2008 Toyota Prius Toyota Prius 2008

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2008 Toyota Prius repairs by problem area

Engine (30%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (2%)

Brakes and Traction Control (3%)

Suspension and Steering (16%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (38%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)

Other (7%)

Chart based on 320 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2008 Toyota Prius.

2008 Toyota Prius engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (2%)

$1000 - $2499 (4%)

$500 - $999 (21%)

$100 - $499 (41%)

< $100 (31%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 90 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2008 Toyota Prius

Engine not specified

168000 mi

US $400
Coolant Control Valve 

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2008 Toyota Prius 4dr Hatch

76-horsepower 1.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD

90000 mi

US $750
Carbon buildup on engine intake has to be cleaned. 
99000 mi

US $2400
Failed catalytic converter had to be replaced. 
70800 mi

US $600
Coolant Control Valve replacement 16670-21010 
83000 mi Oil change, engine and cabin air filters replaced, radiator cap replaced due to signs of leakage 
111000 mi

US $150
Coolant control valve was bad; throwing P1116 and P1121 codes and check engine light; replaced valve and replaced engine coolant; also did oil & filter change; rotate and balance, new wipers  
53000 mi 3 Way coolant valve needed to be replaced. Was under warranty. 
89000 mi

US $281
The traction battery failed and was replaced with a new battery. 
80000 mi

US $294
Leaking main engine water pump 
151140 mi PCV Valve replaced to try to improve oil consumption. Didn't help. 
113000 mi

US $100
Lag in response, cleaned dirty throttle body. 
24260 mi

C $216
I had a thermostat changed as I suspected it was sticking (via ScanGauge II water temp readings). Dealer software could not i.d. any trouble and was not recommending a change. I insisted and the new thermostat has cleared up the symptoms 
43400 mi Leaking water pump replaced under extended warranty 
59000 mi

US $458
Water pump needed replacing 
US $30 running a little rough at idle 
100000 mi

US $250
Water pump replaced as it was beginning to leak. Cost of about 250 
135000 mi

US $550
3-way coolant valve failed, and was replaced. 
132000 mi

US $724
Water pump and thermostat had to be replaced. 
103000 mi

US $400
Replaced engine coolant pump 
91000 mi

US $150
Exhaust heat shield rusted and needed to be replaced 
202000 mi

US $960
hybrid system cooling valve 
208000 mi

US $384
valve cover gasket, pcv value, spark plugs, ignition coil .., since was having valve cover gasket replaced,, went ahead and had the other stuff done 
210000 mi

US $500
hybrid battery problem. code P0A80. Mechanic removed hybrid battery and found one cell was below the required voltage. should be 7.5 or higher and one had 6.23. Bad cell was replaced and copper contacts were also replaced with new ones. battery was reinstalled and problem was resolved. 
113800 mi

US $600
Replaced catalyst and resonator, P0420 code. Previous catalyst was counterfeit. 
332320 mi

A $450
Engine had been seized by previous owner due to overheating. No belt, no coolant in radiator and oil was approx. 50 percent coolant when drained. Engine replaced with used engine from salvage yard with no issues. 
145000 mi

US $100
Replace Coolant Flow Control Valve due to P1121 error code. 
212000 mi Mass airflow sensor replaced 
159000 mi

US $1100
The inverter coolant pump failed. Replaced at New Jersey dealership the same day. 
175000 mi

US $200
muffler and tailpipe 
121520 mi

C $145
Exhaust hangers and gaskets 
118000 mi

US $185
Serpentine belt 
118973 mi Hybrid battery showing signs of wear. Owner used Prolong Deluxe hybrid battery conditioning system to charge/deep discharge the cells to restore balance and battery performance. 
143981 mi

US $110
Replaced inverter coolant pump 
159183 mi

US $2500
Replaced weakening hybrid battery pack with OEM one. No codes were thrown prior to replacement. 
115700 mi

US $5
Cleaned throttle body and air filter. Added dry gas to fuel tank 
64000 mi

US $375
During routine inspection / maintenance, tech noted that coolant was low and found small / slow leak... seepage where pump joins with a "pipe" of some sort. Water pump and all "directly related" parts (related to the leak) were replaced. 
24000 mi

US $300
Replaced leaking water pump. 
226920 mi

C $80
Changed coilpack on 4th cylinder 
177000 mi

US $590
Inverter water pump overheated and blew a fuse. Car's electrical system gave out, had to be towed. 
104000 mi

US $300
Leaking water pump replaced 
60000 mi

US $700
Water pump leak at the housing. Replaced pump, gaskets and coolant Replaced accessory drive belt that was worn and frayed. 
83200 mi

US $645
Replaced 3 way coolant valve. 
86000 mi

US $500
Replaced hybrid water pump and topped off coolant. 
63000 mi Cooling system 
102000 mi

US $145
The dealer technician noticed cracking in the drive belt. They replaced the drive belt with no problems. No problems since. 
52500 mi

US $100
Serpentine belt was cracked and replaced 
28520 mi Leak in water pump discovered during routine maintenance. Replacement covered by warranty. 
8680 mi Engine check light came on. Took vehicle to local dealer who determined via the code that there was a misfire problem. Cleared Engine Check light. Suggested we had picked up water in gas. Added 150ml TSP water eliminator. No further problem. 
76000 mi Engine Air Flow Sensor Failed - Check Engine - Computer kept shutting down engine - Had to tow to not wear down hybrid battery 
167000 mi

US $350
Coolant flow sensor for inverter - replaced sensor and valve 
210000 mi

US $250
Inverter coolant pump failed and was replaced 
274000 mi

US $770
Hybrid Coolant Pump Failure 
45000 mi replaced water pump 
42300 mi Can't completely fill up the gas tank. They told me the gas tank has a bladder in it and probably because of it being so cold it won't fill up all the way. I should wait and see if it gets better when it warms up outside. 
71000 mi

US $600
Diverter valve in coolant system was not closing. Check engine light on. Fixed with valve replacement. 
83000 mi

US $120
Thermostat on coolant pump that pumps hot coolant to a thermos tank next to the engine failed and had to be replaced. 
94000 mi

US $185
Leak in fuel pump 
192000 mi

US $250
Car was losing 2 quarts oil between regular maintenance (5,000 miles) PCV valve was replaced. Have not yet taken car back to dealer for oil consumption test. Update: problem persists. 
250000 mi Check engine light came on. Service dept. put it on the computer and 2 codes came up, 1. was the catalytic converter and 2: was a problem possibly with the gas cap. No definitive fix was given but an $1800.00 price was given for the repa. 
260300 mi

US $943
Replace catalytic converter. 
277000 mi

US $500
Replace hybrid cooling system 
96000 mi

US $340
Water pump was leaking, had a new after market water pump installed. 
65000 mi

US $600
Battery was found to be inadequate when I took the car in due to a "check engine" light that turned out to be caused by a defective gas cap. 
32000 mi Cruise control was activated at 65mph on a rainy day on the highway and a car cut me off. I braked to override the cruise control. Instead of disengaging, the car sped up. I piled on top of the brake and changed lanes. Called Toyota and they blew me off. 
40000 mi Replaced water pump. 
187000 mi

US $478
Running exceedingly rough. Had to replace spark plugs & other electronic parts. Wanted to replace brakes, but decided not to at this time. 
350000 mi

US $4500
Engine was using oil, about a quart every two weeks, and had to be replaced with a used engine. 
62000 mi noticed the battery was not reaching full charge ... diagnostic was OK .. it was the heat .. we have a heat waze ( over 40) so the battery efficiency is reduced and will not charge as fully. Noticed improvments with cooler weather now. 
154000 mi Replaced inverter cooling pump under recall 
271000 mi

US $1500
Drive battery failed 
279000 mi Main Drive Battery replaced under warranty 
78800 mi

US $600
Hybrid system water pump 
68700 mi Transmission drain and fill Replc Pcv valve 
121300 mi emission check engine p0456 
123000 mi replace fuel tank failed emmision test 
113700 mi

US $120
Replace drive belt. 
156000 mi

US $165
Muffler heat shield replaced 
158000 mi

US $400
Replace water pump 
92000 mi

US $950
Evap system. One part of the gas line replaced 
77000 mi Catalytic Converter Failed at 77,400 mi. Normal Car warranty expired however dealer replaced at no cost with a new one using the federal emissions warranty which covers this repair for vehicles under 80,000 mi 
80000 mi Water Pump leaking - replaced water pump 
83000 mi

US $58
Kept getting red emergency triangle light in dashboard and " problem " across screen of brain unit before brain unit stopped working. After brain unit was replaced warning idiot light conditions still lit up intermittent. Found low oil. 
94300 mi Have had an intermittent check engine light for the past year. Dealer could never find anything. I eventually found it was very low on oil. Seems to be burning it. Not happy that dealer didn't discover the problem one of the times I took it in. 
102700 mi

US $472
Check Engine light. First visit #2 cylinder problem. Change plugs, clean injectors. Mechanic also recommended cracked serpentine belt and possible water pump leakage. I okayed replace serpentine belt. 
103000 mi

US $487
30 days and 500 miles after repair on 4/01/2016 the same condition again on 5/07/16. Check engine light. Dealer found bad injector cylinder # 2 again. Replaced faulty injector. Now problem is corrected . 
45000 mi water pump leaking coolant, replaced water pump and belt... 
50000 mi Notice a slight misfire when coming to a stop. WAs not reproducible at shop and no codes stored in current flow but cylinder misfire was in history. Throttle cleaned. 
53000 mi

US $500
Water pump also identified as needing replacement on this trip. 
55000 mi P1121 code - known frequent problem with Priuses of this vintage; eventually got manufacturer to pay for full replacement of coolant flow control valve! 
65200 mi

US $166
Odd symptoms intermittent, happened only twice with my wife driving - engine revs up when removing foot for accelerator at 55 mph to slow down for stop light. Service Advisor recommended Injector Flush & Induction Service 79.95 each. Not fixed. 
44000 mi Engine water pump and hybrid water pump and battery 
84000 mi

US $60
Resonator pipe broke from catalytic converter 
88000 mi

US $600
Leaky water pump and worn timing belt replaced. Car happened to be in the shop for a replacement accessory battery. 
94000 mi

US $2400
Replaced a leaky water pump 

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2008 Toyota Prius Engine Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2008 Toyota Prius problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.