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My 2014 prius died today

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by pberardi, May 16, 2018.

  1. pberardi

    pberardi New Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2018
    1
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    Location:
    california
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I took care of it as much as i could, really. Yeah maybe the first two years I drove 85 down the freeway but the last year or so I was easy on her. I never missed an oil change or a 30k maintenance. I did the plugs at 120k. Today I got the news at 198,205 miles. I noticed the sputtering about a week ago. When the car would sit for a little while upon starting up it would sputter. Today the check engine light went on. The code was P0301 cylinder misfire. I took her to my shop and they said that since the coolant was low, it was probably leaking into the cylinders which means a blown head gasket. It would cost $2800 to fix. I was still getting 42mpg sometimes more. I had the car for 47 months and two weeks. I am just looking for someone to feel sorry for me and tell me that it is all gonna be alright.
     
    amos and bisco like this.
  2. restcure

    restcure Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2018
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    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Touring + Tech
    My general rule of thumb is that I'll repair a car until the cost of a single repair exceeds the value of the vehicle. If I were in your situation I'd be comparing a $2800 repair car to the cost of a comparable 2014 Prius.
     
    douglasjre likes this.
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,106
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    What's the fix, swapping in a replacement (used) engine, or replacing the gasket?

    $2800 seems reasonable, btw. I can drop that kind of money at my dentist, easy... :(
     
    douglasjre likes this.
  4. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    809
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    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    More and more people these days are swapping in a used Prius engine.
     
    douglasjre likes this.
  5. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2012
    1,607
    877
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Things to contemplate:
    1. Engine has almost 200,000 miles on it.
    2. $2800 is just an estimate. Figure in an extra 30% for unforeseen problems and incidentals.
    3. May have a cracked cylinder head. $$$
    4. Labor for diagnostic tear down May be money down the drain if it needs a replacement engine.
    5. Should you get a second opinion?
    6. Calculate cost of replacing engine with lower mileage, used engine.
    IMHO, it would be wiser to just replace the engine.
     
  6. MelonPrius

    MelonPrius Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    809
    504
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    Location:
    Las Vegas
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    pberardi, check this company, LKQ, out for a used replacement engine. I don't know where you are in California, but there's a decent chance they have a location close to you.
     
  7. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2010
    1,157
    288
    66
    Location:
    Phoenix
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Doing some quick math, I assume you are the original owner. At 50,000 miles per year on average, this car doesn't owe you anything! Imagine how much gas you saved owning a Prius. Consider what else could go wrong with it, and at 200k miles, that's a long list. If it were me, I'd move on to the next one.
     
  8. Lightning Racer

    Lightning Racer Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 16, 2015
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    Location:
    Anchorage, Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Imagine if this was business use, and you were being reimbursed at the federal 54.5 cents per mile. I was happy enough to get to use my own car on a two week work trip one time, and took home $700+ for the use of my 1996 Subaru ($150-200 went to gas).
     
  9. GasperG

    GasperG Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2011
    1,168
    597
    1
    Location:
    Slovenia
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You are doing what? 180 miles every work day? I would just buy a new/used car, it's apparently just a tool to make money... I hope.
     
  10. MikeV

    MikeV Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2020
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    Location:
    philadelphia
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    what ended up happening. you said probably leaking into did mechanic sho you or make a video clip at least to show you.