I have had the experience of putting a lot of money into bulletproofing a 6.0 powerstroke engine and it worked great. Then it was totaled in an accident and as The Car Wizard said in the video, the insurance company did not pay a dime more than what they estimated the vehicle was worth.

Way back in the 1980s I had an Alfa Romeo with the 4 cylinder “Boxer” engine and it blew one of its head gaskets. I was very busy at the time so I booked it into a local garage to have it fixed. I was told that they would replace the timing belts etc and I paid for the job to be carried out. Everything was fine for about six weeks when there was suddenly a large bang and the engine lost all power and was making the most horrendous noise (I was doing about 70MPH when it happened). You guessed it, the belts had snapped and the valves had hit the pistons, some of which had actually broken off and were embedded in the pistons. Upon examination the belts had not been changed. The garage refused to accept responsibility. End result was the car was a write-off. It just goes to show that over here in the UK all those years ago we also had scammers. Great channel!!

Blown head gasket is how you know a Land Rover has been running recently. If the head gaskets are good, be very suspicious. It may not have been started for some time.

I learned an extremely valuable lesson the hard way, after a major customization project accident: budget into the build what added insurance will be required to protect your investment. Far too many people put every dime into parts, labour and looks. Following an accident comes the gut wrenching shock, when the adjuster only gives you the basic market value. Whether it's custom or a major repair, protect yourself. After reading a Hotrod magazine, I decided to replace the blown 4 cyl in my 2 year old 73 Vega GT, with an an aluminum V8 from a 63 Olds F-85. First with the crappy automatic, then converted a Chevy 4 speed. I put months of garage time doing a complete engine overhaul. Getting custom motor mounts and machine shop work was very expensive. It turned out a great swap with the V8 weighing just 20 pounds more than the 4 cyl. Just weeks after getting the last bugs worked out, somebody made a left hand turn at a red light in front of me. The insurance company valued the car at its market value, based on the awful problems those original engines were causing everyone. My tough luck.

Head gasket job tips: (1)Start with the least abrasive scrubbing material you have to clean up the mating surface on the head(s) and the block, the engine metal may be soft or coated. (2)Measure the block and the head(s) with a straightedge(if either is warped, a new head gasket will not solve the problem). (3)If you’re not sure if your head bolts are reusable, buy new ones(some head bolts stretch when tightened and can only be used once).(4)Most important tip is have an extra car, don’t do this to the only car you have because it will take a while. You SHOULD take your time if you are doing this at home. Second guessing anything? STOP and do more research

The moral of this story is that the overwhelming cost of most repairs is *labor,* not parts. And finding a good mechanic like the Wizard is worth paying for.

The big difference between the CT200H and Prius is the rear suspension setup. This one uses a double wishbone on the rear and the ride is way better

Long ago I had a VW Rabbit. It developed an overheating problem, in January, in Minnesota. Probably a blown head gasket. But it was too cold to do the repair in my garage. So I took a risk. I got out the long torque wrench and tightened up the head bolts to 115% of spec. The engine ran fine after that until we sold the car two years later. Probably not a universal cure but maybe worth a try if you are cheap or desperate or both.

My 2010 went out this way at 260,000. Traded in for a 2014 Its HG went out at 285,000 Taxi cab Prius mechanic put crate motor in for less than $3000 Still going strong at 355,000 Never any battery problems ever. Mever any brake jobs either. Incredible cars. CT200h is next on my list.

I’m a major fan of the CT200h. Yes, the head gasket is a known failure point as mileage piles on, but the combination of looks, comfort, fuel economy, and reliability still makes them amazing cars. Awesome video Wizard!

I could still do the work, but your 18 hours would be 40 for me.

I bought a 2011 ct200h in 2021 for 8k with 123k miles. I drove rideshare for 2 years and put a total of 200k miles on it. At the shop I do the preventive treatment for the " issue" of the head gasket that is recommended. I will replace engine if I ever have too. I had to replace brake pump assemply. Cost of part 800.00 shop install 1200.00. Then like clockwork at 185k the hybrid battery had to be replaced. 4k lexus part shop installed. Ready to replace front break pads 2nd time and rotors first time. Various components on suspension replaced. Positives- great sound system. Good bass and power. I like the looks and drive and low center of gravity due to the battery weight. I used Perelli p- zero tires (3 sets great wet traction but fast tread wear. I still have wornout shocks and struts however. I found good pricing tires via online order from walmart shipped to walmart to install. I love this car and i instend to keep this till i croak. But i am 54. It's my car experiment. I only drive 15 miles back and forth on the old fart route in Clearwater Florida. I watch all of Wizards videos and Hoovie Garage too. On a side note I have no car common sense so to speak. Ex owner of Porsche 1988 944 turbo and 1988 911 Carrera.

Ct200h is a Corolla or Auris in Europe, it’s common for the Egr coolers let go that causes a dead miss water gets in the cylinder and blows the head gasket

You're an honest mechanic. A rare find these days. Heck even the dealership I purchased my car from seems a little sketchy to me.

Excellent video. 3 years ago i bought my 1 owner 2002 Lexus ES300 with 160,800 miles. Shortly after i bought it i had to have the struts replaced (the rear ones started leaking) and the AC compressor replaced. It started squealing but was working, i decided to change it before it fails. A few months later i had the original alternator replaced. a year later the original starter had to be replaced. Granted these are 20 year old OEM parts so for them to last nearly 20 years is a testament to the quality of Toyota/Lexus parts. All new parts are GENCO brand. One of the ignition coils went bad so i decided to have all 6 replaced with DENSO and 6 DENSO plugs. I did the front 3 but the rear 3 i had done by a shop i go to regularly. Exhaust Flex pipe started to make a low rumble so i had that replaced. Late last year the front brake calipers started to freeze up, had them replaced as well as the brake hoses. I change my own synthetic oil every 5k miles. Moral of my comments: although i put more $ into it than what i paid for the car, I'm content and happy i did. This 1MZ engine and smooth transmission will last many more years and its a keeper. i currently have 183k miles and these go for at least 300k miles if maintained properly.

I did it in 14 hours including two lunch breaks in my dad's garage. Worst part was cleaning every mating surface befween the camshaft assembly, block, head, timing cover and valve cover. I could probably do it a lot faster a second time. I have a 2011 CT200h I bought with the blown head gasket. It looks exactly like the one in this video. I just DIY stuff, not a pro at all.

Some shops would rather put a whole engine than go through the hassle of the head gasket. Easier for them to repair and send the customer down the road.

The CT200h was my mom's last car... Funny story though, we had no idea it existed until we saw one on display at the corner of the local Automall. She wanted something with Prius-like mileage at the time, but HATED the prius. This was exactly what she wanted. We went in to check it out at Lexus, and found out the $29,995 trim level was only special order from the port. THAT NIGHT the Tsunami in Japan happened! So I told my mom, "Hey if you want this car, you need to buy it NOW because the plant that builds them won't be for awhile!" And the next day we went in and she ordered one from the port. There was like a 6 month wait list for like a a year after that because of the Tsunami!

Water pump has a plastic stator which expands and cracks, always a good check. The water pump is super easy to replace.

I have a 2013 ct200h with the same issue. I repaired the motor. Right now it has 354235 miles and running.

@ 12:00 That happened to me in 2020. Used car prices were going crazy so I decided to fix everything wrong with the car I had at the time (a 2007 Pontiac G6) hoping to make it last as long as possible. I put over $3000 into that car and then hit a deer at 80 mph and totaled it. Luckily, I found another one, same year, same color and I'm using the old one as a parts car.

Those head gaskets can definitely be done without pulling the engine out. It's actually an easy job as far as head gaskets go. There is no need to replace the timing set. I've done tons of those head gaskets and have yet to find even one with a stretched timing chain. The chains can go 400,000+ miles easy. That car can easily go double the mileage if you do the head gasket. No worries about any future transmission failure... those transmissions simply do not fail.

I recently had an argument on facebook where someone believed they were being scammed when they were quoted $2000.00 Australian to do a head gasket on an old Kia Carnival which has a front wheel drive quad cam wet wall cylinder V6 engine, I actually could not believe it was so cheap, the Wizard has refused to fix Hoovies V6 Maserati engine and this engine actually has similar architecture and an engine like that is a nightmare.

One way to ask that question: is it worth it to pay $5k to fix this known Prius / CT-200h problem compared with buying a different used one for $7k that may not have had it done yet? If either of those vehicles gets in a wreck the insurance company will pay the same amount, so the insurance question only arises if you're lucky enough to have someone wreck it before the work's done. 😂

The shop I work at specializes on these engines I have even seen blown head gaskets as low 131k miles on some 3gen prius

16:35 great advice on cars and yourself. I always say unless you’re a mechanic or a doctor, don’t call either one of those with your own diagnosis.

Sold my 2013 Prius V w this problem as is for very good coin during the height of covid. It had 200k miles and was a great family vehicle but didn't want to go down a rabbit hole of repairs

My brother in law brought his Prius to me, and it was making the exact same noises. And like you said, I instantly was like "Oh crap"... But turns out it was luckily just a coil. Swapped the coil with the one next to it and the misfire moved. He was super happy because he thought it was shot. Lol

Head gaskets on these third Gen Prii and Lexus CTs are pretty notorious, but thankfully the 4th and 5th Gen hybrid systems are super solid with very few issues.

Rebuilt engine from Hybrid Pit in LA area shipped and installed for maybe the same money. Toyota revised pistons and rings on these gen3s which normally are oil burners as well.

Something that can happen with these hybrids is if the engine hydrolocks, the electric motor that starts the engine is strong enough to just grenade the engine or bend a connecting rod instead of just stopping

This era of CT200h/Prius are notorious for bad head gaskets, rough idle at cold start is the telltale sign. I've read people going over 200k to as low as 120k when it blew. The best option currently is replacing the engine with the fourth gen as opposed to a head gasket job. Like you said probably only worth it if you do your own work or plan on keeping the car for a long time. I own a third gen prius V with around 100k miles and anticipate having to do this sometime in the future, since I plan on keeping this car. I've already done the preventative EGR/cooler cleaning, but it's not a matter of if but when with this gen.

I remember when i was told by one mechanic that my 2000 camry was already knocking and it was best for me to just sell it to him. Good thing i got another mechanic to tell me that it was just the tensioner and might aswell so the whole water pump kit. Currently at 279000 still runs.

I d love to take my pressure washer to that engine compartment :)

Gotta love Car Wizard for straight up truth! I remember when I was shopping for cars last year I learned about this issue in the CT200. The Car Care Nut went so far as to tear one down and showed exactly where the weakness was in the head gasket. Since I only buy used vehicles I do a lot of research. My wife was like, “But it’s a Lexus…” Not really.

Heck yeah New Car Wizard content while im already binge watching his old content, good stuff

that's one dirty engine bay... but I love these CT200h's.. even with those failures, I would do what it need to fix it and keep it running forever. they are even more comfortable than the Prius of its time, very subtle, understated, practical and frugal.

Best channel ever! I've learned so much

Impressive diagnosis! Enjoyed your video as always.

Know a dude with 850k miles on his CT200h it’s bulletproof after you fix the headgasket 💪🏻

I have one of these!! 2011 that's notorious for burning oil and popping head gaskets. Mine doesn't burn an once of oil, and it has the revised intake manifold and the EGR and cooler has been cleaned. 200k miles and it still runs awesome. There are small ports in the intake manifold that the EGR feeds gases through back to the combustion chamber, make sure those are clean when servicing the carboned up EGR valve and cooler as those ports get carboned up as well! Many of us prius/ct owners believe the clogged EGR system causes high temps that blow the head gasket. Just a heads up for anyone who owns one and sees this before the gasket pops. This applies to Gen 3. 2010-2015

Another excellent and informative video ❤ thanks 😊

Great video wizard!

My courier company does not use 3rd gen prius for this exact reason, we had great luck with 2nd gen and prius c... 450xxx+miles

My prius Headgasket blew at 270,000 miles, a few hundred bucks and a saturday of work and it runs great. They’re great cars, worth fixing for sure.

annnnnd....clean the EGR valve, intake manifold, , throttle body, manifold EGR ports, EGR cooler and EGR to manifold pipe. This helps to keep combustion temperatures under control

Thanks Grimes🙂

Forgot SHOP SUPPLIES.Toyoda timing chains don't automatically need to be replaced, per a toyoda Master Tech.

This fix costs $900 all included in Sacramento :) Takes ~5 hours. With the warranty. (No need of coils nor head resurface in 90% cases)

I can't be taken to the cleaners since I do all my own laundry.

I have a 2015 Prius C that just had the brake booster fail. It's a $3000 job, but I know the car and bought it new. I got lucky and it was covered under recall, but I would have spent the money if I had to. It's a good car and I hate having payments.

Thank you David/Car Wizard... I was just about to buy one of these cars.. I had assumed they were solid.. And now because of you- I know they have a common terrible mechanical failure on these engines.

I’m not an auto mechanic but wouldn’t this have shown up on the dipstick like a chocolate milk shake??

I'm glad the car industry is still in their learning phase for how to bolt 2 pieces of metal together successfully. Maybe with another 100 years of practice, they will get there. Oh, we won't have internal combustion then? well, there goes that hope.

Great bore scope most of the bore scopes I have ever used could never see that vivid amazed😮

@ 2:40 Mr.Grimes is a Legend already 😁

Look forward to your video about CVT transmissions: the good, the bad, the ugly... I would like to buy a used Corolla or Civic, CR-V, or even a Fit, but scared of bad and not serviced CVT's. And the apparently terrible ones on Nissans... Thanks !

@0:23 No, Car Wizard dude, it basically is the Lexus version of a Toyota Auris Hybrid. @11:24 If you have access to a used engine was at least inspected, it might be cheaper. @12:44 That includes maintenance items. If you didn't pay the full msrp when it was new, the risk is worth taking, IMHO because crashes aren't that common. You either deal with the hybrid filter beforehand, spend big for a fix or get rid of the car.

You drive what you love, love what you drive. My retired mechanic says NEVER GET ATTACHED....if you love your ride.....

I had a 2012. Purchase @125K miles in 2022. Head Gasket blown @ ~157K. Battery was replaced under warranty @ 127K, so I bit the bullet and paid $5.5k for HG, and while the engine was open, replaced the other components he noted. My start up with "Rocks" was only noticed once, and then the diagnosis. Hopefully the car will be good for another 10 years. I enjoy getting close to 40 miles per gallon. (Mine is the same color, but with a Black interior)

0:36 Stuff like adding images of cars when they’re brought up by Wizard would be some cool editing that shouldn’t take a whole lot if time/effort plus be a visual break from Wizard just standing there. Just an idea momma Wizard!!

Love me a good borescope! I call it my "show me the money" tool, can't argue with a short video of your head gasket actually leaking. Also, biggest issue with bigger buck repairs on a Prius or CT200 is condition of the battery. High mileage vehicle with an original battery might need one of those soon too, so don't forget to bring that up to your customer during "the talk"

JDM low mile crate motor is around $1200-$1500 shipped would also replace the water pump with a new unit.

I have a fancy Prius as a daily. My head gasket popped at 130k. I’m at 215k now.

WIZARD!!!!!!! You need to check out Cleetus new video about the 10 cars he just bought. People just throw these cars away!

May i be bold enough to question something. A blown head gasket can come in several forms and doesn't always result in coolant steam cleaning the combustion chamber right??

I bought a prius with this problem and sold it 10k miles later. Would've kept if I knew it was just the head gasket

Been here before with Prius 3rd gen at 160k I DIY the Headgasket and took my time to de carbon the entire head and relap the valve seats, new head bolts, new water pump, thermostat and timing chain tensioner. Kept original timing chain because I read they don’t need to change❤ anyway car is now at 176k and I will still occasionally get that cold rattle but it is so subtle it’s probably condensation due to the bad intake manifold design. Car also still on original brakes and battery. It’s still worth some money and I love the car tbh, such a great gas saver and no payments ❤

1. At the beginning I was hoping it was just a fouled plug or bad coil, and then you said "let's look at the coolant"... Head gasket! 2. I'm proud of my estimate at that point, I guessed $4k! 3. I had a tiny version of that dealer slime when I bought my used Riviera. They insisted on giving me a full tank of gas before we drove back from Gilroy in the South Bay to Marin County in the North Bay... Turns out it had a very common problem with GM "fuel modules" - the fuel gauge sensor was wacky below half a tank... Fortunately, I was able to do enough searching on the web to buy just the sending unit, and not the entire $400 spring-loaded module that includes the fuel pump!

They have the Alpha Romeo Milano in Mexico too. But they call it the "Alfonso Roberto Poblano" It's somewhat reliable.

I would like to see that cylinder when you are done ✔

I LOVE these CT I even went and brought one. I love driving it and the looks

Getting a similar job done on a 2011 Prius. IMO worth it to fix. Seems to be a combination of the electric water pump and the hybrid stop start system that causes this to happen.

Head gasket and i ain't even watched the vid

10+ year old Prius variant. In good condition worth about $9000 It's really at the financial border of "Junk it and buy something else"

Sold a couple. Great cars, they drive so smooth. Barely any power, but good daily. Head gasket issues are well known major issue, and ABS module. Other than that and the battery, just drive it. 😊

This is why I prefer the series two Prius. My 2004 model has been bulletproof reliable. The only repair was valve cover gasket at 140,000 miles. Otherwise, just normal maintenance.

I repaired mine, I used the old head bolts & timing chain, so far so good 40k miles later running like new

I'd get it done depending on what the car is still worth. Why spend a bit more than 5k to buy a used car to have the same problem down the road?

Toyota updated the piston rings on those as well. If you’re going in there, it’s probably best to do that as well.

Some of those modern engine heads cant be machined because it'll easily throw the timing off slightly and throw weird timing related codes. You'll probably have to throw in the cost of a head if the old one isn't flat.

I didn't think it was rod knock right away. Rod knock usually sounds like a jack hammer on a sheet metal roof. But the shaking made me think that the motor mounts were bad. This is one of those times when you consider gambling on a used engine considering the cost of the repairs - that is if you can find a used engine that you know for a fact doesn't have a ton of miles on it.

Most cars have had a major issue at such mileage. For a Lexus it is disappointing, though. If I understand most people here correctly you have to go with the 2014 build years and up to not have the issue. I wonder what they changed to solve the problem and what was causing the problem in the first place.

The moral of the story is not to get into an accident right after you repair it.

I owned one of these cars, so glad I sold it, thanks Wizard.

Wizard, definitely check if the EGR cooler is plugged up… some believe this is a contributing cause of the head gasket failure.

My mechanic did my head gasket job for $1000, part + labor. That was 3 years ago.

"Wizard, that's a Lexus." Thank goodness, I thought my brain wasn't working again today! XD

Another, less invasive, method to check for cylinder to coolant leaks is by disabling the fuel pump as you would for a compression test, and having a helper crank the engine while you watch the coolant surface in the tank. On a good head gasket there will be only minimal disturbance to the fluid surface. Whereas a leak will cause the fluid to jump around due to pressure impulse bubbles propagating around. This works well as a quick "smell test" on engines where spark plugs are not quick to access and the leak is too small to show up immediately on the sniffer tool.

A question please? Does this include the Camry Hybrids of the same years? Thank You…

How in the hell does a HG go out at 115,000 miles other than a manufacturers defect. I've driven (owned) Nissan's (2002 Maxima), Toyo Landcruisers an 82 911sc and even 2 Jag Xjr's (2005-2008) all with well over 115,000 miles. Never have I had a head gasket go out ... assume I'm the outlier .. what could be done to mitigate This failure.

I would absolutely love to see the service history of this car. I'm betting it had 10k mile oil change intervals for most/all of its life. If the customer decides to fix it, I would take a hard look at the EGR valve and the EGR channels in the plastic intake manifold. If those are coked up with carbon deposits, they should really be replaced as well, plus the engine should have a super-powerful engine cleaner run through it right before the tear down or right after the rebuild. This era of the 2ZR-FXE had real problems with the overly low-tension piston rings. With 10k OCI, it was almost certain that the oiling rings would start getting sludged up around 100k miles. Then the engine would start to burn small amounts of oil, which meant extra carbon would go through the EGR system. (Eventually the rings would get locked up badly enough to burn large amounts of oil and wear away the scoring of the cylinder walls and ruin the block, though this engine doesn't seem to have hit that stage yet.) My feeling is that an improperly working EGR system adds extra stress to a head gasket that is already going through many more heat cycles than a head gasket for a typical non-hybrid engine would see. Replacing the head gasket while not addressing the sludged piston rings and/or clogged EGR system might just lead to another blown head gasket 25k-50k miles down the line. tldr: Be careful that the fixing the head gasket is just treating the symptom, not the underlying cause. Sincerely, former 13 year owner of a 2010 Prius that never had a blown head gasket(traded it in on a 2023 Prius) Also, religious 6mo/5k OCI and these problems will almost never happen.

Thanks interesting

Always Always get 3 estimates.. even if it is a diagnostic fee.. to ensure you are not getting scammed.. next comb the forums to see if someone is experiencing the same issue

It looks like you used a regular long socket to loosen the spark plug and a magnetic to pull it out. How do you reinstall the spark plug? Do you not use spark plug sockets with a built-in grommet or built-in magnet?

Insurance companies will usually pay so much percent on money put into the car provided you have receipts. Keep your receipt and records of repair upgrades and custom mods. You can get alittle more cash back on Totaled Loss vehicles.

$3000-$5000!?!? Oh heck yeah! I wouldn’t even blink. Crazy-D would get verbal authorization for this before he could finish his sentence.

EGR valve was my guess. Head gasket was on the early models of this generation.

I had this problem with my 2013. At 155k after hearing how much job was, and that some have had rods fail after the head change, i found replacement engine with 41k online and job was $4300 total.

I got scammed as well car wizard from a small dealership as well with a Nissan pathfinder with a blown head gasket 🤬My wife thought I was going to delete the place. Thank god I traded it in for a Lexus RX330. Best car I have ever owned 👍