Which year Prius is the most reliable according to Consumer Reports?

i don't have a cr subscription, but i'd be surprised if there were a year better than others. we've had zero problems with our 04 and 08 and everything here seems pretty random. 2010 rattles might be the most consistant thing i've seen.

 

Search my posts from within the last year

 

07 thru 09 appear to be the most reliable. There is not enough data to predict the reliability of the 2010.

 

CR says that the 2010 has brake problems! (the dreaded black dot). There must be a problem because the average guy saw the reports on TV.

Do you want to buy the year with the least problems? The problem with buying a used car is that it's used and older than a NEW car. That means you will have more problems with an older car than with a newer one.

 

07-09 is a solid choice. but it's mostly just luck.

 

The older the car the less reliable. So it's tough to judge. I recall every Prius model year was very reliable in CR up to the Prius II, thru 2009. More than any other car model.
The Prius III apparently had a brake problem--not unusual for a first year model--even a Prius.

The Prius II is as good as it gets.

 

2018 is supposed to be a really solid model year.



Tom

 

Why is this a 'poll'? You are asking for actual information.

 

No need to do a poll.

"Search" is your friend:

[IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachments/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/27603d1295070063-consumers-guide-auto-report-reliability-prius-consumer-reports-reliability-chart.gif[/IMGLINK]

See also this thread that discussed the predicted reliability for the 2010 model year:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...-consumers-guide-auto-report-reliability.html

 

If the electrical of the 2010 is better then why does it throw codes when installing LEDs on the license plate.

The subpar electrical ratings for 07-09 could be a few ppl reporting problems with HIDs but that doesn't mean the ecu is better on a 2010.

I still think it's more a matter of luck.

 

so, 08 is the best year?

 

The year that you own, whatever that is, is the best year!

 

exactly!

 

It is useful to know details about 'problem' categories. E.g., the '04 has fuel system complaints related to partial filling of the tank bladder in cold weather. The solution is to fill at a slower rate, and so in my opinion for my car is not a problem at all.

2) I am not sure why the '04 has a black mark next to audio and electrical. Perhaps it is related to a run of MFD's that Hobbit learned to fix. By now either it is not going to occur, or it has been fixed.

3) I think the '06 - '08 run has had a spate of HID failures, but now that Toyota picks up the tab for light replacement owners really don't care.

4) 'Engine Cooling' might refer to inverter coolant pump problems. Again, this replacement is either a <$100 DIY job or can be handled by Toyota for free, so who cares ?

Bottom line: the G2 from its first year onward and the G3 are paragons of reliability. There is no specific year to avoid, so buy according to the merits of the individual car.
* Avoid accident cars
* Avoid flood cars
* Think twice about cars that have lived in extreme climates

My car is an '04, now with about 123k miles
Repairs: 0
Problems: 0
Trips to the dealer: 1 (prophylactic engine coolant flush after I foolishly added some crappy anti-freeze.)
Maintenance: easy and inexpensive DIY. About $50/year

 

The CR rankings are cumulative, meaning newer cars will automatically get higher ratings due to lack of history.

In other words, I believe the jury is still out on the 2010 as far as the electrical ratings are concerned.

 

Nope. See Reliability histories. The average problem rates are listed at the very bottom.
From the above:

The scores they're referring to are the one of five dots under the key for reliability ratings.