I
finally picked up a 2004 Prius with 270k kilometers / 168k miles on the clock which came with a complete maintenance history from 2009 to present.
From that history, I'll add a couple more to the list of things to watch for:
Control arms: Both front control arms were replaced due to worn bushings (one by the previous owner, one by me).
Frequent friction brake issues: a side-effect of regen braking means the friction brakes are lightly used vs. a non-hybrid. This car seems to have had constant, repeated brake work due to rusting components, from a combination of regen and salty winter conditions in this part of the world. The rotors were resurfaced multiple times and replaced; rusted backing plates replaced; caliper sliders siezed; drums resurfaced. The rotors need to be resurfaced/replaced again.
Fortunately, rotors/pads/shoes are relatively inexpensive to replace if you DIY.
It has also had both front
wheel bearings replaced once (not unexpected based on this thread) and 3(!)
coolant pump replacements, one of which was for the inverter, the other two not specified.
Lastly, many of the gen 2 cars I saw were missing one or more of the
trim rings for the alloy wheels (the seller didn't even realize 2 of hers were gone -- same side of the car). Some owners probably take 'em off because they prefer the look of bare alloys, but these are likely drag-reducing pieces, so it's something to consider.
Trim ring vs. no trim ring:
