Date Ordered: 12/27/2005 Dealer Ordered From (Incl. City/State): Fremont, CA Timeframe given for delivery: 1/30 - now unknown Color: Seaside Pearl (1st choice) or Driftwood Pearl (2nd choice) Option Package: 7 Your # on Dealer's Waiting List: around 50 I got off the phone today with the local dealership to ask about the status of the Prius I ordered back in December. I was originally told it would be the end of January, then the middle of February at the end of January. I called them again today to find out the status and they said they still have people waiting from last November and that the alloted shipments they're getting from Toyota have been cut in half recently, presumably due to the new Camry. They also said that all the other local dealerships are having the same problem and offered to send me faxes to back up this claim, unfortunately I don't have a fax machine that can receive faxes right now. They now project it will be at least one to two more months. The dealer sounded pretty frustrated with Toyota for doing this, since there is such a backlog. -Aaron
Hi Aaron, Have you tried Hayward Toyota? I've purchased a few vehicles there including my Prius, and have been very happy with their service. Best bet would be to try and get on other waiting lists in the area and see who calls first. Justinc
Sorry to hear about your delay. I'm surprised more people don't call around, not saying you didn't I didn't decide to get a Prius until last month. My girlfriend and I called most of the dealers in a 75 mile radius. Within a day I had a deposit on one to be available in two weeks. A couple days later I purchased one that was coming in a week earlier. Yes they are very hard to find on a lot, but if you do your homework they're not that hard to find. Well at least in So Cal. The whole point here is do your homework and call around, people just might be surprised. If you don't mind driving a little give Avo a call at Frontier (661)255-7575, tell him Ken sent you. Ken
I'll try that. I've read bad things about Hayward Toyota related to service and repair, but might try some of the others. The Fremont dealership said all the local dealerships are in the same boat. I will call around this weekend and see how things fare at the other dealerships in the area. -Aaron
I didn't call around since at the time the dealership said they should have it in a month. If I wanted, I could have picked up a car the next week if I wanted black or white (if I can trust the sales guy). The fellow I spoke to today handled all the E-commerce sales and seemed a lot more knowlegable and said that Toyota cut the number of Prii they're shipping to the dealers in half. He also recommended trying other dealerships, but said all the other local ones have a waiting list of at least 50 people. There are a number of other dealerships in the Bay Area I'll contact this weekend. It sounds like this cutback was very recent, around the time they announced the new Camry. -Aaron
The dealers do not tend to swap cars, so getting on multiple dealer lists increases the chances of getting your choice earlier. Buy at one dealer, service anywhere you want.
Is there any possibility that Toyota is choosing to not deliver to certain dealers?? Some places seem to have them and others never get the ones they are supposed to get. Call around. If you are in a hurry it may pay to go out of your way.
That's good to know about the service since I don't want to have to go way out of my way for that. I've never bought a new car before and figure it's time as my current car is 15 years old and starting to fall apart.
Aaron, Try Elk Grove Toyota (near Sacramento). I saw 2 on the lot there this morning- don't know their status .. we bought ours there off the lot. 916-405-8000
I don't know if it was saleperson BS, but the guy I put my order through with last year said that the dealer there got a bigger alocation based on past sales.
Part of it seems to depend on color. There would be no problem if I wanted silver, for example. I just spoke with Dublin Toyota and they said the same thing with regards to Toyota cutting the Prius production in favor of the new Camry. They said that the waiting period is usually about 4-6 weeks or more as well, though they do have silver in stock.
I ordered a 06 Prius (Silver, package #8) at three bay area Toyota dealers in late October and early November. The last dealer I placed the order with got my car in early January. Finally in early February I realized that the other two dealers had actually cashed my deposit check, so I went to get my deposit back. Neither one of the dealers had my car yet or had a clue when they would get it at the time I canceled my orders (early Feb). While waiting around in the showroom for my deposit paperwork at one of the dealers, another man came in asking about a Prius. The salesman he talked to told him they had 400 people on the waiting list and it would be 5 to 7 months! Both dealers acknowledged that Toyota had reduced the number of Priuses they were getting. The manager at the dealer that claimed to have 400 people on the waiting list said they were still getting about 70 per month. Well 400/70 is 5.7 months, so that may be where the 5 to 7 month estimate comes from. In the SF bay area, I would order at multiple dealers. The dealer that got my car was one of the smaller dealerships, and apparently did not have as long a waiting list. Many people have probably ordered at more than one dealer, so the order backlog is not completely real. All the dealers get in Priuses with no pre-sold buyer. Most will go down their list looking for a buyer, so the more flexible you are on color and options, the better your chances of getting one early.
