A Gen 4 Toyota Prius (2016 to 2022) is the safest bet, provided its wiring harness recall was done on cars up to 2018, and steer clear of a Gen 3 past 80,000 miles, where its inverter starts failing.
11 known faults, 9 rated high severity in our database; owners report 59.5 mpg, 70% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a Toyota Prius advert (free) →The Gen 4 (2016 to 2022) is the safest used Prius, since its main known fault is covered by a recall: on cars built up to 2018, a section of engine wiring harness without a protector can rub through and short, cutting power, so ask for proof it's been done. Its catalytic converter is also harder to get at than the Gen 2's, which makes it less of a target for thieves.
A Gen 3 (2009 to 2015) is a sensible buy at lower miles, but its two serious known faults come with mileage: the power module inside the inverter fails between 80,000 and 150,000 miles on 2010 to 2014 cars, and a blocked EGR cooler on the 1.8 hybrid causes head gasket failure between 100,000 and 150,000 miles. There's also a boost converter software recall on 2009 to 2014 cars to ask about.
The Gen 2 (2003 to 2009) needs careful checking: thieves target its catalytic converter, its electric hybrid water pump fails between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, and its traction battery wears out between 120,000 and 200,000 miles. The original 2000 to 2003 Prius is older still, with doubts raised about its hybrid battery life as early cars aged, and steering rack problems have been reported on it too.
The Prius is hybrid-only, so the choice is between the 1.5 hybrid of 2004 to 2009 cars and the 1.8 hybrid that followed. The 1.5's weak point is its traction battery, which degrades between 120,000 and 200,000 miles, showing a red warning triangle and an engine that won't stop running; one owner paid £1,250 plus VAT for a new one on a 108,000-mile 2006 car.
The 1.8 hybrid has two serious known faults to check for. On 2010 to 2015 engines a clogged EGR cooler causes localised overheating and head gasket failure between 100,000 and 150,000 miles, announced by a metallic rattle or shaking on a cold start and coolant going missing, and on 2010 to 2014 cars the inverter's power module fails between 80,000 and 150,000 miles and shuts the hybrid system down. It's chain-driven with no scheduled chain change, and wear follows skipped oil changes rather than mileage.
Toyota treats the hybrid transaxle fluid as sealed for life, but its dealers and hybrid specialists both advise draining and refilling it at 60,000 miles, so ask for a receipt on a car past that. Plug-in versions from 2011 to 2015 were recalled to uprate an EV fuse that could fail after repeated hard running on electric power, such as long hill climbs, and Prius+ models from 2013 to 2014 had their ECUs reprogrammed because the inverter could overheat and stop the car.
A very loud exhaust on start-up and an engine warning light mean the catalytic converter's been cut off, a known fault on 2003 to 2009 cars that owners have reported on Gen 3s as well, so ask whether it's got a protective clamp fitted to the converter.
On a Gen 2, a hybrid system warning points to the electric water pump, so ask for proof it was replaced under the recall; one owner's new pump failed again 15 months later. A red triangle comes from a worn traction battery or from circuits damaged by jump-starting straight off the hybrid battery, and an energy monitor showing the battery charging and draining rapidly means it's wearing out. On a 2010 to 2014 car, a Check Hybrid System warning or limp mode points to the inverter.
Drive over bumps with the wheel turned and listen for tapping or knocking from the steering column, a known fault between 40,000 and 80,000 miles on 2003 to 2014 cars that a modified part cures; one owner paid £181 for parts plus £90 labour. On a Gen 2, check the leading edge of the aluminium bonnet for bubbling paint, and on a 2006 to 2012 car, a smell of fuel with a full tank points to a crack in the evaporative emissions canister, which was recalled.
Ask for proof of every recall that applies: the hybrid water pump on a Gen 2, the fuel canister on 2006 to 2012 cars, boost converter software on 2009 to 2014 cars, failsafe software on 2008 to 2014 cars, the EV fuse on 2011 to 2015 Plug-ins and the wiring harness on cars built up to 2018. If it's only done short trips, ask about the 12v auxiliary battery, which struggles to stay fully charged on cars that aren't driven any distance.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
It's a good buy only with its catalytic converter protected and its hybrid water pump replaced, because cat theft and that pump failing are both known faults on the Gen 2. Thieves go for its converter because it's rich in precious metal and quick to cut off, and the electric pump that moves coolant round the hybrid parts gives out between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, which led to a recall on 2003 to 2009 cars.
The traction battery degrades with age and mileage, and one owner was quoted £1,400 for a new one when theirs failed at 10 years old. Don't let anyone clamp jump leads straight onto the hybrid battery, because the surge can damage the hybrid system's circuits without any sign at the time; it should be trickle charged instead, so ask whether it's ever been jump-started.
Gen 2 recalls covered engine software to stop the petrol engine stalling on 2003 and 2004 cars, a brake light switch on early cars that could oxidise, and a steering intermediate shaft whose joints could work loose. One owner of a 48,000-mile 2005 car was quoted £1,274 after the power steering failed. Check the bonnet's leading edge for blistered paint, since its rolled aluminium seam corrodes, and don't be surprised if the soft-touch dash on 2006-on cars is marked.
Real-world economy on this generation: Toyota Prius 54.1 mpg, Toyota Prius 59.3 mpg.
The inverter is the Gen 3's biggest known weakness: on 2010 to 2014 cars its power module fails between 80,000 and 150,000 miles, bringing a Check Hybrid System warning and a sudden loss of drive. Cars from 2009 to 2014 were also recalled for boost converter software that put extra heat stress on the inverter, and Prius and Prius+ models from 2008 to 2014 got a software update because they could stall rather than drop into failsafe mode.
Past 100,000 miles the 1.8's EGR cooler can block up and cook the head gasket, so listen for a metallic rattle or shaking on a cold start and ask whether it's been losing coolant. Tapping from the steering over bumps with the wheel turned is a known fault on this generation too, and one owner heard it on a 2010 car bought at 52,000 miles. Another owner paid £2,757 for a brake actuator repair on a five-year-old car.
Cat theft isn't only a Gen 2 problem: the Gen 3's converter is harder to reach and holds less precious metal, yet owners have reported thefts, one car losing its cat twice. Nudging the cruise control faster can leave it speeding up until you touch the brakes, and EV mode switches off above 31mph or when the charge runs low, then doesn't come back on by itself. Cars from 2010 to 2012 were also recalled over curtain airbag inflators that could crack.
Real-world economy on this generation: Toyota Prius 59.3 mpg, Toyota Prius+ 50.9 mpg, Toyota Prius 65.3 mpg.
The Gen 4's main known fault is covered by a recall: on cars built up to 2018, part of the engine wiring harness feeding the hybrid power control unit had no protector, so it could rub against a connector cover and short, bringing warning lights, stalling and loss of drive. Ask for proof the recall work has been done on any car from 2016 to 2018.
It's an easy, relaxing car to drive, and its catalytic converter is less of a target than the Gen 2's because it's harder to get at and holds less precious metal, though a thief who doesn't know that can still have a go. On a car past 60,000 miles, ask whether the hybrid transaxle fluid has been drained and refilled.
Real-world economy on this generation: Toyota Prius 65.3 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
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Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 59.5 mpg across the Toyota Prius engines with data, about 70% of the official figure, from 1,346 submissions.
Toyota Prius Real MPG by engine →It's a refreshingly simple drivetrain: the petrol engine runs an unstressed Atkinson cycle, the gearbox is an epicyclic CVT and the electric motor doubles as starter and alternator, which is why Toyota says Prius taxis have covered more than 400,000 miles with hardly any trouble. One owner ran a 2008 Gen 2 for seven years, mostly in town, and saw fuel economy barely slip, with no hybrid battery problems.
There's room for four adults in the Gen 4, and the Gen 2 is a simple car that's good fun to drive, with a digital instrument layout that's excellent. The Gen 2 got better again from May 2005, when Toyota improved its ride, its handling and how much road and engine noise reaches you.
A Gen 4 Toyota Prius (2016 to 2022) is the safest bet, provided its wiring harness recall was done on cars up to 2018, and steer clear of a Gen 3 past 80,000 miles, where its inverter starts failing. Our database holds 11 known Toyota Prius faults, 9 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
The Gen 4 (2016 to 2022) is the safest used Prius, since its main known fault is covered by a recall: on cars built up to 2018, a section of engine wiring harness without a protector can rub through and short, cutting power, so ask for proof it's been done. On the fault record the Gen 4 (2016 to 2022) carries 1 known fault against 5 on the Gen 2 (2003 to 2009). Each generation's section above gives the detail. Toyota Prius faults by generation.
A very loud exhaust on start-up and an engine warning light mean the catalytic converter's been cut off, a known fault on 2003 to 2009 cars that owners have reported on Gen 3s as well, so ask whether it's got a protective clamp fitted to the converter. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Toyota Prius fault before you travel.
Owners report 59.5 mpg on average, about 70% of the official figure, from 1,346 submissions. Chain (1.8 HYBRID, 2ZR-FXE): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Toyota Prius Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Toyota Prius buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 112 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
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The Toyota Prius is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
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