Blown Head gasket rebuild....@297k

Greetings: Newbie here discerning correct path.
2011 (bought new,190K miles ) with bad head gasket (Confirmed Cylinder # 1 Has Coolant Dripping Into Cylinder.) This was confirmed via repair shop that did the ABS fix in Nov '25. Very minimal driving shows white smoke in exhaust.

Shop wanted 4K, so we're exploring options & have two offers (very experienced w/ Prius)
for about $1,400 fixing:
Felpro head gasket
Felpro head bolts
Cleaning out the EGR
Cleaning intake manifold
Resurfacing the head
Etc.
They will also check water pump & timing chain.
6 mo warranty

Thanks to you all, i know the rod may be bent & have learned about an "fast check"

Check for a bent rod:
remove coils and plugs. You could get a wood dowel and mark it to make it even quicker.) If three of four are at the mark and one isn’t, you’ve got your answer.
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I was told 95% don't have rod problem but $600 to fix if it does.
Questions:
Is asking for confirmation about rod status appropriate? I sure don't want to pay $$ to throw a rod in future.
Is there anything else we should consider having them do while in there?
I see messages about just swapping out engines. Is that better path? (?engine cost & fair labor cost? )
I plan to ask about confirming status of hybrid battery to assess its projected life. If we take this plunge, I'm wondering if we explore replacing? Recommendations?
Love the car.....especially as gas is higher....but want to be as educated as I can be about assessment, process, and fair pricing to avoid being bamboozled. Yes, I'll be calling for references.
Thanks so much!

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Thoughts:
You're not a high mileage driver and you've had the car since new and $1400 is a reasonable price to fix this one problem since it basically represents 6 $250 car payments that you would spend that you know nothing about, ESPECIALLY if they plan to clean out the EGR and the intake.

How do you plan to get the car to the shop?
If you said "drive it" the rod 'probably' isn't bent.
I wouldn't drive it.
Asking for confirmation that the rod is bent is ALWAYS appropriate or you need to start seeing other mechanics.
They will be able to show you the bent rod.
I would lean well away from getting the engine replaced since it will represent a $3,000-4,000 investment that really would not solve any existing problems - especially since you're dealing with the head gasket failure and what caused that failure.
If you do go that route, insist on a rebuilt engine with a solid warranty rather than a used (JDM) engine.
ONLY YOU know if your car has been serviced adequately or neglected - although I will quickly add that for this engine "dealer maintained" is probably closer to the "neglected" end of the spectrum unless you know you KNOW you checked the oil level every 30 days or 1000 miles........like it says in the Warranty and Maintenance guide.
If you get a replacement motor you know NOTHING about its maintenance history.
Start replacing the oil every 5k if you're not doing that already.

The battery replacement is something that you should plan for but I would not do it proactively.
They're about $1500-2000 with a warranty and very easy to replace yourself.
I would drive the car long enough to recoup from this expense if possible, planning on a replacement in the next few years.

Good Luck!

 

1. How much oil has it been using between oil changes?

2. How long do you go between oil changes normally and worse case?

3. Any egr or catalytic converter codes?

4. What was your normal shop going to do for $4k?

My concern is you are already at the white smoke stage which typically happens months after the first engine rattles.

The white smoke means a lot of coolant is entering the cylinder and it is not sealing up quickly or at all as typical with initial hg onsets on these engines.

It also typically means obvious coolant loss which often creates overheating.

On the other hand, $1,400 for a hg job is pretty low - perhaps low enough to be concerned about experience or bait and switch. If it works out you get a deal - if not you may have regrets.