a Steering issue in gen 4th 2016

The production date is engraved in the upper-right corner of the certification label, right after the words “TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION.” The date is given in MM/YY format, with a two-digit month and two-digit year, but it’s not labeled as such.

The complete date (including day) on which the vehicle was manufactured is available in the Vehicle Inquiry feature of Toyota TIS (techinfo.toyota.com, subscription only). My Prius also came with what appears to be a kanban card, a 206 × 88 mm white paper with blue and black printing and an RFID label on the back, which lists the same build date as TIS does, in MM/DD and YY/MM/DD formats.

 

Here's mine. September 2016 for my 2017 Prius Two.

 

That’s a helpful picture. There is some other interesting information on the label:

C/TR:070/FA40 — Original exterior paint color, 070 Blizzard Pearl, and trim color, FA40 Harvest Beige (others are FA10 Moonstone and FA20 Black).

A/TM:-01A/P610 — Axle type -01A (not relevant for Prius) and transmission type P610, the hybrid transaxle for all fourth-generation Prius cars.

ZVW50L-AHXEBA — Model code. The New Car Features books explain all the letters in the various markets, but for North American readers, ZVW50 means a fourth-generation Prius with a Ni-MH HV battery; ZVW51 means a fourth-generation Prius with a lithium-ion HV battery. ZVW55 would indicate a Prius with E-Four, the electric 4WD offered only in Japan, but I think I’ve taken this thread far enough off course already.

[Edited to add:] Since this is a steering thread: the L before the hyphen in the model code indicates a left-hand drive car. R or no letter indicates a right-hand drive car.

 

Another curiosity is that this is a Trim Two. The only added accessory was carpeted floor mats. There is another sticker on the door saying the load carrying capacity of the car has been reduced my 3 kg or 7 lb. The floor mats do not weigh that much!

 

Do you think they heard about the heavy lunch you're often tempted by?

 

Mine looks *completely* different:


I have covered the chassis number, which is in any case in the same format as the one I see in the pic above.

 

Possibly a different factory? All US Prius are made in Japan.

 

No - all Prius are made in Japan in one factory only - Tsutsumi to my knowledge.
I think it has to do with different regulations.

 

Your label specifically mentions Europe is you are likely correct. Looking at the text on my label, the manufacturing date is used to specify the particular version of laws that the car satisfies.

 

Actually, I wonder if it is because I have a 2017. We know the headlights are different.
My wife was surprised we did not lose the windshield in the rainstorm/hailstorm/tornado she drove through last week. I wonder if they improved the windshield for 2017.

 

I guess we'll just have to wait till one of our resident Boffins come up with the definitive answer, but who uses a weighbridge, or whatever you guys call them Stateside. Sorry still, is good to know your screen withstood the power of the almighty hand and your good lady is safe too.

 

I think I have this problem as well. Can you tell me if the noise is the same as in these videos?
Dropbox - Video Apr 21, 10 06 55 AM.mov
Dropbox - Video Apr 24, 9 45 07 AM.mov
It's barely hearable on the video, but it is much more audible for a driver.
Thanks!

 

Folks, remove VIN # from your sticker pictures. Theves steal those to clone stolen cars.

 

I have a Three with the Advanced Technology Package, built in March, 2016, about 8,000 miles on it. I haven't heard the noise. I'll turn NPR off on my way home from work tonight.

 

The only thing I heard was some road noise from the grooved pavement on a particular road, but nothing else.

 

My experience exactly matches what Juhyun's video shows. I have had my 2017 Prius Three Touring, manufactured 12/16 and purchased new in 2018, for about two weeks. The defect has become much more evident during the past few days. The wheel feels slightly more difficult to turn when the sound occurs, but there is no consistent "sticky" zone. I am starting to believe that it is electrically induced, rather than simple friction. It is infrequent when parked, and worst around 37 MPH. I am calling the dealership, tomorrow, with that video in hand to corroborate. Thank you very much, Juhyun, for recording and sharing it!

 

I wanted to share an overdue update to my previous post. I flagged the problem with my dealer, so that they would support a repair if necessary; but I never got around to addressing it with them. After a couple of months, the noise became less frequent and then vanished altogether. It has never returned.