Toyota Dealership left my Prius ON in the lot

Isn't that screaming "Steal me!" as the MFD remains on and everybody can see you've left it on?

 

The car IS locked. I think that grown-ups can decide for themselves if its OK, when they wish to keep their belongings or pets cool for a few minutes. We can run with the scissors too.

 

It's a regional thing. I know there are areas where leaving the radio in the dash is considered an invitation for a smash and grab.
I'm old school enough that I believe that leaving a car running while running errands is wasteful. Just the way I was brought up.

 

As most others have said, I doubt there was any substantial damage- if any at all. I think you are fine.

However, I think you are quite correct that it is unacceptable practice for a Toyota dealership. If they are going to sell and service them? I think they need to know how to turn them off.

I'd complain...severely but politely. I'd want them to run a diagnostic just to be sure everything is checking out okay, and I'd want them to buy me a tank of gas.

If it all checked out? I'd fill up and drive away. And maybe seek out a different dealership for future service.

 

Actually, I do press "Screen Off" on the MFD as well. Another thing I've done is to leave something (newspaper, pamphlet, etc) over the speedometer. The major indication that the car is turned ON is the engine cycling ON for a minute or so every 5-10 minutes.

Cars these days have so many bleeps & blurbles that most people don't really understand what state the car is in. The A/C could just be the radiator fan running, and the engine turns off shortly after it turns on.

In any case, the doors are locked.

 

It's certainly wasteful with ordinary cars. The Prius design of only running the engine enough to keep the battery charged is far less wasteful. If leaving the car running reduces my mileage from 45 mpg to 44 mpg, I'm ok with that. It's a lot better than even driving my other car that gets 22 mpg.

 

In my neck of woods, it is illegal to leave a car on unattended. Hybrid or otherwise.

I am surprised there is no law against that in the people's republic of california.

 

Interesting scenario, a law designed to prevent smog might keep a prius from powering a house when the power goes out, btw, a smog-less prius.

 

I'd say you have the right to be upset but I'd let it go after just letting the dealer know of their error. Do you know for a fact that it was left on for 2 hours? Was the AC on? Was there a large pool of a/c condensate under the car when you pulled away?
I'm just saying the efforts might not outweigh the benefit here. Yes they should not make a glaring mistake like this if they did, but without fully knowing, isn't it also possible that they forgot to get your "out mileage" and had to go back to retrieve it and only then make this mistake? I'm just staying the gas usage was likely minimal and no damage done. Maybe if your beyond hte 25,000 mile toyota care just ask for free tire rotation next time? if not i'd just let them know because you don't want it to happen to other owners.

 

You're saying that it's illegal to use a remote start system in Texas?

 

Texas Transportation Code Section 545.404 that makes leaving a vehicle unattended without stopping the engine or removing the key from the ignition illegal. Technicality is the key here, pun intended. Remote start would be exempted.

I do not suppose this law is readily enforced. It is probably useful to deny an insurance claim if the car is stolen since it was use in an "illegal" manner.

 

That dealer did you a favor. They showed you how bad they suck. Now you know.

Most dealers are awful but to walk away and leave the car on and unattended in the lot would piss me off too.
But the car will run quite happy in park till it runs out of gas so no injury to car but jeez...

Once had a new Sentra in at Autoway Nissan to get a tsb done. Went to pick up & found my car in the lot and noticed the hood was never closed. Opened the hood found the fuse box cover laying on the engine. Tools in the fuse box cover and on the engine. As I was walking back to complain I thought why bother with these idiots?

Turned around, put the fuse cover on, took the tools and split. F'em.

Now when I pick my Prius up at my local nightmare I drive to the end of there lot for a little private look see, open the hood and look closely wherever I thought they had been, look at the car for dings, scrapes, tears in the seat, road rashed wheels, the whole whack. It's a battle man.

Oh yeah...I'm now that guy. I hate car dealers.

 

Well I certainly take the key with me. And the engine is stopped . It will restart occasionally by itself.

The similar code in California is
V C Section 22515 Unattended Vehicles

It states that you can't "permit it to stand on any highway unattended without first effectively setting the brakes thereon and stopping the motor thereof". Further, "stand on any highway without first effectively setting the brakes thereon, or blocking the wheels thereof, to effectively prevent the movement of the vehicle".

So the aim of the California law is to prevent vehicles from moving without a driver in control. Note that it applies only to highways, not even residential streets, and certainly not private property like parking lots or driveways. There is no mention of keys or locking the car.

 

Same here in Nashville, TN.

 

Try explaining that to your insurance company after someone decides to break into your car and can just drive away easy as can be. I think the owners manuel says never leave your car while it is running. and it is likely against the law.

 

It makes no difference if someone wants to break into your car and steal it.
10 seconds without key in ignition and 2 seconds with key.

 

So if you were to leave the car unlocked on accident, like you turned the key the wrong way. and lets say a 12 year old got in the car and drove off would you be ok with that? It is likely against the law in California they have more restrictive laws than most states to the point of stupidity! I think there is more than one regulation dealing with this subject.

 

NOT IN CALIFORNIA, ITS AGAINST THE LAW TO RUN WITH SISSORS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

 

When we first test drove ours (my pic) it too was sitting, running, on the lot. Their motive: the 12 volt battery was near death. I gather they jumped it some time in advance of our test drive appointment time, wishfully thinking with a bit of running time it would all be good.

After the test drive we shut it down, then for some reason needed to start it up again, but no dice, they had to jump it in front of me. At this point we got assurance that they'd replace the 12 volt gratis.

I believe it had been languishing on the lot for some months.

 

Has your car had any other issues that required service? I don't trust the stealership and would not have purchased a car that required work. If I buy a new car I leave the stealership and only return for recall work.