2024 Prius Problems continue

Yep, that should be covered - unless the dealership claims that you hit something or something hit you....

 

So far you're the only instance I've seen, so it's just as likely to be a manufacturing error, with some fastener(s) missing or broken.

If you weren't the only one this was happening to - like the repeated reports of rear trim cracking in exactly the same place - then it makes more sense to be assuming "clear design flaw".

 

they should be testing at all the extremes encountered where they sell cars.
was the battery acid from the 12v?

 

I see a large dent in the middle of that bumper. The Toyota emblem is also modified, which could be a sign that the bumper was tampered with, which might have caused that dent.

 

I hadn't noticed the badge. Yes, that certainly opens up the possibility of something being removed and not refastened properly. And I can imagine that might get in the way of a warranty claim.

 

Yes, there are clips that hold these bumper covers in place, which easily break when you try to pull and remove the bumper cover. A broken clip or an improperly reinstalled bumper cover could result in the bumper cover coming off. From the dent, it looks like someone tried to remove the bumper cover but did a really amateur job and trashed it when trying to remove and reinstall it.

 

I was assuming the "dent" was a crumple as the result of the piece being forced up by the airflow - maybe indicating where remaining fasteners were putting up the last bit of resistance before breaking.

 

chi if they don't fix under warr. and you don't want to be pissed, take it to another shop/deal.

being pissed about having to find a new deal is natural and sometimes no better.

 

The ex

The extremes seem to be getting more extreme. It could be the plastic softened. I think it did and the force of the air bent it. Manufacturing defect. Unless it isn’t plastic and what are the chances of that.

 

The fact that the emblem was modified makes it less likely that it will be covered under warranty. Good luck with that.

 

The OP can answer definitively, but the emblem looks plasti-dipped. If that’s the case, there’s very little reason to remove the emblem for application.

 

Spent a little while looking at the parts diagrams. The main "front bumper bar" as they call it could be either metal or plastic from the diagrams; it seems the design changed in June 2024.

There are screws and clips securing it to the inner grill in the centre, towards the back, and also dashboard-type clips securing the wings to the lights. It may also be supposed to clip in to the outer grill at the centre front, but there are not major retainers there.

Those 8 end clips up until June 2024 were plugging into separate retainer parts attached to the main bar with double-sided tape.

According to the parts catalogue, from June 2024, those taped retainer parts and the clips no longer exist (footnote 3), and the bar has a new part number. I don't see a corresponding change for the headlight part I think they clip to, so I'm going to guess the 8-clip retaining mechanism is now integral with the bar. (The repair manual has not yet been updated for the parts change, only showing the separate retainer).

So maybe there is a known problem with double-sided tape failures on the ends, and that's what OP encountered?

(Edit: although if the tape failed, I'd expect to see a retainer left plugged into the headlight, and we don't. Are the retainers present at all?)

 

Emblem could be plastidip, a cover or replaced but the only thing holding it in place is glue/VHB. The emblem isn't clipped, it's just glued on. Even if he removed the original and put a new one, it should have no impact on the way the part is attached.

Didn't people have problems with the blind spot monitor falling off as it's also just using adhesive? That with what KMO just showed, it could just be adhesive failure. It would be a first for this part but not for general parts on the 5th gen.

 

Good find.

Since the OP's car was black and he was driving in 114 ℉ (46 ℃), it is quite likely that the intense radiation from the sun raised the temperature of the bumper cover to well over 212 ℉ (100 ℃), causing the glue on the double-stick tape to soften and the bumper cover to come loose.

In fact, I once replaced a fallen black rubber side moulding on my light-blue 1985 Corolla LE. It was about 114 ℉ in Davis, California. I removed the backing protecting the glue and put the black moulding on top of the car. After about half hour, I could barely touch the moulding with my hands—it was extremely hot. No heat gun was required as in the instructions (I didn't have one): When I brought the moulding to the side of the car, it was attracted like a magnet and I didn't even get a chance to reposition it—the sun's radiative heat was that strong to activate the glue on the black moulding, which normally requires a heat gun.

 

@Chi_weezy having a gen 4 I had a hard time with the OP pic #1 - I initially thought I was looking at the back of the car. My bad? Than I read about the emblem above and thought I'd ask, is it stock? I'll assume nothing until I hear from you if that emblem is stock or not. geez ! ! ! ! louise ! ! ! ! ! prius chatter lol ....

Also, I hope you can confirm what @KMO .found out, and figure out if you've got a plastic or steel ? loose body panel there.

 

Its entirely possible, if OP takes the info in this thread about glue, and changes to how the cover lip is fastened to the car, that he might be able to get the dealer to do a warranty repair/claim. Dark car, super hot climate/sun, high speed on a freeway, weakened glue... it makes sense.

It would be *easier* without the plastidipped emblem, but if the emblem doesn't have clips behind it and is only glued on, it might be easy to make the case that it being changed is immaterial.

The dent you point out earlier looks like its where the cover buckled against the emblem that didn't want to give up, and where maybe it was better affixed?

 

I don't think there's any real securing points at the front - it's a protruding piece. But as it flips up it has to flip from convex to concave because of the curve of the fasteners at the back, so it's got to buckle somewhere, I think.

On the sticky stuff, there's no evidence in the pics that the tape has given up.

Looking at the first picture - I hadn't really paid attention to it - it looks like the inner grill has broken. So it's not just the bar coming loose, but I guess given enough weakness somewhere, other parts properly fastened can get torn off.