Is the Gen 3 unreliable?

I bought my 2012 Prius in 2015 with under 40,000 miles on it right before I started college. I never once had an issue with my car during my undergrad and I would travel back home often which was about 800 mile round trip. I used it to make extra money with instacart and doordash during that time. It really was quite amazing to have a car get 50 mpg while giving me absolutely no problems. Once a year or at 10k miles, I would take to the dealer back home and have the oil changed. I did have the brakes replaced at 120k but I was too trusting of the dealer recommended service, it definitely didn’t need them. Now I have a full time job and driving a lot more interstate 75-80 mph but still consistently getting 45+ calculated mpg. Only in the past two years have I started to put more money into the car (around $1,300). But it was all as preventative maintenance that included replacing brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid, tires, spark plugs, 12v battery, egr, intake manifold, water pump, and bus bars. BTW I have basically no oil consumption other than what my OCC catches. I’m almost at 170k now and the pic was taken a few days ago when I had it professionally detailed.

 

2010 Canadian Touring model here, still looking good.


(We do have a plate back there, lol.)

 

"It's not like that.
You've found the ONE board on the Internet where people discuss their problems and repairs. Prius was one of the best-selling cars in America, so not surprising that, out of millions old, there are problems."

The Prius is a complex little (luxury) car. It has lots more that CAN go wrong, so it's not surprising that there are more problems as it gets older.

That said, you are hanging out at the "hospital" forum wondering why everyone is constantly talking about getting hurt or sick?

I will say that until I joined PriusChat, I always thought that "Toyota head gasket failure" was an oxymoron. Literally, I must have worked on a thousand different Toyota vehicles over 33 years. In all that time, I have seen ONE head gasket failure on a Toyota.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Normal engine operation leads to carbon goo buildup around the throttle blade's "closed position". That restricts idle airflow slightly, so the ECM opens the throttle to compensate and stores this change in adaptive memory.

At some point the ECM reaches its adaptive idle limit- the engineers decide "here and no more". So you have a situation where there isn't enough airflow through the TB at idle- you get a no start condition with a P3190 or P3193.

Or as ChapmanF pointed out, maybe the TB has some deposits but still within adaptive limits. Disconnect 12V power and the ECM resets all adaptives. Now you have the same no start as above.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Doesn't apply to my car
Oil changes have been done regularly

 

You're lucky. My hybrid battery crapped out at just over 100,000 miles, i didn't a warranty coverage either. This car is as reliable as my Saturns, and Hondas, and I expect it to go further before it craps out completely. Just had the EGR system cleaned by my mechanic, as I don't have the wherewithal to do it.
The Prius has cost me more to maintain than any other car I've ever owned. But I supposed it won't ever quit on me by the side of the road.

 

What have been your issues with the V?

 

My 2nd Saturn lost its clearcoat too. Once I lost my carport and had to park it outside in the sun, that was it, no matter how often i waxed it. Now, the white paint is chipping off my Prius, dammit. Car paint sucks compared to American cars in the 50s and 60s.

 

Do you mind telling us how much Tampa Hybrids charges for a EGR service? PM me if you don't wanna POST it please. I might have paid too much at my non hybrid shop.....

 

Isn't that expecting a lot of a car, even a Prius?

 

Have you decided what to do? Is your service/repair bill going to be more than a car payment? Are you going to pay cash for a new/newer car?
Maybe you can get these repairs done one at a time, that's what I do. I have to wait for payday to get something else done, the car still runs good so I don't feel rushed about it. It's 12, almost 13 years old. As long as it doesn't get crashed, I plan to drive it until it's hopelessly worn out..

 

No luck, I keep up on it. I turned 1
289,000 miles this weekend.
I've put a few hundred thousand miles on all of my Toyotas. They've never left me stranded.
They've all been easy to work on.

 

I've taken very good care of mine. I just had no idea, when I bought it used, that these services/repairs were coming due. My old Saturn was a much simpler car, but it was a wreck headed somewhere to happen after 174,000 plus miles on it. The only thing I ever replaced on that car were tires, batteries, brake pads, and a water pump, and we got that used.
The Prius was my dream car.

 

Time for a few nightmares

 

HAHAHAHA....
Hey, wait a minute....

 

My 78 corrolla's and 76 corona were a lot simpler also.
But not near as nice as the Prius.
Sooner or later, I will have to replace the hybrid battery and engine...
But it will still be cheaper than a new car....

 

Prius is the least reliable car you can buy... except for every other car made. They use them as taxis. Toyota tops the reliability lists year after year after year.

 

289,600 miles on mine. Same head gasket, same hybrid battery.
GREAT car!
NO ONE is forcing anyone to buy this car, or keep it. If someone doesn't like it,
sell it.
EVERY car made in the world will have problems. Things wear out.

 

No, I find it more hilarious what so many people obsess over here, a good majority of whom have little mechanical knowledge and perspective in the greater automotive world. It reminds me of a college philosophy class where people ponder things for the first time while being out of their element. We all thought we were little genius' but really had no clue Wth we were talking about.