For Sale 2014 Prius 258K Exhibiting Signs of Head Gasket Failure

Just wondering what this might be worth to sell to someone who wants to give it it's next life. Kind of bummed out, what would love to let a shop give this car it's second win- but I just don't appear to getting any traction on this in my market. Still my dailer driver. I've owned for 4 years and 100K miles. Mostly dealer service records. Great interior, weathertech mats, etc. Can sent more pictures. What is this worth?

 

I didn’t have a catch can. Not sure on the others, I’d have to look at the service history.I didn’t do it myself.

 

Just found a shop I’d trust with this repair today actually- somewhere around the 3500-4000 mark.

 

For $3500 it would include all but the water pump. Also includes cylinder head machine work, and a valve cover gasket. For $5600- I can get the water pump, thermostat, timing chain and tensioners, new sparks plugs, and new coolant. Also includes loaner car for the week.

I don’t really do any of this kind of thing, but the valve cover gasket, that’s not necessarily always included in these jobs is it? And what the head machine work- what is that?

 

The only thing I can say is, I called a few shops, and went to one other- and I didn’t feel comfortable with them. I went to shop that was full of hybrids, very clean, and had a ton of parts on hand to do this job. Because they showed me and gave a me tour lol. They do this, and do it often. Says they’ve done 50 of them at least. It DOES sound like a premium price point, I get that. I am not a premium price point guy in all of my endeavors. I am a ramen noodle and use the same water bottle over and over for years kind of guy. Unfortunately, I found myself needing a job done right and quick. I get it- it isn’t done quick, but I’m driving another Prius while I wait. I’m happy so far, but I haven’t wrote the check yet. I feel like this forum has more engineers and diy’ers that could have done this themselves. I wish you were my brother in law, lived near me, and I had a wife that was more comfortable with me taking her car to work each day. None of those things exist here- I’m stuck in a town where I don’t know anybody (corporate relo) and the one shop that does do minor stuff for me wouldn’t do this or recommend an engine shop.

Now that some time has past and some anxiety levels have gone down- I do wish I would have just taken in to a dealer and gotten an estimate. I did go to the same dealer that had serviced this for 4.5 years around 4:30 this week - and I couldn’t get anyone to acknowledge me in sales or service, and I hung around until near 6. Did get a salesman to work with me and I told him I was going to fix or trade the car in. Heck he couldn’t even find his inventory lol.

I would call that experience “a sign”. Not sure if any of you rely on your faith or the tea leaves, or tarot, to help you make decisions… but sometimes when you just can’t get the desired effect in a process that normally works for anyone at anytime- it was probably not meant to be. Ya know? A sunny afternoon at a Toyota dealership, and I thought I might have a different outcome. I also have two people from sales I was texting from back when I was Tacoma shopping. No response.

Can we do another side bar topic here. I’m driving a 2007 “Touring Edition” with about 165k miles and this is a sweet ride. Is there something different in the suspension of this one and my 2014 Prius 4? If I were going to buy 2 Prius for my twin 17 year olds- the second gen has turned out to be pretty reliable hasn’t it?

 

I had this repaired at Cincinnati Hybrid for a pretty price, but they did a great job. I was looking at cars and just couldn’t really find anything, and I love my Prius. I hope to get another 250 K out of her..