77K 2016 Prius and Headgasket Failure

I hate to be Captain Obvious, but running any engine low on coolant causes overheating which can ruin a head gasket. It's not a manufacture defect but the owner's fault from neglect. And Toyota REALLY needs to stop the nonsense of telling people their engines only need an oil change every 10,000 miles....how many lost head gaskets do we need to see from car owners believing this garbage??
I'm reading that Ford's needing to do a recall because of a bad door weld causing doors to fall off.....THAT'S a manufacturer's defect!! (And one of a thousand reasons to not buy a GM these days.)

2020-21 Ford Escape SUVs investigated over doors that could open suddenly - Autoblog

 

but if the coolant is leaking out because of a defective part/system, is the owner at fault?

 

Of course not, no one is saying it is. However, if the part failed because of the lack of proper preventive maintenance, is it the manufacturer’s fault?
What I find interesting is “why are so many PC members so dead set against preventing problems by simple, relatively inexpensive preventive maintenance?” It takes me less than 5 minutes to perform the inspection of the coolant and brake fluid condition, and cost is just pennies. Even though my Prius is only 17 months old, I have already been doing it. Why? Because I will know when those fluids begin to break down and can prevent problems from occurring. I’ll know long before corrosion becomes a concern.

 

it is being suggested in post #21. if the part failed because lack of preventive maintenance as advised by toyota, yes, it is the owners fault. but i don't see that in the o/p.
i would say most prius chatters believe in following toyotas schedule and often going above and beyond that.

 

That is my point: following the schedule may be what most believe, but then either ignore or never even read the footnotes, resulting in mechanical failures that could have been prevented. Additionally, good preventive maintenance measures are ones that anticipate where failures could occur and don’t wait for a scheduled maintenance recommendation to perform them. I see more arguments for just sticking to the schedule and only a few of us who advocate for anticipatory preventative maintenance.
Perhaps it would make an interesting survey to see just how many go which way.

From the evidence of blown head gaskets, failed heat exchangers and dead batteries (nearly all being blamed on Toyota and, at least as far as I have seen, NONE blaming themselves for not testing the fluids or monitoring other parameters, or failing to take proper preventative measures) I would have to disagree with your assertion.

 

you're suggestiing blown head gaskets are the fault of bad coolant, and not egr circuit clogging?

 

Are you suggesting that bad coolant (which of course, leads to overheated engines due to poor coolant circulation) doesn’t cause blown head gaskets? Or even more phenomenal, that blown head gaskets are only caused by clogged EGR systems? That creates an interesting dilemma: what caused the blown gaskets in those good old straight eights?

 

no, i'm suggesting that many with blown head gaskets didn't have bad coolant. why would coolant go bad at 77k or 6 years?

 

I will simply refer you to the Petroleum Quality Institute of America to learn what you need to to answer that question, if you are so motivated. And I will even give you a clue: “Inspect engine and inverter (if equipped) coolant level/condition/freezing point.” Which Toyota states should be performed every 5k/6 months.
resources could be Summit Racing, Weber University, the Car Care Nut, etc. And no, I am not going to take you by the hand a tell you each video or article to watch or read. If you want to learn, you will be motivated to do your own homework.

 

And while I am at it I would dare say that clogged rings have probably caused more blown head gaskets over the years than clogged EGR systems. And clogged rings are DEFINITELY caused by poor maintenance.

 

yeah, same here

 

FWIW (and as a token of peace ☮️), coolant typically goes bad due to degradation of the additives (lubricants, anti corrosion, etc), and if it is mixed (as is often done at fast lube places) or simply diluted, it can happen very fast. Even temperature extremes can cause additives to degrade.

 

why didn't we see this problem on gen 2?

 

I don’t know enough about the Gen 2 to make an informed opinion. Off the top of my head I would first look at “did it have the heat exchanger?”, “what was the engine design as far as clearances and are there differences in the coolant system (such as channel size)?”, (for example there are some significant differences between the design of the engines between the 3rd and 4th generation, even though at first glance they are very similar. What was the gasket material and shape? What was the coolant change interval? Even, what function did the coolant perform on the 2nd?

 

okay, we'll leave the discussion at that.

we have varying opinions here with no hard facts.

pisons/rings

coolant quality

10k oil changes

egr circuit clogging

 

What ever you choose to believe, as the recent history of the United States goes to prove. “Facts”? I found myself wondering today Bisco, you currently drive a Camery Hybrid, correct? Was your previous vehicle a Prius?

 

i have a 2012 plug in prius with less than 30k on the engine and possible head gasket issue

mrs. b has a 2013 hycam with 75,000 miles and runs like a top, as have our previous 6 toyotas, none of which were gen 3 prius and none of which had head gasket problems

 

Yet, each one of these causes could easily be traced back to lack of sufficient preventative maintenance. I have had many vehicles over the years and the mechanics that cared for them have always made me aware of each of the vehicles weaknesses and guided me in what preventative maintenance measures to take to ensure that my vehicle didn’t fall prey to such weaknesses. Often, those measures were much more conservative than the manufacturers recommendations. Amazing as it may sound, none of those vehicles fell prey to the “known” weaknesses.
And, for what it is worth, any time we went to trade or sell those vehicles, in the small towns we lived in, they brought us top dollar because people knew “we took care of our cars”, and that is a direct quote from several people who bought them. FWIW

 

agreed, but most car owners and mechanics are unaware of anything besides the mfgs naintenance schedule.
there are people here that say 5k oil changes prevent blown head gasket.
others say keep egr circuit clea
still others, hopeless because of the pistons rings. you may be the first to say coolant
i'm keeping an open mind, but unfortunately it might be too late for me.
still, at 30k, i have to blame the manufacturer

 

It’s 4th gen being discussed here right? EGR issues resolved, ditto for low tension piston rings, but exhaust heat recovery leaking coolant.