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I just got my Prius! (But I can't drive it)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Bassic, May 10, 2011.

  1. Bassic

    Bassic New Member

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    Well after looking at all the options, I traded my RAV 4 for a 2011 Prius Two. I picked it up a week ago Monday. I drove it around on business, putting about 300 miles on it.

    Then on Friday, the seat belt tensioner would not operate. I could not use the driver's seat belt. I brought it to a Toyota dealer and they advised that the mechanism required replacement. There are no parts available at this time, and they offered me a loaner car.

    I thought about it and decided to accept their offer of a loaner. (I was in an accident in 1997 when the air bag inflated, and it broke a bone in my hand, so I don't wish to drive around unbelted for obvious reasons) Plus, it is the law to wear a belt in Mass. as most other states. So now I'm driving a Corolla, fairly new, a nice car. They don't know when parts will be available because of the earthquake.

    It was great that they offered me a nice loaner, but I was having fun driving my new Prius. Hopefully the part will arrive soon.
     
    #1 Bassic, May 10, 2011
  2. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Welcome aboard! Sorry to hear about having to use a loaner... do you have your car @ home or the dealer?
     
    #2 spiderman, May 10, 2011
  3. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    I wonder if a part could have been 'borrowed' from another seat belt in the car. Maybe they're different left to right and front to rear. Perhaps a salvaged part would get you back in your car sooner than having to wait for a new one from Japan.
     
    #3 hyo silver, May 10, 2011
  4. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Hyo, a driver's side seatbelt tensioner is NOT something I'd want out of a salvage car because likely that seat belt has been involved in a collision with the occupant belted in place.

    This is a brand new vehicle. He has every right to expect a "like-new" warranty replacement. Stripping the part from another car on the lot is unlikely as it makes another "otherwise good" vehicle unsellable. If it truly takes "too long", and a comparable car is available on the lot, IMHO they should just swap cars and call it a day.
     
    #4 HTMLSpinnr, May 11, 2011
  5. twittel

    twittel Senior Member

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    Congrats on your new Prius and welcome to PriusChat. :welcome:


    Using two seat belt extenders (free from Toyota dealer) you may be able to use the passenger-side seat belt until parts come in. P.S. parts could be a long, long time coming from Japan. :(

    Otherwise, you made a smart decision to use their loaner.
     
    #5 twittel, May 11, 2011
  6. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Fair enough. It's a critical safety-related component and should be in perfect working order. But, are these necessarily damaged in a low-impact accident? I'm not aware that they are routinely replaced after a collision - though perhaps they should be.

    Absolutely, and the dealer would probably agree. Due to highly unusual circumstances, a new part is likely to take an unreasonable amount of time to be delivered. I thought perhaps a salvage part could be a temporary replacement that would get the OP back in his new car, instead of having it depreciate on the lot for six months waiting for Japan to get back on its feet. I concur; a new car in perfect working order is the best idea, but the dealer might not agree with us. :)
     
    #6 hyo silver, May 11, 2011
  7. Bassic

    Bassic New Member

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    Thanks for your responses. The car is at the dealer at this time. I thought about swapping the mechanism with another from my car or another - I have to defer to the dealer's judgement, I'm sure if there was a way to avoid having me tie up a rental car they would do it. I'm not sure that swapping with another new one would be feasable as I have put over 300 miles on my Prius, not exactly high mileage but a lot of miles for a "new" car that would have to be re-sold. Also there is a growing shortage of new Prius' due to the earthquake (the rising price of gas doesn't help as well) and that they are 100% Japanese.

    I'm glad I got mine - sort of ;)
     
    #7 Bassic, May 11, 2011
  8. CharlesJ

    CharlesJ Member

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    Yes, but he also asked if one of the other 3 in his car can be used temporarily in the driver position. Are they interchangeable or each is unique to its location?
     
    #8 CharlesJ, May 11, 2011
  9. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    The issue with giving you a whole new car is not the mileage but rather the title- since your car has been registered it would be considered a used car. I'd at least ask if they can swap it with a tensioner from a different seat in your car. The worst case is they say no, but this would be out of the box thinking and might be a solution a dealership would not even think of - their whole thinking is to sell as many parts as possible, not problem solve creatively.

     
    #9 stevemcelroy, May 11, 2011
  10. Bassic

    Bassic New Member

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    The problem is if they do that then I would still be driving a car with defective equipment. Imagine if a passenger got injured because they took out the seat belt mechanism.
     
    #10 Bassic, May 12, 2011
  11. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    Quite right. You never mentioned passengers but even if they did it you would still have belts for 3 others. Not great but at least you would be driving your car.

     
    #11 stevemcelroy, May 12, 2011
  12. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Given the parameters set by the OP I believe the only option is to wait for a part. If the dealer were to swap parts who is going to pay for it? Not Toyota. Not the dealer. Perhaps the state's Lemon Law could be invoked but that will just get a Prius with a minor problem scrapped.

    Uncounted millions of cars have travelled billions of miles without seat belt tensioners so I believe the safety factor is being overplayed. However, the OP is entitled to his opinion & since it is his car he should proceed as he feels best.
     
    #12 JimN, May 12, 2011
  13. Bassic

    Bassic New Member

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    I was one of those who drove around for years without wearing a belt. But things have changed. When I got hit head-on in my 95 Crown Vic there were only 2 air bags in the car, and I was wearing my belt. However, I still managed to break a bone in my left hand and had to wear a cast for 2 months. It is thought that this was because my hand got caught between the air bag and steering wheel.

    Now the Prius has 7 air bags. If you do not wear the belt, then your body will most likely be in the wrong position for the bags to do their job, and you could possibly get injured. Also, by not wearing a belt, I could get cited and have to pay a fine and insurance points for 6 years. I would also probably get cited for driving with defective equipment. It's not just a matter of the tensioner not working, I can't get the belt out far enough to use it.

    Given that they have provided me with a decent loaner, I think I made the right choice. I wonder how many loaners they will have to give out before things get back to normal. I can't be the only one with this problem.
     
    #13 Bassic, May 14, 2011
  14. cobradb

    cobradb Member

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    very easy to learn the drive techniques,, i have averaged 61mpg this yr,, my wife averaged abt 48..before i took it from her,, i easly get 70 mpg in town.
    this is a 2010.
     
    #14 cobradb, May 14, 2011
  15. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    You'd think someone at Toyota could pull one out of the parts bin & FedEx it to the dealer for a lot less than the rental is costing them.
     
    #15 JimN, May 14, 2011
  16. Bassic

    Bassic New Member

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    Thanks all, It came in, and I picked up my Prius today! It sounded like it would take a lot longer.
     
    #16 Bassic, May 16, 2011
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    all the best!
     
    #17 bisco, May 16, 2011
  18. barcelona11

    barcelona11 New Member

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    That's called "under-promise and over-deliver". Wish the Service Dept. at my local dealership would learn that.
     
    #18 barcelona11, May 18, 2011
  19. Bassic

    Bassic New Member

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    Good point. We actually do that in our business.
    Thanks again to all... BTW my first car was a 1968 Renault 10
    it got 35 mpg but was 44 or 48 HP.
     
    #19 Bassic, May 18, 2011
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