Much Money, Time to Decide

how many miles on her? my initial thoughts are to move on.

i'd say $4,500. is average

 

No mileage listed but at that high rate of oil consumption the motor is whooped. You probably ran it low on oil a few times and there you go.

Dumping it is a no brainer your looking at a new motor and the brake actuator replaced $$$ and the very expensive Cali Carb Capable Cat. Last i heard was the OEM cat was back ordered and very very expensive. Plus $$$ whatever else they break doing all the work your car needs. And there going to break stuff as the car is now 16 years old. Probably has the original brake pads and rotors.

And we haven't even mentioned the hybrid battery. If its the original please check out the hundreds and hundreds of posts about replacing that.

The only way this car can be truly economical across its life is to get out of it before it becomes a money pit. And your is a rock quarry.

 

Yep, replacing the CAT without addressing the underlying oil burn issue will only get you two years of relief. It'll likely fail it's next smog inspection - CAT will be oil fouled "cooked" again. The new CAT warranty is void, due to your oil burn issue.
So at a minimum, you'll need replacement CAT, Brake accumulator, and rebuilt engine - assuming nothing else breaks to get your reliable Prius "ship-shape" again. Do you have the money and the love to get this done - because the numbers (gas saving) will never balance out at this late stage of the car's life. You may want to put if up for sale as a fixer, since prices are high right now.

Good luck..

 

I think you said it better than I would have.

Time to move on.

 

Really depends on you. Where do you want to invest your money?

 

Biomed why are you worried so much about the cat its just a symptom of a blown motor which labor wise and hassle wise is many times more than the cat. Takes 40 mins to install a cat unlike pulling and re-installing a G2 motor. Even at this indie garage I have been going to for a while there at $120 an hour now. Dealer is $250 last I looked.

And there's no such thing as a rebuilt G2 motor. Cheaper and easier to just buy a used motor.

And then after the car has sat a week with your engine rebuild and your done with all the mechanical you try to start the car and find out the hybrid battery has died because that's what a 16 years old battery does.

Hilarity ensues.

 

@edthefox5 please read OP post then my post - op wasn't aware he needed a new /rebuilt motor. I was pointing out that he would flush $5.5K for only two additional years of service and then not pass Ca smog again. Ca smog is every two years. Your last paragraph proves my point.
So your saying that a G2 motor can't be rebuilt??? What if the used motor is just as bad or worst than his current motor. More wasted $$
Taking things out of context also works at comedy clubs.......

Please don't take offense; I'm simply answering your questions directly.