My 7k miles Prius has broken down on me !

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius_fr @ Aug 15 2006, 06:16 PM) [snapback]303766[/snapback]</div>

What you should do is raise a ruckus in the dealership in front of potential customers and DEMAND that you be given a nice loner until that can ASSURE you that the problem is fixed. Stand up and don't take any run around crap. This is a ridiculous situation. Get some shoe polish and paint "Lemon Purchased at XXXXX Toyota" and park it in their lot. Sheeesh -- pardon the outburst but if they can't diagnosis them and fix 'em they should not be selling them.

 

Definately keep a file folder with printed versions of everything that happens... Dates, times, conditions, pictures and anything.

If this car has a history over time of being a lemon, you want all that stuff.

I'm just at 6 months old today, have 21,000 miles and don't have this problem.. I think I'm developing a dash rattle.. :angry:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius_fr @ Aug 15 2006, 03:16 PM) [snapback]303766[/snapback]</div>

This is the third time you've taken it in...correct?

I suggest you read the California Lemon Law. It might be a good idea to compose a letter to Toyota and get the ball rolling.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius_fr @ Aug 15 2006, 03:16 PM) [snapback]303766[/snapback]</div>

PriusFR,
Wow. I sure hope this problem gets properly diagnosed and fixed. Please keep us posted.
Thanks

 

tell them you want their *best* diagnostic tech on the job, and that he can keep it as long as he needs to (to verify the fix, etc) as long as you get a loaner while your prius is in the shop.

if they don't have a good diag tech, go elsewhere. this is clearly a diagnostic problem and not everyone is good at these types of problems.

 

Dang. Good luck, and please keep us apprised.

 

If you at some point during all this were driving around with only
the CEL still lit, the dealer *should* have been able to pull at
least one code from the ECUs to help track it down.
.
If I'm misunderstanding and you were limping around with the full
christmas tree, how 'bout this: Investigate for the problem detailed
in http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/starthole/ and see if you
can be the *second* known instance of that killing a Prius.
.
Failing that, without codes, the community will probably remain
in a quandary...
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Aug 16 2006, 09:37 PM) [snapback]304387[/snapback]</div>

THANK YOU HOBBIT!!!

Crawled under my -06 after I got home and checked this out. Sure enuf! Just got it fixed now. Everybody Prius Owner should be checking this out!!!!!

 

I think you should take it to your Authorized Toyota Dealer for proper diagnosis.

 

After two and a half years Toyota is still installing this plate backwards? Holy Fudd. How do we get their attention about this?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Aug 16 2006, 07:37 PM) [snapback]304387[/snapback]</div>

Hobbit, one only has to remove a few bolts to remove the air dam, true? Did you do this without raising the car?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Aug 19 2006, 11:15 PM) [snapback]306049[/snapback]</div>

Hi Richard S...,

I removed the aerodynamics piece with the 8 screws. It bridges two other aerodynamic pieces further back, that have meet in the middle of the car. This allowed me to get enough deflection on those pieces where they meet in the middle of the car to get the job done. One of the rearward aerodynamic pieces has a hole in it, that I could sight on the upper bolt with. I did this all with the car on the ground. The hardest part of the job was pushing the harnesses out of the way to get the upper bolt back into the hole, at full arms reach, from underneath. I had an offset box end wrench that fit up to the top bolt. A ratchet wont fit over the top bolt.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Aug 18 2006, 11:17 AM) [snapback]305315[/snapback]</div>

holy crap... I better check mine today! how long you think it will take Toyota to install this plate correctly?

EDIT: I just check... just like what you guys find, the plate is installed backwards.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Aug 16 2006, 09:45 AM) [snapback]304030[/snapback]</div>

Please write and let us know what happens, as I am planning to buy a Prius. Do you have to be a computer wizard to drive a Prius? It does sound like a computer on wheels. Do you have to practice much before you really can drive it, and how is it for backing up. Please try to get the dealer to give you another Prius.
Mary

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Aug 16 2006, 11:00 PM) [snapback]304535[/snapback]</div>

Even better advice...take Galaxee's tech (if you can get him away from her...)! B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Masnyd @ Aug 20 2006, 03:27 PM) [snapback]306321[/snapback]</div>

hi Mary-

you don't need to know anything about computers to drive a prius, and as long as you can drive a "regular" car you can drive the prius. high mpg driving does take a bit of a learning curve but by hanging around here you'll learn quickly.

backing up is no problem overall, if you need to go sharply uphill backwards you'll end up going very slowly but otherwise it's just fine.

don't worry about buying one, 99% of prii on the road have had no problems whatsoever, in fact the prius boasts the highest customer satisfaction rating of any car! (according to consumer reports) my husband fixes them for a living, and he feels best about this car for reliability and my safety.

occasionally strange things happen, like they do with all cars. you'll find a biased sample of problems here because people come looking for advice when something happens. the incidence of problems here are not by any means a representative sample of the general population of prii out there. for every problem there are thousands of us driving trouble free, but noone posts a "hey look! i've driven 18,800 miles without a single problem!" thread.

 

Hey look, I have driven over 60,000 miles combined on an '01 Classic and an'04 and not a single service problem!!!!!!!

How's that, Galaxee!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Aug 18 2006, 08:17 AM) [snapback]305315[/snapback]</div>

Too bad I don't have a decent jack or ramps so there's no way I'd be getting under my car to check mine out.

Possible places/people to try contacting w/the URL and pictures: TMS USA on this board, your Toyota dealer, NHTSA, your Toyota dealer, and the customer experience center at http://www.toyota.com/about/contact/index.html.

Cutting into the M/G wiring harness would be a very bad thing and to me would almost be grounds for them to initiate a recall.