My 2013 Prius Plug in is shaking badly on acceleration, and while idling. Check engine light is on. I took it to Toyota dealership & they said it could be a busted head gasket $4000!!! Something to do with coolant leaking into the head gasket? Can anyone else confirm this? Everything I read about this issue mentions spark plugs or fuel lines. Car has 118K miles.
If the coolant level is stable and full, it’s not likely to be coolant loss. If the coolant level is not stable, and the tank is low or empty, then it’s the head gasket. 118k is pretty low(but not unheard of) for a blown head gasket.
Shaking can be caused by multiple issue, not only head gasket... First, you can read your DTC codes (engine light is on)... Second, signs for head gasket problems are: notice that not only one of this signs, but all must be checked to be sure... Btw, nothing about shaking... Symptoms of a busted Cylinder Head Gasket Check engine warning light. ... Misfiring engine. ... Low coolant level. ... Coolant/oil intermix. ... Engine overheating. ... Heater doesn't work. ... White smoke. ... Engine failure.
Thanks all. Coolant level isn't low, never had to refill. Left the dealership to get 2nd opinion at local shop. So far they're saying spark plugs, we'll see if it works. Have seen so many threads about Prius head gasket issues. Anyone know if there was a recall for 3rd generation Prius head gasket? Mine is 2013 plug in. thanks!
no, toyota has dodged this one, and nhtsa isn't getting involved. they changed the pistons and rings at some point in 14/15, so some people suspect the older ones were causing the head gasket issue. it is often easier/cheaper to put in a low mile engine. replacing just the gasket, one must be sure that the surfaces a true, and no lower end damage was done from overheating.
I had similar issues on 2014 plug in Prius at 112k miles. Took to dealership and they charged me the inspection fee, call me two days later saying my plugs are busted and wanted another $200 to change the spark plugs and continue diagnosing. I declined to pay that ridiculous amount for something I could do in my sleep. Told them to pack it up and towed it to my mechanic friend. Only one cylinder had good pressure out of three. Changed to a 73k miles engine and running good so far even after about 1.5 years. Cost me about $3000 with my mechanic excluding dealership messes.
Glad you found the problem, but that local mechanic had a shitty work ethic. He should just replace all 4 since they are due to be changed at the 120k miles mark. Now you got to pay again for the other 2 plugs. The other 2 plugs are cheap compared to the labor to change the plugs. iPhone ?
@Raytheeagle helped me change out the spark plugs at 100k miles on my 2012 PiP a while back. It was shaking on idle after we put her back together and triggered a CEL. My $20 eBay OBD2 scan tool said something along the lines of cylinder 1 sparkplug fault. I think we reseated it and that fixed the problem. Good luck, OP.
Same thing happened to my 12 at 180k. P0301 cylinder 1 misfire. I swapped coils 1 and 2 to see if it traveled and it still misfired on one. I had my mechanic replace all 4 plugs. I figured I would break at least one if I tried it myself and all seems well now.
Ever cleaned the EGR? What percentage of your driving would you say is electric-only? The part of your quote I made bold is indicative of head gasket failure; a leak-down test could confirm.
