Buying a Gen 3 Used - Tips/Suggestions

On Car Complaints, the biggest complaint with the 2010 model is excessive oil consumption. There are a lot more complaints about the 2010 model on that particular site than any other Gen 3 model. However, there are no significant reliability differences between the 2010 and later models from the Long Term Quality Index, True Delta, or Consumer Reports. If you wanted to be much more likely to avoid the possibility of burning oil, then you'd want a 2012 or more recent model.

You can tell if the traction battery is going bad by looking at the battery level. If the level goes from the bottom to the top and then back to the bottom in a few minutes, then the battery is going bad. The battery level shouldn't change by more than 2 bars when you're on a test drive. There have been very few traction battery failures thus far for Gen 3 models.

 

Have not heard of any excessive oil consumption problems with the 2011s. So you may want to look at that model year as well. The 2012 and newer G3s get the mid life upgrades like LED day time running lights and nicer exterior styling IMP.

 

Ours might be an anomaly, but anyway: 2010, manufactured August of 2009, 66,000 kilometers, using no oil between changes. So far.

 

We just traded a 2010 Prius for a 2015 Prius C because the 2010 was leaking a lot of oil and they wanted $1300.00 to repair it. Engine would shake occasionally also. Did I make a good decision or should I have let them repair it. The Prius C was 14,000.00

 

If you have a 2010 model car manufactured in August 2019, you definitely have an anomaly!

 

Back to the Future ??

 

My inlaws own a 2010 with 80k miles. Doesn't burn a drop of oil. They have owned it since 19k miles and I change the oil every 5k. So not all 2010 are burning oil.

 

I'm changing oil and filter every 6 months: (bulk) Toyota 0W20.

Kilometers so low, I better not mention...

 

New Prius owner and could not be happier with my purchase. I picked up a 2011 Prius with 91,000mi on the clock for $9,200. I did a bunch a research as well and the 2011 for the Gen3 seemed to be a better price then the 12 or 13. Can't say enough about how well this car runs. I was able to get a Car Fax on the are and it was always maintained at a Toyota dealership.

 

Congrats & welcome to PriusChat.

 

2010 was a long model year. A IV-Solar (2010) or a Four-Solar (2011+) will be relatively uncommon. Register the VIN at the cars you are interested in at http://www.toyota.com/owners to get the dealer service history and the in service date.

You got 12 years out of the 2005's battery. If you get 12 years out of the 2010's battery that would be another 100000 miles, 166000 total. I would expect the battery to hold up. How many miles on your 2005 when the battery died? 240000?

 

They are harder to find.but with gas cheap they can be found. Was able to find a used 2013 model four with the sun roof solar panel package two years ago. Well worth the effort.