Toyota Prius - Special Service Campaign (Steering Shaft Assembly Issue)

I called to make an appointment for the recall and the service rep said that they needed the car for most of the day. The Recall notice said that it should take about an hour or possibly longer. Has anyone else run into this? What is the average time for getting it done? Not looking forward to setting round most of the day waiting to get this done. Thanks

 

I just had the 60C done and I swear that the car is easier to turn and handles better. My one issue with the Prius has been that I thought it did not handle very well. I have described it to friends as it does not want to turn, it feels like it wants to go straight. When I got on the highway after picking it up, the difference was noticeable. I could be imagining this, but I don;t think so.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Weinerneck @ Jul 8 2006, 05:09 AM) [snapback]282945[/snapback]</div>

Toyota is only going to pay them for .9 hours to inspect and replace the parts, and that includes administrative overhead. Maybe you can use that to get the wait cut down. They clearly want to keep their mechanics busy and their customers waiting.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Susan5s @ Jul 5 2006, 05:39 PM) [snapback]281713[/snapback]</div>

I've only seen this happen once. I was attempting to smooth out the washboard road by going over 25 MPH (this is what I used to do with my Chrysler). Instead of getting better, it got worse. So I've learned not to take washboard roads fast.

John

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Weinerneck @ Jul 8 2006, 08:09 AM) [snapback]282945[/snapback]</div>

I had mine done along with a 45k service, so I had planned to leave it all day. When I picked up my car that evening I asked how long the recall work took. The service manager said it probably took about 1.5 hours. I don't know that the service manager would know exact times since he didn't doing any of the actual work. All I know is the car was ready when I came to pick it up.

 

Just got back from mine, barely an hour. I love going to Carlsbad Toyota as they are quick, clean the car up real nice and have it done before they say (I ribbed the girl today about "padding" time estimates to make themselves look better- originally told 1/2 day) Course they are also 1/2 mile from Outlet Mall so I was not done shopping when she called.

I don't believe that it is power of suggestion on the steering. It feels tighter but not heavier. Just not squirrely and I drove over 80 back to work just to see how the handling was with the higher speed. It really does seem to improve it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tommie @ Jul 3 2006, 02:09 PM) [snapback]280573[/snapback]</div>

yeah.... maybe 5 minutes to set post, lift car, pull boot up from underneath car, check, put it back on, set car down.

resetting the tooth should take another 5 min or so after checking steering wheel position.

some toyota warranty work really does bend you over in terms of billed hours vs worked hours (psst, hear that TMS? maybe you could put in a good word for more realistic hours... ), but this one actually seems to be reasonable.

 

I got my 06 done a couple weeks ago. Took maybe .5 hours at the most.
I also got a survey in the mail from Toyota. Asking how the dealers service was.
Since I've found a new dealer. This place is nice, easy to work with (mostly), but they NEVER call you back if you leave a message. Unless you get a human in person on the phone, they never deliver. I made sure to let them know that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TMS USA @ Jul 14 2006, 03:52 PM) [snapback]286360[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for being here TMS! I'd love to get your input regarding my continuing problem with the bouncing dash I referred to a few posts back in this thread. I filled out the survey, too, but haven't heard anything back.

You know that scene toward the end of Close Ecounters where the spaceship lands and they're trying to communicate with it by playing that 5-note tune tune (d-e-c-C-G)? you know the spot where they play the first 3 notes, and then suddenly the spaceship blasts the last 2 notes REALLY loud and low?

That's what it's like when suddenly in the middle of a thread, TMS USA appears with a contribution. :blink:

Susan
04 Silver BC

 

After getting home from work the day I had mine done, I happened to look down and saw a bolt and locking nut on the driver's side floor......

I called Carlsbad and left a message with my service person who called me back after 1st talking to the tech that worked on the car. They said it was an additional part and nothing to worry about. I did back that up with a PM to our sweet galaxee who also set my mind at ease.

I figured that if I had driven from Carlsbad to SD and out to La Mesa over all sorts of roads and speeds that it was just a little "oops, left that behind". So if anyone else ends up with an extra bolt/nut on the floor, don't freak out!

 

I got the recall done last weekend at the dealer closest to my home after making an appointment for 8:30A. When I dropped the car off, I was planning on waiting since the actual work should have only taken an hour, but was told that it would be "at least 3 hours" until my car would be done (what good is an appointment if I have to wait in a line anyway??)

I got the call exactly 3 hours later that my car was done, so I got my keys from the cashier and went out to my car. I found a large bolt laying on the driver's side floormat, so I took it back in to the Service Manager. He assured me that it was a left over part and there was nothing to worry about. I drove directly out onto the freeway, where I noticed that the wheel wasn't centered (off maybe 5-10%), so I immediately called the Service Manager and he told me that if I brought it back in he'd have a look at it.

When I got back to the bays, he got in and asked me "Are you sure the steering wheel wasn't off center before you brought it in this morning?" I was shocked that he would even suggest that, so I sited PriusChat and the number of accounts of the techs failing to properly realign the steering wheel after the recall. He said that he'd send it back in and call me when it was done.

I got the call to pick up my car 4 hours later, and when I arrived was told that they fixed the problem, did a 4-wheel alignment, and took it on the freeway to test. The receipt that I received even stated that the "splines were not aligned on new shaft" after 60C. Everything was back to normal finally, but I found out later that day that they backed off my tire pressure from 42/40 to 35 all around.

I hope I get a survey asking me how my experience was...I wasn't even offered a free car wash from their drive through for my troubles.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TMS USA @ Jul 14 2006, 07:02 PM) [snapback]286455[/snapback]</div>

I don't want to hijack this thread, so if you want to take this to a different thread, we probably should. OK, whenever I go over a bumpy road I can see the back of the dash, where it meets the windshield, along with the instrument pod actually significantly moving up and down. I've brought it back to my dealership 4 times for this and the last time, about a week ago, they told me it's normal. The previous 3 times they tried various things, including replacing various parts because of plastic fatigue of the tabs, and it was better for a few hundred miles, but it always loosened up over time. Twice the defog vent was repaired/replaced because it shook out of place and broke its tabs. It started after I had the fuel gauge TSB done and they had to dismantle the dash to do it. This is not a small vibration of the "floating" instrument pod, or whatever they call it. The back of the dash is bouncing up and down and it scares me to think of what'll happen to the instruments and MFD over time.

I get that the long piece of unsupported plastic that acts as a shield over the instrument display can move some. I get that the wide part of the dash from the windshield to the steering wheel is also not exactly supported throughout its length. But the mirror and pod and the dash itself should not be moving what seems to me to be an inch or more up and down when I go over bumps. (We're talking about highways and roads here, no off-road stuff.) No one else here or in Priusonline.com - except for one poster in this thread - has mentioned they ever saw such a thing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Again, I really appreciate your being here on this board.

Enjoy Close Encounters!!
Susan

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ambrothe @ Jul 14 2006, 03:33 PM) [snapback]286379[/snapback]</div>

God, this sounds like deja-vu for me! (see my earlier posts on this)

Seriously, call Toyota Customer Care and let them know what happened. I did and the dealer finally called me, apologized, and offered my next servise (20 k) at N/C and offered to polish the car in their "Auto Butler."

 

Let me pose this question: how much of a hassle/how much time does it take to readjust the centering of the steering wheel? Mine is off after having SSC 60C done, but just barely (like less than 5 degrees). It's certainly driveable, but slightly bothersome since I know I have to keep the wheel slightly to the right in order to drive straight.

 

Just had our 05 done. In at 9 out at 10:15. The wheel seems centered to me but since i'm never on a perfect road it's really hard to tell.It may be ever so slightly off to the right but after a week of driving it maybe I wont think so anymore.

 

I got my 60C done 3 weeks ago and the steering wheel was pretty far off when I got it back (at least 10-15 degrees left). When I returned for some other followup warranty work, I complained about that and that they put my dash back on incorrectly.

For the steering being off, they told me that sometimes with this campaign you need a wheel alignment afterwords (I did make sure to tell them it was just the steering wheel that was off, not the wheels). Whatever they did, almost 3 hours later I got it back fixed. They said they did a full alignment.

 

I had my mandatory Intermediate Steering shaft assembly re-call (SSC-60C) past thursday at Millenium Toyota, Long Island NY. Total real time of waitng was 1hs 45 minutes, was test droved for 1.5 liles and returned to me in perfect working order, and perfectly aligned plus car washed at no charge. Their Prius mechanic, ALBERT, really knows his job as a good professional in his field
Congratullations Millenium Toyota for having such a good technician/mechanic in your Staff, ; not like other closer Toyota authorized Svc Station location where their mechanic with an attitud don't care for customer's propperty and unresponsive for customer needs. :angry: Hear this out loud TMS USA.