Please advise me on buying a Gen3

2009 was a great year, but 0f course, there were issues that can crop up on some.

2010-2013 are great cars, you just have to be aware of the egr problem.

would have to see specific examples to take a whack at them.

 

There’s another site that points out there’s been TSBs issued by Toyota for excessive oil burning/consumption in 2010-2014 Prius. Unsure if the root cause is bad piston rings or poorly designed EGR circuit contributing to excessive heat OR some combination. Having noted this, I think there are many examples of folks getting 350k+ Kilometers out of their gen3 Prius....albeit sometimes with some extra TLC (tender loving care). So....what to do? If it were me, I’d probably opt for a low mileage 2009 - if I could find one. I do, however, like the styling significantly better on the gen3.....and if I HAD to have a gen3, I’d part with more $$ and get a lower mileage 2015 and service the EGR when needed AND keep my *fingers crossed* regarding oil consumption. My MY2013 was going through about a quart of oil in 10k miles - it had about 83k miles on it when it was totaled in an accident. That’s another thing - you should be sure to regularly check the oil level on any car. Good luck with your decision!

 

I believe I read elsewhere that Gen 3 cars were sold starting in 2009 in the Euro zone, so I would assume the oil burning issue would also apply to 2009 cars sold there. The OP may be looking for a MY 2008, if they want to stick with a Gen 2.

 

I didn’t realize that- thanks for the correction!

 

There was a revision to both the pistons and piston rings, from 2010~2015. Going by parts numbers at McGeorge Toyota, I cobbled together this:



And there's a couple of TSB's on excess oil consumption (attached), the remedy being to replace both pistons and rings with the 2015 version.

 

What is the hybrid battery warranty in the Netherlands?

 

Good information- thanks! Not sure where, but, I read somewhere that the head gasket material was changed in this timeframe too.

 

McGeorge Toyota shows the same part number for 2010 and 2015, so I think not.

 

Not exactly sure how to paste this..... did you happen to see the thread “2010-2012 Head Gasket failure analysis” here on Priuschat? The OP in that thread did a nice analysis..... he seems to think there was some coating change on the gasket and he found different Toyota part numbers over the years in question? I don’t know.... does Toyota ever delete failed parts (numbers) for previous years?

 

Not sure (of course), but my hunch is that any change in a part spec precipitates a new part number. Otherwise you'd have a mess.

The intake manifold did change, btw.

 

Perhaps looking at a Toyota Corolla with low mileage is a better choice for you. There are no EGR maintenance headaches, nor traction battery issues associated with it. A newer used Corolla will cost a lot less than a Prius.

Good luck with your car search. ​

 

As with all highly computerized cars, age is much more important than miles, depending of course on how the car has been maintained. That should always be anyone's first concern.

I purchased a super clean 2010 with 145k and it served us well for 60k, then it started hammering on start-up. Seems the 2010-2015 have a head gasket issue that can crop up usually from 130-200k. From what everyone says you have to pull the motor, to change the gasket, so people tend to just up-grade the motor. Problem is the Gen. 3 motors are 2k for a decent mileage one. another 1k for R&R.

In order to resolve my issue for the short term, I chose to try some blue devil in mine...(on advise of three mechanics) Well it fixed the head gasket leak alright, it also fixed the radiator, heater core, hoses, and reservoir! By fixed I mean stopped them up completely!!

Two weeks ago, I ended up having the entire works, (motor, Trans, struts, exhaust) swapped out of one with under 100k. 2,000 miles later, I smelt anti-freeze when starting it this morning. Needless to say even though I like the body style, options, and fuel economy, of the Gen3 ....I'm not very impressed with the serviceability nor the reliability of this model.

 

The 3rd gen Prius is very reliable, which is documented by Consumer Reports. Most of the trouble spot areas are still graded overall as above average in reliability. I'd stay away from a Prius that already had a battery replaced with an aftermarket one. If you're looking at a Prius, expect to replace the battery at the 10 year mark with an OEM one- so factor in because low cost of ownership is important.

Which year for the Honda Insight were you looking at?

 

I think if you can get a clean low mile early model year gen3 for a decent price that you should pull the trigger. Come to the forum with specifics on a certain car and we can steer you into the best price! Good luck and happy shopping!