Is the Gen 3 prius unreliable?

You have to be willing to tackle some things yourself to make it worth it. Mine burns some oil, big deal I monitor it and add more when needed. Cleaned the EGR. Battery started to degrade and I installed prolong. All maintenance done myself with the exception of wheel bearing. If I had dealer do everything it’s not worth it and just chasing the Prius name after 100K. I plan to drive mine until the engine explodes or she rusts out and falls apart.

 

Shouldn’t have to be, but that’s how it is.

 

No doubt flat and cool terrain operated by some of the smartest people on the planet should be a plus in Northern Europe while hills and heat running at 75- 85 mph are a minus in the southern US. I still have my 250,000 mile v and it has saved me considerable gasoline. Clearly gas is a much bigger factor in Europe.

Taxi companies love the low day to day operating costs, low pollution, huge rear passenger space (still amazes some) and cargo handling (just carried 10 foot deck boards with the hatch closed). The body, interior, paint, suspension, transaxle and brakes are superb. The original brakes at 250k stop with exceptional force using high regen assistance. So there are many reasons I still have it.

But...

Yes, that image is correct. Typically at 150k miles or more for most. Even with the best oils, brake fluid changes, coolant renewals, garage storage and scheduled maintenance. Toyota acknowledges oil burning, ABS and Inverters as design flaws. Its not just a perception. TSBs and extended warranty support under some conditions. Many many headgaskets at high mileage. Like anything mechanical, your experience may vary.

Some suggest a new or low mile Prius of this generation is a good bet up through 150k miles and I agree. For many diyers, mechanics or taxi companies, swapping a head gasket or engine once in a while is a good long term investment when outages are acceptable to improve the bottom line. The rest of the car is a Toyota in quality and reliability.

Would I buy it again if I were transported back to 2011? No I would have bought some Tesla stock and kept the 2008 gen2. No doubt hybrids and other energy conservation measures along with increased North American oil production have had a lasting effect on oil prices and I am glad I participated with vehicle choices and pipeline engineering.

 

I’m from Hungary and there is a guy buying and repairing cars from the Netherlands and Belgium - not only broken ones, but it’s much cheaper to repair here than there. He is using a Prius Plus with more than 500k Km.
He also said he never had problem with the Li batteries.

 

Because that's exactly what they were.

It's just that they've had (up to) 11 years to get worse. 'Reliability' is just a snapshot of a moving target, and too many buyers gloss over the details. Almost as if 'reliability' could be had in 10lb sacks and you just get more if you run low.

For my money, the Prius handles many, many miles without issue. But it's not good at aging. Get the youngest one you can, run the wheels off it and don't hold it too long.

Good luck!

 

To me, having a reliable car means less unexpected repairs and which translates to a lower cost of ownership. I have owned three cars and can tell you that Toyotas are generally more reliable compared to other brands. I would say my Corolla was more reliable than my Prius.

1) 2011 Hyundai Sonata - neutral safety switch replaced, seized rear brakes, burning oil, cv axle replaced under warranty, starter replaced, engine recall multiple times until it is warrantied for life due to class action
2) 2006 Toyota Corolla - Rough start due to ECU which was replaced under warranty. Intake manifold gasket replaced by dealer for $230.
3) 2012 Toyota Prius - Squeaky steering wheel, rear brake wear issues, occasional rough start.

All cars will have issues over time. You can compare with other models. I expect to eventually see expensive hybrid repairs to my Prius in the long run.

 

Well stated! I have been a Toyota owner for 35 years, both trucks and cars. The reliability level has decreased over the last 10 years and is no longer what it was. But compared to other manufacturers' vehicles which are experiencing the same decreases, Toyota is still producing very reliable vehicles. Perhaps no longer "Bullet Proof", but now just "Arrow Proof".