Gen II vs. Gen III reliability

True Delta breaks each generation in two groups. For each, the earlier is slightly more reliable than the later.

 

2010 is the first year of the gen III, and 2009 is the last year of the gen II. But yeah, some have mentioned more problems with the 2010's.

 

The used engines on the Gen 2 are super cheap yet the Gen 3 engines are still 3x more expensive. Maybe not enough people texting yet to cause enough wrecks to overstock Gen 3 engines.

 

I had to really research this one just to make sure I wasn't crazy. The Prius, even Gen 2, does NOT have a timing belt.

The web site called car complaints shows the years and problems of all Prius models. 2010 is the highest year of complaints and 2008 and 2007 are in second. Notice 2016 for being a new car, has a lot of complaints. Usually when a new model is made, there are issues. And usually they are resolved in that year. Hope this helps!

 

Did you notice what the majority of the complaints for the 2006,7,8’s were? Headlights. Those HID headlights are quite problematic on those cars.

 

@Skibob Yes I noticed on the car complaints website that 2007 and 2008 models have a lot of headlight issues and even more troubling is that Toyota hasn't helped people with a fix that I am aware of after reading so many complaints on car complaints website. The year with the most complaints is 2010 with engine problems not headlight problems but it looks like they resolved issues quickly because 2011 models don't have near as many complaints. All cars are going to have issues. I was just trying to find out if Gen 2 or Gen 3 was the better way to go. Seems like there are good years in Gen 2 and good years in Gen 3.

 

that's exactly right

 

I’ll take crappy headlights over blown head gaskets any day

 

I think the answer is to get either a Gen 2 but not a 2007 or 2008, or get a Gen 3 but not a 2010. And I'm sure many people with 07, 08 and 2010 don't have any problems at all with headlights or engine problems, but it's a higher risk of problems on those years. Both problems are expensive to fix. Obviously the engine problem would be more expensive but from what I've read the headlight issue is more irritating because people have to take their vehicles into Toyota so many times over and over again.

 

My 2008 Prius has 720,000km on the clock and still going strong. It has had a replacement traction battery sourced for a wreckers, $300 at the time I believe. It is an ex taxi so that explains the high mileage but the owner only sold it because it was too old to be registered as a taxi again. I did replace a timing chain, but that turned out to not be the problem, it was a partially blocked catalytic converter causing the exhaust pressure to push the exhaust flange away from the exhaust manifold against the springs that hold it there, once the pressure escaped the pipe banged back onto the manifold making a noise that was mis diagnosed as a timing chain. I am so impressed with this vehicle I've bought a second Prius, a 2005 with all the bells and whistles and a plug in battery pack. Just love it.

T1 Terry

 

Yes
But what about those pesky headlights?

 

The 2008 has halogen headlights, the 2005 has been retro fitted with LED headlights. I drive a lot at night and I've got to say, they are so good I have not seen a need to add driving lights as I have had to on all my other vehicles.
Australia is a big place and it's a long way between towns with lot of wildlife that likes to take on any unsuspecting vehicles, the Prius headlights put out a beam wide enough to clearly light up both the road ahead and the roadside verges where the kangaroos and goats like to graze at night and then dart out onto the road at the last minute. Maybe the US models have headlight problems, but the Australian models sure don't.

T1 Terry

 

I find the halogen headlights on the Australian delivered Prius to be great. Just need to keep polishing the headlights as they are oxidizing bad. Though car is always parked outside facing the sun.

 

Been busy doing stuff for a while, first time back on for nearly 2 mths.
The ex taxi Prius has halogen headlights, the tricked up one I bought from Jason has LED headlights. The halogen are good, the LED lights are exceptional. Combined with the fog lights to forward vision and each side of the road is outstanding and brilliant for night time driving on our country roads that we have to share with the local wildlife.

T1 Terry