Is Head Gasket failure common in Gen 3?

Well you have to think at 200k miles, a 2010 model would have lots to worry about

1. Head gasket
2. HV battery
3. EGR circuit and intake manifold cleaning
4. Water pump, inverter pump, brake actuator
5. Car's overall paint condition

So this car at over 200k miles has some real maintenance costs

 

Yes, exactly, it already paid what we paid for. 200k miles with almost no major problem until headgasket leak is still a really goodd deal. I will also scrap it at 200k miles if I get head gasket problem. Selling it to junk yards may be makes more sense unless we just put a new HV battery.

 

can appreciate the point. toyota not the only one with problems, but they seem to have upped game in gen 4. certainly not getting a history of failures in warranty. and there are plenty out there from that era now that have high miles as well and don't see any plethora of HG problems.

as an aside @ChapmanF is there any downside to all non- recycled flow through the CAT as far as CAT life goes ? Of course before 2012 didn't have EGR so it was all non-recycled flow through the CATs and never lost one except to theft . . . so maybe nothing here to see.

 

As far as I know, the two reasons EGR is used on gasoline engines are (1) to reduce oxides-of-nitrogen emissions and (2) to improve fuel economy. I'm not aware of any effect on catalytic converter life being cited as a reason for EGR.

Doesn't mean there couldn't be something there I don't know about, but that would be more of a question for a reference librarian at an engineering libe.

 

Interesting.

And there is data to back up this firm statement?
What is the highest mileage Gen 3 using this made up cleaning routine? Why did toyota not sanction this procedure?
This forum does not cover what all Gen 3 owners are dealing with. Only toyota knows the big picture.

We have one contender for the Mendel List!
(my Element is doing fine at 325k miles, with no routine cleaning of systems.)

263k is barely beyond when mine started showing symptoms. (May it RIP with the new owner. And may he not go to the Rockies with it and have the Blue Devil keep working.

If toyota has not made a statement or TSB on this issue by now... May the Gen 4 have a longer life!

 

Statistically, 4th gen indeed has almost no issue at all. Only some people crack the windshields and get annoyed by the looks and Orca like interior

 

That is the newest generation, I would certainly hope they have the least amount of issues

 

I think it is similar to how 2nd gen has much less problem than 1st and 4th than 3rd because it is the 2nd iterarion with the same engines. Strictly speaking, 2nd gen is actually has less problems than 3rd gen in their first 10 years/200k miles

 

2nd gen has it's share of problem areas. As they get older, you are certain to need a new combination meter, inverter pump, and brake actuator.

The Turd Gen car of course has the head gasket issue.

All the older generations will eventually need the expensive HV battery, but that would apply to all hybrid vehicles as a wear item

 

At 60k miles, I had my 2015 entire circuit cleaned. The valve had significant dirt, but was not really bad. The thingy that has the tiny grill inside was heavily covered with soot, but, I could just barely see through it. Head gasket and even the fuel injectors were clean. I had the OCC installed while getting this maintenance done. I would say, due to the changing of the piston rings on my 2015, Toyota fixed the issue.

 

Do you really mean "head gasket"? That would be quite a major project at 60k just to see if it was clean.

 

He probably meant intake manifold cleaning. Head gasket is multilayers metal sheets that is pressed between short block and head. Nothing to clean there.
2015 is indeed has less problems in oil consumption but still inherit 3rd gen problems like EGR clogging and rear brake stuck sliding pin. I am not sure about head gasket yet. We do not have enough statistics. 2013 still have head gasket issue but much less cases than 2010 even with higher mileage

 

How can you say "Fixed the problem" when you are only at 60k miles?
You get points for the OCC. And the new rings make for less 'blowby and oil vapor settling in the intake manifold. Is that the idea?
Maybe, just maybe your EGR circuit will not be as cruddy at the next cleaning.
Will you extend it beyond 60k miles?

What got you to do all this work? 60k is on the very precautious side...
How much did it cost you, if you paid to have it done?

 

I did it because I wanted to............period.

 

Good for you and your powers of positive thinking.
That's probably why others have head gaskets fail routinely.
Bad thinking.

 

I think 60k miles cleaning all the passages in the intake, EGR cooler, MAF sensors, etc. will really help how the engine runs better. It will cover some of us who do a lot of short trips, traffic, and in mountains. Some people may not have any problem with clogging beyond 120k miles because they drive on the highway more often.
I cleaned the MAF, change the filter every 2-3 years, and the EGR valve 60k miles. I only check the valve mechanics and it is not sticking and I put them back. We must make sure we screw it all down before tightening the bolts on that magnetic step motors in EGR. Otherwise, the car will run very rough and misfire from a vacuum leak because the EGR is stuck open at low RPM.
I will also clean the intakes and the whole EGR lines before 100k miles.

 

First, I am asking out of curiousity, so please don't attack me....

"The thingy that has the tiny grill inside..." I believe you are refering to the EGR Cooler?

Could you explain: "Head gasket and even the fuel injectors were clean." Who, and "how" did
you/they clean the head gasket? Did you/they actually remove the head and "replace" the head gasket?

"...due to the changing of the piston rings on my 2015, Toyota fixed the issue" Did you mean that while the
head was off, YOU/THEY replaced the piston rings? Or do you mean that when TOYOTA changed to new
rings(and pistons) in 2015,(sometime in model year 2014)???
Also, to replace the piston rings, you'll/they'll need to remove the engine.....

Because, cleaning the EGR system(which includes the intake manifold egr passages) at 60,000 "might"

 

Maybe just poor choice of words? I doubt he uncovered the head gasket for a look.

Same story? He's just referring to the different pistons/rings Toyota went to, somewhere through 2014 model year?

 

Probably meant the intake manifold gasket. When I cleaned my EGR circuit it was oily and flattened.

 

I thus, I put you on block.