2010 Prius Inverter failed at 111k in Virginia - help, part backordered and bill is $4000

This is related to the latest EOE recall concerning reflashing of a couple of ECU's due to overheating of power components on the Inverter module. This reflash reduced the rate-of-rise of HV Battery current to the Inverter module during quick acceleration in an attempt to limit the heating of the power components. This came out in the February/March time frame.

Did you have the safety recall completed? If so, I would call Toyota Care and discuss with them.

If not, then you are most likely on your own since you are outside of the hybrid system warranty period and did not follow their recall recommendations. I would still call Toyota Care and discuss because Toyota has begun to see an increase in Inverter failures and the reason for the safety recall.

Keep us posted because there have been concerns about how Toyota will handle Inverter failures outside of the 100k mile warranty period.

 

pick up a cheap inverter from ebay, and have a local mechanic install.

 

OK Ben I keep my fingers crossed too for you...there is an independent hybrid shop MACs in Ashland, but that may not be too close to you.

 

Good luck!
Hope your dealer will play ball with your appeal.
Let us know how it turns out.

 

This is the fear I have in bringing my 2010 in for the recall. It seems the car's inverter may already have been weakened/damaged from the pre-flash update. Now that it's completely broken, you are outside the warranty period.

I left my recall outstanding and not completed. If the inverter fails, there wouldn't be an excuse from Toyota to not cover it since the recall hasn't been completed on the car.

 

Interesting strategy. What is the expiration date on the recall?

 

I don't think there are expiration dates on safety recalls

 

Looks like you're right:

While car recalls don't have an expiration date, they are only enforced for "reasonable periods," Uclés says. Basically, a recall is over if a vehicle's manufacturer goes out of business, or if the parts needed to make the necessary repair are no longer being made.
[...]
There also is a limit on how far back a manufacturer has to go to fix problems without charging the owner. Vehicles eligible for no-cost repair can't be more than 10 years old as of the date the defect was determined.

How NHTSA Gets Cars Recalled

Weird, because I remember 2 RAV4 recalls where expiration dates were clearly specified.

 

This maybe a case of recall not fixing the problem. There was a recall on RAV4 recently that didn't work and there had to be a recall of a recall (rear suspension falling apart after alignment adjustment).
I'm thinking the OP and anyone else with problem should report this failure to NHTSA: File a Vehicle Safety Complaint Form | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

 

^^^also the Toyota Warranty and Maintenance Guide gives guidance on how to dispute a claim ruling by Toyota

 

+1

Like you, I am beginning to believe that this bandaid fix is not stopping the bleeding of failed inverters. On one thread the OP indicated that his Service Manager told him that Toyota had 69 Inverters on back order. How many failures will it take before Toyota will issue a recall of this recall?

I am following this very closely as I currently have 83k miles and closing in on the 100k warranty quickly.

Also like you said on another thread, this is my first Toyota and I do not drink the Toyota koolaid. Toyota may have had a stellar reliability reputation in the past, but there handling of issues in the past several years has not been very good. I am hoping they will prove me wrong and address this inverter failure problem like the respectable company they have been in the past.

 

I don't think Toyota is prepared to recall inverters, even with the few they have now, they are backordered. Imagine how they can possibly handle the 500k??? units if they recall all of them?

I'm wondering if installing the "power" setting on the Gen3 cars are overheating/over extending the inverters?

 

Don't know if I agree with this logic.

First of all? I don't want my vehicle to fail...if possible.
So I want the recall done....to improve my chances of NOT having a problem to start with.

And it seems to me, by making the choice to NOT have the voluntary safety recall done, you not only put yourself in a position where you knowingly could have a failure of the system...perhaps at a dangerous time, but you actually give Toyota a built in excuse for NOT covering anything related to this under warranty.

And actually I'd side with Toyota.
Toyota has publically admitted to a potential problem, they have offered a resolution for this problem. If you knowingly ignore that solution? Then I think YOU become responsible for any failures that might be born out of ignoring that offered remedy.

I think your case is much stronger in the hypothetical future, if you have an inverter failure and can say you DID have the recall done...than if you have an inverter failure and then admit you by choice decided to NOT have the recall done.

 

There is no real proof this bandaid flash update did anything to prolong the inverter. And there would be no admission on my part that I knew of the recall, I would just have the look of shock on my face when they tell me.

 

my thinking,
the damage is already in inverter before recall to flash software. It is just waiting like a ticking bomb.
I thinks, Toyota should cover that replacement free.

 

I can't see any reason to not get the recall. It's certainly not going to weaken your case if your inverter fails, and just might prevent a failure.

 

Perhaps.

Toyota is vague at best about exactly what parameters are being changed as a result of the update.

But that's not the point.

Why?
Why lie?

You DO know about the recall. If you have "any" work done at a dealership and they mention the recall and you refuse? Then it can be entered into your service database that you were informed and refused.

If you simply ignore it? If you simply ignore it, and then "if" something did happen, "pretend" you never knew?

Well why waste the time, why put yourself in a position where you have to be disingenuous and untruthful about your knowledge?

The recall is a matter of choice, BUT unless you believe the flash update is potentially damaging to performance, I've had mine and my opinion is that it is NOT...then I see absolutely no advantage to not having it done.

Do as you wish, but I don't buy that NOT having recall done strengthens any case in the future IF you were to have a failure. Infact, I still believe it potentially weakens your case.

 

I looked at the recall letter again. There was no expiration date and the language does suggest that the recall covers inverter replacement if it fails prior to the recall. By deferring the recall, you are basically extending the inverter warranty. Not a bad strategy. I didn't think about it prior to the recall. The good news is, there a good supply of used ones and they are not that expensive if one needs to replace it outside warranty.