Does 2012 Prius Two have a differential?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by indel, Oct 20, 2025 at 9:12 AM.

  1. indel

    indel Junior Member

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    I found some references to there being a differential, but I also read that it is integrated into the transmission. So I assume it does not require gear oil. Can someone confirm?
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    There's no separate differential, no distinct gear oil replacement. Maybe download the pdf of the Toyota publication "Warranty and Maintenance Booklet". One source, under the "Manuals" tab. All the fluid changes Toyota wants are noted in there, albeit in hard-to-read, event-by-event format. Attached is a spreadsheet summary I've put together, both as-is, and extrapolated to 240k miles (Toyota stops at 120k).

    What's the miles on it now, btw? I'd also consider these, mostly not in the Toyota schedule services:

    EGR cleaning
    Transaxle fluid change
    Brake fluid change
    Brake inspect/clean/lube (sort of in the schedule, very understated though, every 30k miles, but oft ignored)
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, Oct 20, 2025 at 11:41 AM
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2025 at 11:47 AM
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Pretty much all front-engine, front-wheel-drive cars combine the transmission and differential into a single contraption, and call it a 'transaxle'.

    The places you drain and fill the transaxle oil cover the whole works.