The Prius Prime is legendary for its fragile acrylic "glass jaw" bumper and grille. Here's another issue that can be exceptionally expensive.
Everything is expensive. If you have the fancy LED headlamps they are $1000 each side. People poo poo the extended warrany but I think a case could be made for one on the Prime.
English[edit] Etymology[edit] An allusion to glass being easily breakable. Noun[edit] glass jaw (plural glass jaws) (chiefly boxing) A fighting vulnerability where one is easily knocked out via a single hard blow to the chin or jaw (due to lack of conditioning, insufficient training or damage from past cerebral concussions). quotations â–¼ Metaphorically, a vulnerability of that sort.
But I have yet to read a report of failed LED headlight or failed compressor that would have been covered by an extended warranty. I am not sure what happened to the car in the video. But it sounds like it was in an accident, and the guy is salvaging the compressor? If the burn-out of the compressor happened in the 3 years 36 months, not due to accident damage, it would have been covered by the original warranty. If the failure is caused by an accident, then the warranty (extended or not) will not pay anyway. Has there been any report of frequent compressor failure in PP, within the 3/36 or beyond? Don't think so.
The narrator says these compressors burn out regularly from being neglected or improperly charged. Does anyone know that to be a true statement?
a prediction is only valid if it comes to pass. what's the oldest prime, 6 years? not a bad track record so far
You gotta watch curbs or those concrete things in the parking stalls, as the bumper is so low. Smashing your bumper into one can be expensive occurance. I try to park short of them.
My Prime's bumper clears stuff that used to always scrape on my Gen 2 & 3. Even with the reduced ground clearance. Someone at Toyota finally wised up and put a slope on the bottom of the overhang.
The curved glass in the back makes up for much of the front aerodynamic loss. If so, it's not very obvious. I made screen grabs from the 2017 brochure and from the online 2022 picture. The bottom one (2022) has a slightly higher point of view, so they are not identical angles. Edit: Actually, it looks like they are at the same angle now that I compare the A-pillars.
Kind of surprised there isn't a flexible 'air dam/spoiler' piece that hangs down to give a physical warning of scraping. On our Prius C it's this part : https://parts.dandeerytoyota.com/p/Toyota__Prius-c/Spoiler-Front/62954118/7685152210.html It works well...flexible enough to hear it when you do scrape...but doesn't damage anything. I'm assuming they must have excluded a part like this in the Prime for aerodynamic reasons?
Very true. But I've still scraped it countless times. No real harm yet, but that doesn't mean I won't snag something bigger someday. I'm starting to get kind of serious about a lift kit if I keep it much longer.
