Heavy Engine P0302, P0304

Hi Prius Experts,

Yesterday, when I started my 2014 Prius V (120k miles), it rattled, and shortly after that, the engine light came on. Today, I took the car to a showroom, and they charged me $189 for a diagnosis (I also called a local garage in Austin, and they quoted $190 as well). The Toyota service center informed me that there are misfires in cylinders 2 and 4, which occur only during initial startup. The codes they provided are P0302 and P0304.
To diagnose the issue further, they are quoting an additional $500.

I would appreciate your advice on how to proceed. I have kept up with all recommended services from Toyota, with the last service performed at 116k miles just a couple of months ago. At that time, Toyota did not mention any urgent issues.

Should I pay the $500 for further diagnosis, or would it be better to consult a local service shop in Austin? If anyone can recommend a reliable Toyota service center in Austin, I would be grateful.

Thank you!

 

Thanks @rjparker for the references. Before contacting the dealer, I called Bearden Automotive, and their price was the same. As a result, I decided to go with the dealer. I'll also be getting a quote from Hometown Hybrids. However, I am likely going to skip the additional $500 fee to the dealer and take my vehicle to Bearden Automotive for further diagnosis.

 

I took my car to Bearden Automotive and had a pleasant conversation with Albert. The pricing seems to be comparable to what I would find at a dealership service center. I'm considering whether I should invest $6,000 to $7,000 for the head gasket repair. The car is in good shape, and I personally want to keep driving it for as long as possible. Should I choose a local repair shop or stick with the dealership?

Please advice.

Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks, @rjparker. I will try to obtain an email quote and see the actual work that needs to be done. I'll also check with Hometown Hybrids. Currently, the dealer cost is around $130, plus BearDen is approximately $200, and I believe Hometown is about $250. Normally, in the past, I would have traded in my car for a new one, but with car prices being so high right now, I don't want to rush into anything. I'm feeling confused about whether to go ahead with this expensive repair or not.

 

Below is the diagnosis. They mentioned other than this car is good condition. And they were very nice.

DIAGNOSE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. SCANNED AND FOUND CODES P0300, P0302 AND
P0304 FOR RANDOM MULTIPLE CYLINDER AND CYLINDERS #2 AND #4 MISFIRES. FOUND THE
COOLANT RESERVOIR EMPTY OF COOLANT. TOPPED UP AND PRESSURE TESTED SYSTEM
AND FOUND AN INTERNAL COOLANT LEAK. REMOVED THE SPARK PLUGS FOR INSPECTION AND
FOUND COOLANT IS ENTERING THE #2 CYLINDER DUE TO A FAILED CYLINDER HEAD GASKET.
REMOVE CYLINDER HEAD AND DISASSEMBLE FOR INSPECTION. REPLACE THE CYLINDER
HEAD GASKET AND ALL RELATED UPPER ENGINE GASKETS. RESEAL TIMING COVER AND REPLACE
FRONT CRANKSHAFT OIL SEAL. REPLACE ENGINE THERMOSTAT AND WATER PUMP.
REPLACE SPARK PLUGS. REPLACE ALL VALVE GUIDE SEALS AND LAP ALL VALVES FOR PROPER
SEALING.

I will try to get quote from dealership and other local vendors. I heard from another vendor in Houston they mentioned they will generally do for 2500 but thats too far.