910) 590-2005

Auto blog

Toyota reaffirms commitment to body-on-frame SUVs

Mon, 29 Jul 2013

Toyota sold 121,055 Highlander CUVs in 2012, according to Automotive News. By comparison, it sold 78,457 examples of four different body-on-frame, truck-based SUVs (4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Sequoia and Land Cruiser). One could argue then, that the traditional SUVs aren't pulling their weight from a sales perspective. Yet that isn't stopping Toyota from reaffirming its commitment to a segment that has seen its former champions - Ford, General Motors and Chrysler - abandon it with alarming speed. Ford and GM still offer body-on frame utilities, but only in the very largest offerings, catering to seven or even eight passengers. Everything outside of the Expedition or Tahoe rides now on a unibody.
Toyota's decision to stick with the technology is good news if you're in the market for smaller SUVs that are still capable of heading well off the beaten path. Outside of the Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee (a unibody) and perhaps Nissan Xterra, there's not much in terms of capable SUVs between $20,000 and $50,000. As the Toyota brand's US head, Bill Fay, says, "Clearly, the trend has shifted, but there is still an owner base that is interested in these vehicles."
We don't doubt Fay on that, but it may also be somewhat telling that Toyota's SUV lineup is aging, and we haven't seen or heard much about replacement models in the pipeline. Admittedly, the 4Runner (pictured) has been facelifted for 2014, but it's mostly cosmetic in nature. Despite Toyota's posturing, we still expect its body-on-frame lineup to thin in the coming years as sales dwindle and escalating fuel-economy standards make business cases even tougher. Here's hoping that Toyota manages to keep at least one rough-and-tumble SUV in its lineup in the coming years.

Lexus, Mazda win KBB 5-Year Cost To Own Awards

Wed, 05 Feb 2014

We focus a lot on what new cars are like to drive, but it's difficult on a one-week loan to really get a sense of what a car is like to live with. Sure, we try to recreate that sense with our long-term vehicles, but even after a year, it's impossible to know fully learn about a car, particularly in terms of reliability and cost of repairs. For 2014 model year vehicles, Kelley Blue Book has put together a list of the most affordable vehicles over a five-year period.
At the tippy top of the list are Mazda and Lexus, with the Zoom-Zoom automaker winning the award for best non-luxury brand. Lexus, meanwhile, was the most affordable luxury marque over a five-year period. It's interesting to note, though, that not a single Mazda won its segment in this year's awards.
General Motors did quite well, taking eight segments, including both the subcompact and plug-in segments, with the gas-powered Chevrolet Spark and Spark EV. The Chevy Camaro SS and ZL1 took the high-performance car award. Toyota was well represented, with five winners split between the main brand (Corolla, Prius C and Tacoma) and Lexus (LS and RX).

Watch this cement truck roll into Toyota minivan from driver's point of view

Thu, 10 Apr 2014

If you've been having an easy day and haven't received your daily dose of unmitigated terror, then this video is for you. Dr. Guan Zhu, a Texas A&M professor, caught the above view on his dashcam in College Station, TX, as a cement truck ran a red light, lost control and rolled into his Toyota Sienna minivan.
Although he received only minor injuries, Dr. Zhu says that he blacked out during the accident. The truck driver also avoided serious injuries, and the Sienna took the hit rather well too. Scroll down to watch the footage and report from KBTX. Hopefully, this is as close anyone else ever gets to a terrifying event of this nature.

2009 Toyota Prius 4 Door Hatchback, Leather, Nav, No Reserve, 40,000 Miles! on 2040-cars

Toyota Prius for Sale