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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
88,393 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2010 Toyota Prius engine problems

engine problem

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2010 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 4 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #79

Mar 012018

Prius

  • 44,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2010 Prius has relatively low mileage - approximately 44,000 miles. It has been routinely maintained at the dealership where it was purchased new. I just replaced the tires a couple of months ago, and the only issues have been the takata airbag recall & the need to replace air filters more frequently than may be normal because I do not have a garage so it is parked outside in a driveway where exposure to pollen & debris from trees is excessive. After a significant wind & rain storm Wednesday night, the engine rattled & made unusual noises for several seconds when I started the car. Then, the "check engine" light came on. I checked the manual, which said not to drive & to call a dealership immediately, which I did. I was told it was not safe to drive & it should be towed to the dealership. I waited until the following morning & started it again to verify the check engine light before having it towed. After I was at the dealership for 3 hours, the service guy told me that when he started it, the car run fine, the check engine light was off, & they were not sure what caused the problem, but their diagnostic evaluation showed a problem with an oil leak in the head gasket. I was quoted a cost of approx. $1500 to open it up, fix the leak, & check for any other problems. I gave the go-ahead, but am wondering if this is symptomatic of a greater problem that will be repeated. I am waiting to hear back from the dealership after the repair today. My goal is to drive the vehicle until it has 100,000 miles or so & then trade in for the newer model. Did I make the right decision" do I have a lemon? is this a common problem with the 2010 model? is it reparable, or could the engine now be warped and irreparable"

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #78

Nov 192016

Prius

  • 195,538 miles
I just tested all years from 2010 to 2011 Prius, those Prius burns a lot of oil at every 2,000 miles. I did fill it (at 4.4 quarts of oil) correctly it but Prius ate over 3 quarts in 2000 miles. Like many of people have been reports this on priuschat.com and etc online forums. I hate to spend my money to buy motor oils! why this Prius excessive oil consumption" "what did this happen"" I just purchased 2010 Prius on Oct. 2016. And I tested it. It still oil consumption. Toyota dealer can't do anything for motor oil. Since it happened, I still check oil level at every 2,000 miles and put it some motor oil in it until it reach to 5,000 miles for synthetic oil change.

- Conroe, TX, USA

problem #77

Feb 172018

Prius

  • 68,000 miles
Our Prius has been losing power. It has 68K miles and we are the original owners. Driving at hwy speeds we noticed we have to push hard down on the gas just to get the car to maintain highway speeds. Hills are even worse. We are also still waiting on the parts to fix our headlights. Over the years I have changed the low beam bulbs at least 6 times! when are the parts coming?

- Fairview, OR, USA

problem #76

Feb 072018

Prius

  • 125,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

At about 125K miles, my Prius nearly ran out of oil between services, and I religiously service my vehicle. I burned 1 to 2 quarts between services since. At 272,408 miles, I just paid $5751.59 for a complete engine rebuild... rest of car is in great shape. Oil consumption problems were known by the dealerships, but I was given no recourse except dealing with it. Latest issue..check engine light on, misfire on cylinders 1 and 4 (progressing to all), horrific knocking noise with sound of rushing water upon start-up. Eventually, (once the cylinders fired significantly) the engine could run satisfactorily for the remainder of the drive... until the next start. Early on I read that Toyota knew of the under-engineered motor of the 2010S, but I have not received anything announcing a recall or care to fix their engineering issue. I have my service records to validate the care I've given to my car. The date of the engine rebuild is what I will provide as to when this happened, but the oil consumption began years ago.

- Greensboro, NC, USA

problem #75

Jan 202018

Prius

  • 91,984 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal pounding noise and the check engine indicator illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was linked to odometer fraud. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (Toyota of hollywood, 6000 hollywood blvd, hollywood, ca 90026), but the cause of the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to Toyota of downtown la (1901 S figueroa St, los angeles, ca 90007) where it was diagnosed that the engine was misfiring and an engine compression test was needed to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 91,984.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #74

Jan 072018

Prius

  • 150,000 miles
At about 100,000 miles engine began using excessive amounts of oil, exceeding 1 quart per 1000 miles. Toyota knows this is a problem, and even has a tsb on it: Tsb 0168-16, yet refuses to take responsibility.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #73

Jan 102018

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Engine loosing oil and I have to add oil every 5 days

- Garden Grove, CA, USA

problem #72

Jan 112017

Prius

  • 100,000 miles
This car uses alot of oil in general use. I put in 4 quarts about every 2 months

- Anaheim, CA, USA

problem #71

Nov 012017

Prius

  • 145,000 miles
Engine burning excessive amount of oil. Car has been regularly serviced. Last night, I noticed that the oil reservoir level was so low, the dip stick did not even register it. I had to add 2.5 quarts of oil before it started reading the oil level again.

- Azusa, CA, USA

problem #70

Dec 042017

Prius

  • 35 miles
Vehicle shakes for about 30 to 45 seconds and produce a foul smell inside the cabin it happens off and on and dealer refuse to fix the problem.

- Bellingham, WA, USA

problem #69

Jan 102017

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Oil consumption terrible. Need to add 1 qt of oil every 1,100 miles. Engine is burning a ton of oil.

- Naperville, IL, USA

problem #68

Sep 182017

Prius

  • miles
Excessive oil consumption

- Taylorsville, NC, USA

problem #67

Aug 042017

Prius

  • 163,500 miles
Water leaking from engine cowel getting into ignition coils which is causing engine to shudder and stop sometimes too. Seems to be a known Toyota issue yet not being rectified by manufacturer. Seals seem to allow water to get into the ignition coils hence the issue. Vehicle is stationary when first observed then shuddering and misfiring occurring as vehicle is being driven also leading to loss of power as its being driven which is quite dangerous on highways.

- Morgan Hill, CA, USA

problem #66

Aug 252017

Prius

  • 167,000 miles
My 2010 Prius with 167,000 has begun burning engine oil at a rate of about 1 quart per thousand miles. 9 weeks after my last oil change and the engine was down 3 quarts of oil. Mpg has gone down slightly during this time and no check engine light or low oil pressure warning lights came on.

- El Sobrante, CA, USA

problem #65

Jun 222017

Prius

  • 120,000 miles
The engine is now burning oil and must be replaced. Toyota is quoting me over 3,000 in parts.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #64

Sep 012014

Prius

  • 296,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the vehicle was burning oil excessively and the service vehicle warning indicator was illuminated. There was also an abnormal rattling noise when idling. The vehicle was taken to labadie Toyota (located at 909 N euclid ave bay city, mi 48706) where it was diagnosed that the piston rings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and opened case number: 1707100976, but did not offer assistance. The failure mileage was 296,000.

- West Branch, MI, USA

problem #63

Apr 302017

Prius

  • 1 miles
This afternoon, my wife was driving down a two lane, paved street at about 25 mph. The street has a slight decline and she began to apply the breaks to slow down slightly. Just a second or two later, she hit a small bump in the road and the car accelerated (while she had her foot on the break) for a fraction of a second. We didn't hear the sound of the engine revving. Thankfully, there were no other cars on the road at this time and there was time to press the break again. Based on looking around online, many people have reported similar issues (www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2010/02/Toyota-adds-2010-Prius-braking-problem-to-the-list-recall-possible/index.htm).

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #62

Feb 012016

Prius

  • miles
Excessive oil consumption starting at 100,000 which worsened. I now have to put a quart of oil every 750-1000 miles in my 2010 Prius. No one at Toyota will admit this is a problem, albeit there are an extreme amount of these complaints online through different blogs and web sites. Really, we Toyota owners bought this car to decrease our carbon footprint...ironic, right?

- Chester Springs, PA, USA

problem #61

Apr 202017

Prius

  • 130,000 miles
When I am coming to a stop (braking normally) and hit a bump, the car surges slightly and the brakes become less responsive. It feels like I'm fighting the engine as it accelerates and I'm trying to brake against it. Releasing the brake and attempting again seems to be a solution, but I often don't have time before reaching the intersection I'm approaching. This consistently happens in two places in my daily commute with a slight buckle in the road approaching an intersection on city streets and county roads.

- Edmond, OK, USA

problem #60

Apr 102017

Prius

  • 166,834 miles
I've had two Toyota Prius in my lifetime, a 2005 and a 2010 Toyota Prius, both have had the same issue where the engine would eat up all of my oil, I would have an oil change done and less than 2 weeks later I would have to check the oil gauge rod and find that the oil levels were below the bottom line, almost empty! the engine would be burning oil at such an alarming rate that I would repeatedly bring the vehicle to Toyota for oil changes. I'm very unsatisfied with my Toyota priuses. My car is currently at 166,384 miles and the engine cylinder has now given way and also the hybrid battery. I've gone only to Toyota dealerships to have pristine consecutive service and no third party repair facilities have provided service. I am located in souther California in san diego. I have spoken to many other Toyota Prius owners and if you do a google search online as of (04/10/17) "Toyota Prius engine oil consumption" you'll find many forums with "excessive consumption" from many other users. Once you reach past the 140,000 mile mark, your car is pretty much done. Consider buying a new one. Toyota priuses and their engineers have to come up with a way to satisfy current and future Prius owners as many of us will find that there will be many problems and issues down the road.

- National City, CA, USA

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