looking for advice regarding head gasket

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by TonyaT, Jul 21, 2026 at 8:29 PM.

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  1. TonyaT

    TonyaT New Member

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    I'm looking for advice on whether I should pay $$$ to have my head gasket replaced. I have a 2013 Prius Persona with 220,730 miles and a confirmed bad head gasket. I've had the car since new and the only other major repair was a brake system failure which cost ~$1500 to repair which frankly Toyota should have covered since this particular failure was a known issue...anyway, I'm weighing if I should spend the money (est $2300-$4K) to replace the head gasket and hope to get another 2 years out of the car or if I should just sell it as is for next to nothing. Note- no other repairs so original lithium battery, water pump, etc. Thanks in advance for any advice on this and other tips.
     
    #1 TonyaT, Jul 21, 2026 at 8:29 PM
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  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Getting another two years out of the car will be no problem with just the headgasket job. If you want to have the car for another 5-10 years though your high MPG pistons and rings are gonna start burning oil and I'd recommend http://www.skimmilkhybrid.com/ in Oklahoma. He rebuilds all the problems out of Gen3 engines for a very reasonable price.
     
    #2 PriusCamper, Jul 22, 2026 at 9:06 PM
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sounds like a lot of money for a couple years, but there's a difference between $2,300. and 4k, plus the quality of the repair.
    otoh, you could fix it, sell it, and use the money towards a newer car.
     
    #3 bisco, Jul 22, 2026 at 9:14 PM
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    If you go through with repairs, it’d be prudent to clean the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system too, including the EGR passages in the intake manifold. It’ll be severely clogged with carbon; It’s my conviction that it’s the culprit in this all too common scenario.

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    how’s the oil consumption? That’s another factor to consider, when deciding how to deal with this engine.
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, Jul 23, 2026 at 8:18 AM
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