Dealer told me my 2004 Prius engine is toast, are they lying?

First of all don't be scared I wouldn't be too worried about what they're saying just yet are you against getting a capable code scanner and keeping track of what's going on Do you drive the car relatively often at the mileage your car has you're just broken in good generally engine failures in this model is not a thing most people in that area owning a Prius wouldn't have abused it My parents are from Knoxville area and I just can't imagine I think if you can manage to plug in a code reader and keep an eye on what's going on and drive the car and let's see what we got I wouldn't think your engine is toast No you're driving aren't you? This thing seem loud when the ice engine is running like in the morning pulling out of the driveway or however that goes? You can send me any pictures you like and all of that of your dashboard on and ready and things like that to my name [email protected] I'd love to see what you have going on

 

who did the plugs and coils? what was their opinion of the misfire after the work was done?
we can't tell if the dealer is lying without seeing the codes and the plugs condition.
there are a lot of counterfeit parts on the market, perhaps the new plugs are a problem.
what is stopping you from buying a bev, while the federal $7,500. tax credit is still in play?

 

The owner of my $700 loaded generation 2 '07 the lady that own that car was told it needed $8,000 worth of work so she parked it in front of the apartment and was moving and was going to leave it I came along and paid the apartment maintenance guy who she left the title with $700 put a 12 volt in it and drove it home It's one of the nicer ones we have leather interior not as trace of anything inside very clean there's always something wrong with something when you go somewhere with your car that's their business. Generally you will know your car better than anybody else You're the one sitting in it and driving it all the time even though you may not know it.

 

We call them Toyota Stealerships because of behavior like this...

It makes no sense that you aren't losing oil but they say the engine is bad.

Do you have a friend or family member who has experience working on cars? If so we can help walk them through any diagnosis or repair.

If I were you I'd buy the lowest price ignition coils and spark plugs and swap 'em out, as well as replace the engine air filter and clean the throttle body and Mass Air Flow sensor. Then if that doesn't eliminate the misfire error codes I'd do a compression test and if there was a need for engine work I'd just swap out the engine with a used one.

All of the above can get very expensive if you don't have a friend or family member to help because there's so many mechanics who charge a fortune and aren't honest. But ask around I bet you can find one.

 

she seems to know that it has multiple misfires

 

The OP needs to find out where the oil is coming from. The only 3 common sources I can think of are from the PCV valve, past the engine valve seals, and past the piston rings. Any good mechanic should be able to figure out which it is. Only the last one might require an engine swap. At least on most cars the valve seals can be replaced without having to pull the head, although it takes some trickery and slight of hand.

If it is the rings, well, there are additives that might work but often as not, not. The new Valvoline Restore and Protect might help, but somewhere or other they say after 4 oil changes, so that's something like 20000 miles of driving. I'm also not convinced as of yet that the conditions inside the Prius engine, which is off as often as it is on, are ideal for that product. If it came down to a choice between driving coast to coast 7 times with VR&P or swapping the engine, I think I would choose the latter. Although if the OP already drives a lot of miles it might be worth a shot.

 

the guys at the stealerships are "parts changer" nowadays lacking the diagnostic skills. They don't want to spend time doing diagnostics because they lack the skill, just plain lazy and want the easy job (because of book rate, charge a 2hr job that can be done in 30 minutes) This is what I experienced with stealerships personally and not just something I heard.. I have a friend who has a very high mileage Honda Pilot and they diagnosed it needing an engine because of misfires. When I checked it out, it has 3 bad coils and one of the spark plugs can't be removed because it was galled (previous mechanic messed it up) We replaced all coils and 5 out of 6 plugs and the engine runs smoothly after that. I have lots of other repair recommendation from. the stealerships that were outrageous and a rip off to customers but I have to mention only this one just to make a point...

 

They're usually not lying outright. Just lazy and don't want to take a chance your high mileage car doesn't break something else, after the repair and get blamed for shoty workmanship. @highmilesgarage stated; they are mostly parts changers. Most talented mechanics leave and setup their own shops and advertise their OEM training credentials.

1. I'm sure there's at least a few qualified Prius mechanics - Knoxville is a large city.
2. IMHO, New car prices are a bit steep now, do a price comparison with a slightly used <5 years, well maintained, no accident car. Unless Toyota starts giving away major incentives on new - I personally wouldn't pull the trigger. Check the website below for alternatives - Their 3-day rent to buy program allows you to see if an EV will fit your life style.
Used Cars for Sale - Hertz Certified | Hertz Car Sales

Hope this helps......