Can I get some thoughts about the 2010 Prius

Keep in mind this is about the Gen 2 Prius known to be a better design and more reliable then Gen 3.....
the 2010 is the first year of Gen 3.

Real world examples...I own to 2008 Prii. Got both with about 53K on them. I did all the work myself. New spark plugs and PCV Valves $150. New Inverter coolant pumps. $163 and $175 each, New headlights, $150. Sent out both combination meters to Texas Hybrid Batteries for repair. Don't remember the cost but his website will list it. Had 1 MDF repaired $300. Still have to send the other one out.
Replaced all shocks. $600 each car. New tires $600 per car, Replaced HID Bulbs in mine $75. Replaced front fascia with Oem new $175.
Both cars are paid off and I have owned them for awhile now. If you are looking for a total cost of ownership a prius and an old Range Rover for that matter are not the best. (My Rover has cost me $7,000 in repairs.)
As Leadfoot and others have stated. Don't expect to not have any bills. Changing the oil and filter with OEM Toyota and cleaning the EGR valve every 50K is PARAMOUNT to keeping the car long term....but most people don't hence the Gen 3 runs worse and worse and finally blows a head gasket. I know this and I have never owned or even driven a Gen 3. LOL. Based on this knowledge I've gathered over the past 5 years MY next Prius will be a 2020 Gen 4. But I'm not ready to spend $30K on a car right now. If you were over on the Range Rover Forum. I would also advise you to not buy a Gen 3 L322 2005-2009 were horrible. I'd look at a 2012 NOT SUPERCHARGED. Seems LR and Toyota hit sweet engineering on Gen 2 and Gen 3 has issues. Gen 4 Rover and Gen 4 Prius UGLY... hmmmmmm But much improved over Gen 3 versions of each car. It sounds like you really want to buy this car. Then do so. Go for it. Just heed our advice. Or don't. But these are the opinions you asked for. This group doesn't sugarcoat. (Or use punctuation. LOL) and pretty much everybody is honest about Prius ownership. I'm currently renting a Gen 4 2021 Prius and forming my own opinions on that car. I do love my Prii but I have owned 3 Corollas and mechanically they are simpler and ANY mech can work on them. Prii are Different. When people ask me about my second Gen P38A Range Rover I tell them it is a love hate relationship because it is. I say,"Unless you have $2,000 a year to dump into repairs..don't buy an old P38."
The same is true on the 2010 Prius it is like the 2007 Range Rover L322 and known to be the ONE to avoid.

See I'm wordsmithing because I've had a lot of coffee and just said the same thing as Bisco did in 8 words.........

 

Nothing wrong with buying a 2010, we just want you to go in with your eyes open

 

See. .Bisco doesn't always crumble cookies.........

 

Tom, what you have here in Priuschat is an honest group of people that have driven Gen I, II, II and IV's. We have seen it all. So you are getting honest and personal answers to your questions. We won't lie to you. Sometimes, the truth is staring right in a persons face and they still can't see it. Ledfoot, bisco, Mendel and all of us are just telling you like it is. You got a Gen III. The year is 2010, the car is over 10 years old. It's going to cost you money moving forward. We know it cause we've been there.

 

If you can't work with your hands i wouldn't buy it as labor is like $150/hr now plus parts. But if you can it could be a great way to go. If you've worked on cars pretty often thats about a peach honestly. You caught it right when all of the maintenance is due. If you do all of the maintenance right off the bat it will "typically" be good to go! You don't always get lucky though so make sure it doesn't have a start up knock already it could be possible as the low mileage old cars typically have the engine hours just not the miles.
You can almost guarantee its never had any maintenance since its a prius

What it will need to not blow up:
EGR cooler clean
EGR valve clean
EGR passage ways clean, especially the intake manifold
Clean the injector tips
New oem spark plugs
PCV valve clean

What it will also need:
Transmission oil change
Inverter coolant change
Engine coolant change
clean and lube all of the brake sliding pins and clips
5k oil changes from here on out
Probably will need high mileage oil to swell the seals to keep it from leaking oil at this point. I know mine is getting weepy now (not leaky yet though)

What it really needs more than likely:
piston soak
intake port clean
intake valve clean

If not: the car will more than likely get 40mpg because the brakes are partly locked up and the car is all clogged up with carbon and sludge and will blow up soon.

Its ~$250 and a weekend to do all of that. At a dealer though it probably will cost the same as the car.

I don't really think they are unreliable, but the eco cars are for sure higher maintenance now. I weighed the pros and cons for me and the cost savings makes up for the higher maintenance if you diy.

 

Toms setting something up with @jerrymildred (in another thread?), for the EGR and collateral I think.