2016 Prius Touring Alignment Issues

this is all covered by warranty, right?

 

Not normal. Insist Toyota fixes it. Do not give any more business to a dealer that outsources simple things like an alignment.

 

call toyota customer service before spending any money.

 

More toe in will make it worse, more toe out makes it more stable. It may not be the toe that's the problem it could be the caster or camber.

 

Could they get another 2016 Touring for you to drive, for comparison?

 

But Toyo rep is blind to the difference, that's not good.

 

FWIW, mine is very sensitive to crosswinds at 70 mph but rock solid at 60.
As I see it you have 3 options, 1) put up with it and drive slower, 2) have it looked at by a suspension tuning specialist and adjusted, or 3) try experimenting with tyre pressures. Softer rears tend to cause oversteer and harder cause understeer, I would try upping the rear pressures first. Would be interesting to know what pressures were in the one you drove off the lot and compare them to yours.

 

Maybe you have some binding somewhere in the steering. I had an International Scout that had ball joint adjusters put in the adjust the camber. It bound up the steering such that the vehicle was very nervous on the road. I had them taken out and it fixed the steering problem. Maybe your steering rack is defective or a suspension component is bound up.

 

I haven’t noticed any objectionable handling on my Three Touring.

If you were to have adjustments made anywhere other than a Toyota dealer, it wouldn’t surprise me if Toyota were to disclaim further responsibility for alignment.

To avoid this, you could take the car to an independent shop with an alignment system, but ask them only to road test it and measure the current alignment, without making any changes. (Be sure they write on their invoice that they did no adjustments, repairs, or disassembly.) You’d have to pay for this, of course, but it might identify the cause of the problem, and if they give you a clearly-written report, also establish that there is still a real problem. This may help you persuade Toyota and the dealer to try again.

The alignment specifications (camber, caster, toe-in, etc.) for the Prius are in the Repair Manual (RM3200U) on techinfo.toyota.com (subscription required, starting at $15 for two days). See these topics:

• SPECIFICATIONS: ALIGNMENT / HANDLING DIAGNOSIS: SERVICE DATA
• SPECIFICATIONS: TIRE / WHEEL: SERVICE DATA
• ALIGNMENT / HANDLING DIAGNOSIS: FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT: ADJUSTMENT
• ALIGNMENT / HANDLING DIAGNOSIS: REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT: ADJUSTMENT
• TIRE / WHEEL: TIRE AND WHEEL SYSTEM: INSPECTION

If you subscribe, you could also view and download Toyota’s technical training, which can be as valuable for understanding Toyota’s troubleshooting approach as for the technical content itself. The course materials also discuss some causes other than misalignment for handling problems; this may be your situation, since the alignment has already been checked. See these courses:

• Course 453: Suspension, Steering and Handling
• Course B503: Steering and Suspension — Analysis and Repair

For a quick review of alignment geometry (not specific to Prius), see these free links:

• Quick Training Guide: Basic Alignment Geometry
• Quick Training Guide: Advanced Alignment Geometry

Especially if another repair attempt were to be unsuccessful or refused, it may be time to ask a lawyer about your rights, if any, under your state’s lemon laws, and if there are specific things you should do (or not do) to preserve those rights.

 

I know this is an old thread but what was the fix on this issue? I have a 2017 prime with the same feeling in the steering and Toyota thinks I'm crazy in the head and says its in spec for the wheels and alignment. I've played with tire pressure and even changed tires with no change in the way it feels on the high way. The car never goes back to center and I'm always trying to keep it in the lane. Help??

 

I have had bad experience with wheel alignment. Instead of taking it to the local guy look for someone who does frame and axle work and work on a lot of wrecked cars. They get the worst of the worst to fix. Make sure they do a four wheel alignment and have them test drive the car with you so they understand what is wrong.

 

It's a lemon. Invoke the lemon law and get another car. This guy (Steve Lehto) can help you understand how to do it.

 

I have a 2017 Prius with the same issue and have driven 40k miles without rotating the tires. The front tires are ruined worn from the inside completely as if there was too much negative camber. I believe that's where the issue begins. I'll post pictures