Hi All, I have had a 3rd gen Prius since 2011. In 2023 I spent 7K on new battery, head gasket and tires at 234K because I knew it would take me beyond 300k. Welp, Hurricane Helene had other plans. It's been 3 years, and I've had one lousy used car after another. I miss my Prius, but don't want the later gens as I like the feel, space and cargo of the 3 gen. I found a 2017 Prius V with 63,000. Garage kept, meticulous records and showroom condition. What should I expect mileage wise.? Am I safe from the dreaded 3 gen issues with a 2017? It's priced kinda high ($18,900), but it's a one owner, retired driver, who kept it pristine and no longer can drive. What say yee?? Thank you!
No, the same issues except the 2017 has the better piston rings, so there should be no issue with oil consumption.
What do you mean by "No". I was under the impression the head gasket/EGR issue (and maybe water pump) were fixed in the 2015 Prius. Can you clarify if you mean these issues are still a concern with the 2017 V. And if so, would I expect it closer to th 150K mark, or possibly earlier because it's already 9 years old. thanks!
No, you are not safe. The only thing that changed midway through the 2014 model year was that Toyota switched from the low friction piston ring to standard piston rings. The engine design, EGR design, water pump are all the same for the Gen 3 hatchback and the Prius V wagon. So the Prius V has the same issues.
If YOU are planning to do all of the maintenance and repair then it's only a hideously EXPENSIVE 10-year-old car that you can expect to get another 150,000 miles out of if you do "all the things." After all....we're talking about the station wagon which was probably adult driven. What kind of records? Even if it's "dealer maintained" (i.e. grossly neglected) you can do some corrective maintenance yourself and if the car wasn't 2x market price for a state where normies live, you can AVOID most of the pitfalls that G3 owners experience by having their cars "dealer maintained". THINGS like EGR maintenance, maybe an oil catch can, BRAKE FLUID replacements, transaxle and coolant changes, intake cleaning, oil changes at a NORMAL interval instead of every 10k, etc....etc. Toyota expects their owners (victims) to maintain a 'closed hood' maintenance philosophy - and their "lifetime fluids" (coolant, brake, transaxle) are ABSOLUTELY good for the lifetime of the car. Just remember......THEIR idea of "lifetime" is about 15y and 225,000 miles - which is why they do not have an extended warranty much beyond the industry standard of...what? 8 years and125,000 miles? Otherwise? Ashville is kinda 'trendy' and NC is filling up with "halfbacks" but you're STILL on free soil. You HAVE better options. ESPECIALLY for $19K!! MHO..... Good Luck!
I will not be doing any of my own maintainence, and I never go to the dealer. I find the local mechanic cheaper and better. This car was definitely elderly driven, and regularly serviced. I will have a look at all the records when I fly down there. The cars in Asheville are insanely expensive and really crappy. Most everything around here that is affordable was flooded out in Hurricane Helene. I don't trust any of the used car dealers. We are still very much a waste land on the outskirts. What can I get for 19K that is as solid as a Prius, has the cargo space and MPGs and is a hatchback? I don't like Camry or Corolla and Civics are too small. I also like camping in the Prius, so having climate control is nice! And I am buying this with the assumption I will get at least 300K. My 2011 would have made it if not for a bucket truck that knocked me off the road Open to suggestions.
The truth of the matter is Toyota sold very few 2017 Prius v's in the US. So there are very few reports of failures for that year but 2017 v's are still the same basic engine, battery system etc as your last one. A 2017 v had better pistons, rings, intake, egr valve, ecu software and, wait for it, head gasket. The gen4 hatchback had a far better engine beginning in late 2015 as a 2016. In 2017 Toyota did not import many v's as the Prius hatchback and the Rav4 hybrids were better cars from a reliability standpoint. The hatchback had far better mpg than a v's 42 epa estimate. With that said, Toyota kept making lithium based 3 row gen3 v's for overseas customers until 2021. With low miles it is possible you could make 150k-200k without big expenses. But a hybrid battery should be expected sometime in your ownership. Maybe a brake booster as well. It seems people buy v's regardless of repair risks. If that is you, bargain down the price to at least low trade value.
Can relate ma'am.....CAN relate! Elana was my freshman storm...with Hugo and Katrina and lots of others. The STORM is the easy part. Its the 2-5 years afterwards that's the really hard part! DO not get me wrong. I have 200,000 miles in G3 Priuses...as work cars. This car CAN be a dead-bang, guaranteed to see 200,000 miles with few repairs purchase - if you do it right. DOING it right means either doing it yourself or getting somebody you can trust to be both honest and competent. A '17 V that's garage kept and only has break-in mileage IS a find - but they're asking a DEAR price and you're taking a yuge gamble. OTOH, if you KNOW you LIKE G3s they can be the best of cars, and according to the info above maybe the asking price isn't drug induced...... What are your payment plans for the car? Can you write a check with a comma in it for repairs - several times over the next few years? Best of luck!
Re: paying for repairs... I go to 200K before I took a hit with battery, head gasket and brake booster. Water pump went just shy of 200K If I can get to 200K (car now 63K) before any of the same major repairs, I don't see why it wouldn't go to 300k. Am I dreaming? Do you think parts will become scarce? The early Gen 4 has much less cargo and no spare, correct? It's also feels smaller inside, especially for someone who 'camps' in it when I do long drives. I tried to get him down to 15k, but he told me his dealer will give him 15k for it. Any thoughts are the known issues coming sooner due to the car being 9 years old, even though it only has 63K If I don't get this, I will likely not invest in another car, I'll keep my 2012 KIA that I bought from an old lady in PA and dream of the Honda Element coming back. LOL No payment plan. I'm choosing a car over replacing windows that don't open. LOL
So are you saying the 2017 has "Better pistons, rings, intake, egr valve, ecu software and, wait for it, head gasket?" Or is everything the same as the 2011 except the Pistons? If I'm only looking at a hybrid battery, that's a known with any hybrid, and I'm ok with as long as my belief it will go to 300K is realistic. Other than a Prius, what can I get for 18K that gets the same mileage and has similar cargo space and is a hatchback? I don't want the same issues, but it's been 3 years and I don't like anything I've test driven that is less than $12K
When we are in love (with a car) we are sometimes in a dream state! I know the feeling. Getting to 200k without major expenses should be good enough or don't get into it. Its not about to go to 300k with no issues. Parts are unlikely to be scarce especially from a hybrid battery standpoint. I am expecting member "mudder" to be selling a safe lithium with better mpg and power in a year or two. The brake booster is Toyota only and the Prius v has a slightly different skid ecu inside of it for things like pitch and bounce control. Its about a $800 part with 5 hours of labor, maybe $1800 - $2000 if you shop. Its $300 off right now due to the nationwide 4th of July sale. Yes, all those parts were revised since 2011. A lot of gen3 issues are better understood by reviewing the engineering changes to a gen4. There are posts on the forum but highlights include better cylinder cooling channels in the block and head, improved geometry of those mating parts, redesigned pistons (again), revised cooling system routing and water pump, a coolant flow selector valve and a large volume egr cooler taking exhaust gasses after the catalytic converter instead of before. Plus gen4 has a cool cylinder insulator (water jacket spacer):
I meant I wanted to get 300k, understanding Id have major repairs by 200k. , For me, at that point, it's worth it because any the car I would get for cost of repairs for another 100k would be less than. I looked up mudder, interesting!
I meant I wanted to get 300k, understanding Id have major repairs by 200k. , For me, at that point, it's worth it because any the car I would get for cost of repairs for another 100k would be less than. I looked up mudder, interesting!
