I am looking at purchasing a 2017 Prius with 71k miles, from a Toyota dealer. It was maintained there since new. For the first 3 years it had the 10k oil change. From then on, it got 5K oil changes. Did Toyota finally realize that 10k oil changes was a bad idea? What are the common problems that are still around in the 2017 Prius? I appreciate everyones input.
No, IMHO - they went to 5K mile oil changes because they could bill for them - it was no longer on Toyota's dime. The OEM manual still states 10K mile oil changes. The 2016-2018 model years are known to get exhaust gas heat exchanger leaks. Keep an eye on your engine coolant levels. If it starts to slowly creep down, it'll need to be checked. The good news is that it's part of your emissions control system, so it would be covered under those warranty claims. I believe Washington state ascribes to CARB emissions standards, so you get extended coverage. Please double check that, in case I'm mistaken. Good Luck.....
It makes sense, that the dealer started doing 5k oil change, once the 3 year 36k miles factory warrananty had expired. I will double check on the Washington State CARB emission standards. Thanks for the great information.
On my 2017 I had the oil changed every 10k miles. No issues. Dealer serviced only - 300,000+ miles. Only real issue I've had is the heat exchanger problem in Jan 2022 and put in a new catalytic converter.
Are you refering to heat exchanger leaks? I dont know if it has head gasket problem. How do you reccommend checking the head agsket, if I'm buying it from a Toyota dealer.
the dealer would have no reason to test for a head gasket leak if it is not exhibiting any symptoms. i suppose you could ask them to, and also if the cat has been replaced. how to test for a head gasket leak: watch
Whenever there's a coolant leak that doesn't hit the ground on a gen4. 1. suspect the exhaust gas heat exchanger 2. If owner doesn't check coolant levels; ignores issues and keeps driving it, you will pop the head gasket and possibly do more damage. Your continuously overheating the engine. 3. If your at or above 150K miles, check electronic water pump and thermostat - but that usually includes coolant boil-out and full coolant reservoir. Hope this helps....
