Questions for Buying a Used Gen III

Hi!

Question number one. I wouldn't worry about the Hybrid battery, especially on the 3rd generation, it IS a combination on miles and years. Very few 2010+ prii have had battery issues.


Question number two. The 3rd generation is known for EGR problems, getting clogged with carbon build up over time. Also over the last year we've had a pretty good amount of people report headgasket failures. Also! Oil consumption issues, especially on the 2010 for some reason. So I would search prius EGR, and Prius headgasket and oil consumption, just so you can see for your self what I'm talking about.


My sisters 2010 had very bad oil consumption issues, then the headgasket started leaking around 185k miles. My father and I replaced the engine with a low mile one from a local yard. The car has over 240,000 miles and runs great. Its hard to believe the Hybrid battery out lasted the engine! The battery still works great. Amazing!

 

The oil usage, rough starting, & head gasket issues appear to be related,
The solution, other than cleaning up, appears to be an oil catch can. @danlatu @Raytheeagle and others have found it catches much of the fluids that appear to cause these issues, before they get tp the intake of the engine.

 

I believe they were updated in 2012 too. Some prefer the newer ones.
4th Gen started in 2016 with better economy. They redesigned the EGR circuit too. One user here put 90K on Gen 4 with no unexpected issues before selling it.

 

We have a 2010 with 172 k miles on it and going strong .

The Gen3 was made from model years 2010-2015. During the mid cycle refresh of 2012 on they changed the shape of the intake manifold to be less volume to avoid the startup knock. As far as I know, nothing else is different, so oil consumption will exist as time passes.

I check our oil dipstick every Saturday to ensure it does not get low. If it does get low, the problem gets worse .

I also maintain our hv battery using the Hybrid Automotive Prolong equipment and it works well.

Seen marked improvement in battery performance since doing the reconditioning and top end balancing.

I would not shy away from an early Gen3. I would just be aware of some of the simple things and you’ll be fine.

 

Gen 4s, other than the One and Two Eco, have Li-ion batteries. They need a little extra TLC if you live in a place with extreme climate.

Keep the battery comfortable.

You might want to think about a block heater if it gets extremely cold in winter where you are. Be careful, though, Gen 4s have active grille shutters, if installed incorrectly, the car can catch fire. There's a post here about this happening to an unfortunate person in Alaska.

If you live someplace where it gets extremely hot in summer, keep the battery cool. Run the AC for your comfort, the battery will be happier. Get a sun shade for the rear window (or tint all the windows), and think about putting a sun shade with the reflective side up over the tonneau cover.

These are all things I've learned reading other posts, especially in the Prius Prime forums.

Might be worth checking out a 2016 or 2017 for yourself!

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