Poll: Are any of these really problems?

It is interesting that, as I post this, the item that most people voted for is the mpg overestimation. IMO, this is (collectively) wrong. IT is, essnetially, telling Toyota that the most wrong or annoying thing about the car is that it overestimates the mpg by ~5%.

This is silly, because it really affects nothing. The car works fine with or without this adjustment. I'm as big of a proponent of trying to get your best mpg as most anyone here. (Yes! my last tank was over 60 mpg...60.3 mpg vs 63.3 estimated). But this makes no difference to me. It is just a fact as to how good or bad the estimation is and I really wouldn't pay extra to have it more precise.

However there are a number of things about the car that I would like to be designed different/better that are more important (to me). I've had none of the other problems listed, personally. But I did vote for the cargo net since it appears to me that others have had this issue.

All this said, since it is my 3rd Prius (one of each) for my family, I'm pretty happy with each generations incremental improvements.

I've gotten about 5 surveys via email from Toyota and (apparenetly) others that got my email info from Toyota. (This is more than for the 2004 but less than for the 2001). I don't think that the surveys have enough focus to be able to identify small little annoyances...so maybe this type of poll is good, but not scientific or statistically valid.

3PriusMike

 

The error on my fuel mileage is 1.5% optimistic and I consider that pretty darn close so don't consider it a problem in my case.

Out of all the others in this list the only one I've noticed (either due to lack of options, or lack of attention to detail) is the ghost image of the speedo. But it's so minor I don't consider it an issue.

 

Of those items on the list the amount of pressure/pedal movement is the only one that really bothers me. I've owned 17 new vehicles in the 25 years and this car by far takes more pedal pressure to turn off the cruise. It feels like the brakes are actually engaging before it's turned off, not a good idea.

 

I am not sure how the computer estimates fuel efficiency, but mine reads about 1.2 mpg on the "generous" side. Actually, I consider that remarkable.

My Dodge truck reads about 4 mpg too "generous." I read that it is calculated on the weight of the fuel in the tank .... not sure I believe that.

I wonder how the Prius does the estimate?

I do not cnsider any of the other issues significant, except the brake grab when backing. I had hoped it would get better with age.

 

It looks two are missing:

• floor mat
• 'check engine light' when fuel is exhausted

But I went with the indicated MPG since it leads to doubts about our actual vehicle mileage.

Bob Wilson

 

Like many, while I checked several of these because I consider them to be actual issues that could be improved (such as blurry AC screen and Bluetooth delay), most of them are minor. I did not check the overestimation of mpg because even though it seems to overestimate my mpg by 3% or 4%, it's been very consistent. The variances between my calculated results and the MFD on my Gen II were all over the place. The brakes grabbing in reverse is really the only one I might consider a real problem, but I've only experienced it once, and it was in my driveway and didn't bother me too much. The slip indicator coming on when pressing down on the brake is definitely not a problem, as it is the Hill Start Assist feature, but I agree with the poster that said the icon is confusing and makes a feature look like a problem.

 

This issue is not the hill assist coming on.

 

Isn't that the traction control (or whatever it's called)? It will engage if you brake suddenly or hard.

 

You may be thinking of the ABS (Anti-lock Breaking System). The Traction Control keeps the drive wheels from slipping by using the brake on the spinning wheel and limiting power delivered to the wheels.

The slip indicator lights for the Traction Control without beeps and the VSC with beeps. It is also used for the Hill Start Assist but only when the car is stopped, if the car were in motion it would indicate one (or both) of the other two systems activated.

 

The issue people describe is when the slip indicator comes on solid when the car is stopped.

The Hill Start Assist will flash the indicator light.

 

" Some are simply not real problems, like losing braking when going over bumps. As explained in the threads, the ABS is working as designed. I don't understand why people expect anything different. "


This is the ONLY REAL problem listed here. It's something that can wreak your car. It is NOT something that I have ever felt in any ABS car!
MY Volvo, BMW and Mercedes didn't behave that way and a Prius should not.

 

Interesting that the poll does not include the floor mats.

Bob Wilson

 

You did ggood, reall ggood. Oops, I mean well. You done real well, ggood.

Is this because of the recall, Bob? The 2010 wasn't part of the recall, so I don't think it applies. If there is another issue with the floor mats, I'm not aware of it.

I looked at this poll as questioning whether any of these things operated or failed to operate (or had such poor operation they caused extreme frustration). For this reason, I did not include the momentary drop in braking assist on bumpy streets, because I was accustomed to it and have driven to manage it.

I included the things that have affected me, such as the cargo net and the delay in answering calls via the handsfree system. And even though it doesn't really malfunction, I included the overstatement of FE, because I think it can give the reputation of the Prius a real hit.

I won't say some of the others are not or may not be aggravations, but they haven't applied to me!

 

I thought the cargo net and foggy airconditioning screen were fixed by service bulletins or whatever Toyota calls them? I also think there needs to be some distinction made of what or how one defines a 'problem'? If the poll is limited to only those items in the list then why was the one concerning 'rattles' from the front right side of the interior left out? That is one 'problem' I'm having that I thought disappeared but has now returned.

As far as the thread in general goes why hasn't anyone who has accidentally engaged the cruise control with 'Resume' using their knee and experienced a momentary unscheduled acceleration until they brake listed that as a 'problem'?

 

Maybe we need more polls? Or before posting a poll go into a sort of dummy beta test to see how people react which is pretty tough for a poll creator to predict?