2010 Prius Warranty Overview

It has been nearly 10 years since the Toyota Prius went on sale in the United States, and yet because  many people don’t trust hybrid technology yet, they are hesitant to buy one (or any hybrid car). I am often reminded that auto makers have a long way to go in educating the general public about hybrids, especially when people ask me how far my 2010 Prius can travel on a charge or how often I have to plug it in.

The 2010 Prius warranty can be broken down into several areas of coverage. Like most vehicles on the road today, it starts with the popular 3 year or 36,000 mile “basic warranty”. Most likely in an effort to instill trust, Toyota adds additional warranties to cover the hybrid system and other systems.

Basic Warranty: 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Covers repairs and adjustments to correct defects in materials or workmanship of parts supplied by Toyota. Wheel alignment and wheel balancing are an exception to the rule, only getting covered for 12 months or 12,000 miles.

Hybrid System Warranty: 96 months or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. This warranty includes the Battery Control Module, Hybrid Battery, Hybrid Control Module, and the Inverter (with converter).

Powertrain Warranty: 60 months or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. This includes the Engine (cylinder block, head, internal parts, timing gears & gaskets, the timing chain/belt, valve covers, oil pan, oil pump, engine mounts, engine control computer, water pump, fuel pump, seals and gaskets). It also covers the Transaxle, Motor, and Generator (case, all internal parts, transaxle mounts, seals and gaskets). It covers the Front-Wheel Drive System (drive house and internal parts, axle shafts, drive shafts, CVJ, front hub and bearings, seals and gaskets).

Restraint System Warranty: 60 months or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. This covers the vehicle for any repairs needed to correct defects in materials or workmanship on seatbelts and/or air bag systems.

Corrosion Perforation Warranty: 60 months regardless of mileage. This one is for repair or replacement of any body panel that develops perforation from corrosion (aka rust through).

Towing: No time line or mileage limitation noted. If your Prius is inoperable due to failure of a warranteed part, Toyota Motors will pay for towing service to the nearest authorized Toyota dealership.

Tires: Tires are warranteed by the tire manufacturer, not Toyota.

In addition to the new vehicle limited warrantees outlined above, Toyota also meets or exceeds Federal Emission Control Warranty requirements.

If you purchase a 2010 Toyota Prius in California or any other state that has adopted their warranty provisions (currently there are 12), several other warrantees and warranty periods are offered by Toyota. I’ll pass on going into the details, since they don’t apply to every state.

Lastly, please use this as a reference only. I would encourage you to double check these warrantees with an authorized Toyota dealer before making any decisions based on my interpretation of the owner’s manual.