What all goes wrong as a v gets high mileage?

Just because it has a new head gasket, doesn't mean they have addressed any of the problems that might cause rapid head gasket failure. Did they clean the likely clogged EGR circuit too?

Maybe others can chime in on what other issues are suspected to cause head gasket failure in Gen3 models.

 

At that mileage, I'd be looking into these items...

Water pump, spark plugs, coil packs, transmission fluid, inverter coolant, wheel bearings, front struts and rear shocks, oxygen sensors, rotors and break pads, EGR, PCV, intake manifold.... check all front suspension bushings...

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Brake booster. It's complicated, critical and pricey. Plenty of threads about it. EGR & head gasket already mentioned.

The v is a car to get new or young, work it hard and then make it somebody else's problem before it gets old.

And don't be the somebody else.

 

If you want a "smaller hauler" that doesn't know when to quit; a vehicular legend that only improves with age? Go get a Toyota Matrix. Those have a second and third act waiting in the wings where the v is best enjoyed young.

 

And sadly they discontinued it.

 

Yeah but those last '13s ('14 for Canada) are in perfect price territory for somebody looking to hit on a super reliable, used mini hauler for a long span of ownership.

 

In many big cities and all over Europe, Prius v taxis make 400k miles or higher. Sure they replace a battery and head gasket once or twice but for high mileage drivers they are a winner as taxis and delivery vehicles because they have excellent rear seat space, great oversized ac and plenty of cargo volume. All while getting 40 mpg. When I went to Europe I would pass by the German made BMW and Mercedes taxis for the best, a nice (still) Prius v that was not belching diesel fuel, had ac that worked well, was smoother, quieter and had held up nicely. Toyota still sells Prius v (Alphas) in most of the world including Canada.

However, I always tell people who want to buy these to evaluate their miles per year and buy if they can get rid of it by 150k-175k. So I may have advised your seller. Seriously, they are generally solid cars in a traditional sense, eg body, drivetrain, suspension, interiors, electronics, even most accessories. The biggest problems are the hv battery ($2250 at least), brake booster (more than the battery) and egr cleaning/replacement ($800-$1200). All could be done diy for less but not easily. These jobs are not recommended for first time Saturday mechanics and most independent shops are less than qualified as well. However there are a few independent Prius mechanics available in select locations. If you have access to one of them, consider having them do an evaluation. Finally they do tend to burn oil but that is manageable if you pay attention and don't let it run out of lubricant.

So the HV battery was replaced. Is it a new warranted Toyota battery? If so, it should have a three year warranty. Many people buy "reconditioned" batteries which are just used modules from several old batteries mixed and matched to clear the codes for another year.

The head gasket was replaced. That is excellent assuming they did a good job and cleaned the egr, changed the pcv and inspected everything else they accessed. That job can be $5k at a dealer and most don't want to do it on an old engine due to other engine wear concerns. They would rather swap in a low mileage used motor for about the same cost.

The brake booster assembly is your brake by wire system and it is next to inaccessible for most people and even many mechanics. Toyota does not let all their mechanics work on this system. There is an age related flaw in the hydraulic accumulator diaphragm that builds up brake pressure ahead of time so that the computers have something to work with. In addition, the "master cylinder" is your brake ecu, abs controller, regen logic, pitch and bounce control and probably watches your kids when you go out. Nitrogen released from the accumulator tends to get into the master cylinder and cause damage, so both are replaced when the problem shows itself. Almost all other gen3 prius vehicles have a factory extended warranty on this system; the prius v does not. I believe there is a class action suit in progress.

The egr system has a stainless "cooler" that has honeycombed channels for about eight inches between the exhaust manifold and the egr valve. The cooler is liquid cooled to reduce the exhaust gases temperatures headed to the egr valve. The egr valve then injects exhaust into the intake manifold to moderate the combustion chamber temps for pollution and reliability. That stainless cooler gets totally clogged up and has to be removed with much effort, cleaned (sometimes) or replaced.

Oil burning is primarily due to the piston rings, a low friction design specified to improve mpg. Toyota generally fixed this around 2016. Extra blow by into the crankcase also aggravates the egr and head gasket problems while oil getting into the combustion chamber burns.

In your case, I would suggest offering less money if the car was a perfect driver and looked great. Instead of $7k maybe $3.5k to $4.5k max. Put the rest into a repair fund that is ready to go.

 

From researching piston/ring part numbers, Prius v (similarly to Prius) revised both pistons and rings. Model year 2015 onward for sure have the revised parts; I believe the revision happened somewhere in the course of model year 2014. The aim of the revision seems to be to reduce oil consumption.

 

All hybrids are at a disadvantage here*, nothing special about the v. The battery packs degrade over time whether you use them or not. Also, most "ordinary" cars become cheaper to service later in life because you can take them to less expensive mechanics. Not as many of these neighborhood mechanics know hybrids well, so you're stuck paying dealer labor rates later into the car's service life.

So the way I read it, hybrids are best used as all-you-can-drive mileage buffets for the first 10-15 years of their lives. Then get rid of them with prejudice before they figure out how to read the calendar and brutalize your bank account.

With a non-hybrid car, it's easier to stretch out the calendar. It'll be a long time before safety, convenience and fuel economy pressures grow enough to force you to retire such a car.

So in your shoes I'd still consider a 2017 if I had a plan that would let me replace it on a moment's notice sometime between 2027-2030. There's a lot to like before they get old and expensive.

* "here" meaning a secondhand car you can stay friends with for a decade

 

I would tend to disagree. While the car has its attributes and is certainly a great car to buy new (where available) the 2012 Prius v discussed here is at a disadvantage, even to other gen3s. There is a strong argument that the 2012-2014 prius v IS the worst Prius from a reliability standpoint. So much so that I would probably take a 2008 Prius with equal mileage over a 2012 v. Most of the v's problems are shared with the other gen3s of the same year such as battery, head gaskets, timing chain leaks, egr, inverter problems (covered by extended service campaign), oil consumption and brake booster system. The difference is the brake booster system was excluded from the rest of the gen3s service campaign plus the parts are unique to the v. Add a poor crash rating of the early v's and you have a strong candidate for worse Toyota Prius hybrid to buy used especially with high miles. Which was the question posed in this thread.

 

2018 was the last year for Prius V in Canada.

Pixel 4 ?

 

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My 2013 V just blew it's engine last week @ 188k. It started consuming oil around the 165k mark and I did the oil changes religiously at the stealership and walmart. So when I noticed the red low engine oil light light up shortly during cornering or up a hill, I'd add some more oil.
Last week I went to visit my son in Denver and we decided to climb Pike's Peak, no problem for the car, but I noticed the low oil light and Like I have been doing, was going to put more oil in, later.
On the way home a day later, while doing 85 on the interstate. I get this horrible noise that got louder and louder and pretty quick thereafter saw blue smoke from the exhaust and a burnt oil smell, all lights on the dash lit up and coasted to a rest area. Towed to a Dealer and found out I had a hole in my engine block, was offered $300 for salvage or $6k for a new engine install
I have a connection with this car damnit, it has all the bells and whistles. I'm not going to let her die in Kansas. So hauled back to Arkansas and purchased a used 15k miles engine from Ebay ($1750). Friend of mine is helping me install it whenever it comes in.

 

Another reason I tell people don't purchase a used Gen 3. I have replace everything except the engine.

 

Third or fourth gen. The latter will work, with a few mods, mostly coolant line rework.

 

Not sure.... I'm guessing a Gen3

 

I have zero problems with anything but the engine. which is why I decided to replace it. Mine is a v V with all the bells and whistles. I feel I owe it to the car to get it running again, if that makes sense.

 

I totally understand. I just got spoiled with a camry and a prius.