The Gen 3 Prius stays on the list, but only as a budget-efficiency pick. Safety Connect was an extra-cost option bundled with navigation on higher trims, and Toyota’s 3G retirement page lists 2010-2016 Prius among affected Safety Connect vehicles. Do not assume all Gen 3 Priuses are telematics-free. The target is a base/non-nav/no-SOS car: ideally a Prius Two, or a Prius Three without the navigation/Safety Connect package.
Cars that were optioned with Safety Connect carry hardware that has been unable to transmit since carriers retired 3G in late 2022. Dead hardware is a fallback, not the goal; the module is still embedded in the car. Buy the clean trim when you have the choice.
The caveats are real: EGR clogging can contribute to head-gasket failure, hybrid batteries are aging, brake actuators are expensive, inverter recalls or software updates need checking, and catalytic-converter theft risk is unusually high. Buy only with service records or budget accordingly. This is not the safest or newest-feeling pick; it earns its spot because a verified clean one is cheap to run and can return around 50 mpg.