Wrong things the dealer told you before you bought your Prius

I asked my salesman if the Pri had a 12v battery for startup and he laughed and said it wasn't necessary for the "high voltage battery under the back seat's all that's needed".

 

I can't think of anything that our saleswoman in Bellevue, WA (just east of Seattle) told us that was wrong. And she went from bumper to bumper telling us all about the car and then took us on 13 miles test drive that included hills and freeway driving so we could have a very good idea of what the car was like.

This was EASILY THE BEST new car sales person I've ever had.

And yes of course we bought the car and no I didn't get gouged or a "great deal." Reasonable, yes.

 

Mine said the beeping I heard while in reverse was
the car telling me that I was close to hitting something.

I WAS close to hitting something, but that was besides the point.

 

My dealer told me they didn't have a Prius available to sell me. In fact, they had the nerve to tell me I would have to get on a waiting list and that it could take six to eight months till I got a car.

THAT WAS SOOOOO WRONG OF THEM!!!!! :lol:

 

Something about being able to play the piano . . .

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rand Reed @ Apr 29 2007, 06:32 PM) [snapback]432277[/snapback]</div>

The humor here tells me that I'm going to like it!

 

While I didn't have wrong information given to me (the dealer knew I was already a member of one of the Yahoo Prius sites), I know that some owners have been told the B position was for Battery, as in EV mode.

 

My salesman told me that if I run out of gas I could drive 30-40 miles on the battery to the station.

 

Not a lie, so much as forgetting to tell me...

Didn't tell me I had to put my foot on the brake to start the car in ready mode. Sat in the parking lot for about a minute before it "accidentally" happened. :lol: When we got home, and were leaving again, that's when I actually figured it out....

And to quickly silence the "read the manual" people - left dealer at 5:40pm - left home for chuch at 6:05pm. Read manual that night at 10:30pm. Then went "ooooooh".

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rxmxsh @ Apr 29 2007, 07:39 PM) [snapback]432313[/snapback]</div>

Do you know how many times I have had to shut the car on and off because of this. LOL!

 

Where do I begin.......
first time a test drove a Prius I was told the "B" was for EV mode.
the next time that I went back and actually bought the car, the salesman said the car had remote start and then he failed and demonstrating it to us. I knew it didn't have it. He also said that they were the only dealers in the state with a Touring model and that It was in high demand and I should buy it right away...how about the only dealer in Motor city(only because they are the only Toyota dealer in that area)
I was also told that the Prius qualified for the HOV lane in Colorado......I responded with um...no.
The dealer practically said it could fly, but it didn't matter, I loved the car and was gonna buy it no matter what.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alaskaprius @ Apr 29 2007, 08:00 PM) [snapback]432229[/snapback]</div>

Related to this our salesperson said it was for 'battery' mode. :lol:

The other thing worth a good laugh is he had no idea what the vallet cards were for. 'Why would you need all these he asked" I mentioned it said valet cards on the back and he replied 'Hey that's a good idea'

 

My salesman insisted that I would get the milage as posted on the sticker, 60 around town and 51 highway, every one he sold got at least that. (Not quite 54 highway, 48 town.)

He also said the car did not have a neutral position in the transmission.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Darken @ Apr 30 2007, 12:29 AM) [snapback]432434[/snapback]</div>

Hrm. Valet cards?

Where would I find these; because I certainly wasn't told anything about them, or even shown them. =D

 

This was perhaps excusable, because in November of 2003, when I ordered my 2004, the model had only been on the roads for a month or two, but he strongly implied that I'd get the EPA mileage. I got the car two months later, when temperatures in North Dakota were well below zero F and got 29 mpg on my first tank! It was a month and a half later when I discovered Prius Chat and learned about real-life mileage, cold weather, and short trips (nothing in Fargo is very far from anything else).

My next car won't use any gas at all. So there, Toyota!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TomorrowMatters @ Apr 29 2007, 07:56 PM) [snapback]432322[/snapback]</div>

I live in Glenwood Springs (moved from Denver metro area in 2005). I've been told by locals that the Prius CAN legally drive in the HOV lane on Hwy 82 between Basalt and Aspen (6-9 AM eastbound, 3-6 pm westbound). I've been doing just that, and have not been pulled over. But, then, enforcement seems to be a joke. Some have suggested that the only reason for the HOV lane on 82 is so CO can get federal funds.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Papa @ Apr 29 2007, 07:21 PM) [snapback]432301[/snapback]</div>

My dealer didn't say (and I didn't ask), but I ASSUMED I could drive on EV if I ran out of gas. Then I read the manual. YIKES! Was I surprised to see the warning NOT to run out of gas...lest you damage the hybrid system. Needless to say, that probably would void your warranty.

That makes the non-linearity of the gas gauge all the more frustrating. I've never gotten much more than 400 miles on a tank, even though 600 should be achievable. Nor have I gone more than 40 miles after the fuel warning for fear of running out of gas.

My dealer (service manager) told me that the reason for the fuel tank inconsistencies was the collapsible bladder, designed to prevent explosive vapors from building up in the tank. However, in cold weather, it becomes stiff and may not collapse (or expand) as fully as when it's warm. To date, I have not found any independent confirmation of this, however.

 

My dealer was very well informed about all the features and info on the car. The only thing she was incorrect on (in my opinion) was the price!

 

Actually, my fist Prius (slightly used 2004) was bought from an individual who told me absolutely nothing about the Prius. I had, however, been surfing Prius sites prior, so I knew enough to get by... then PriusChat helped me 'over the hump' on features not to be found in the Owner's Manual - practial information and hints.

When I traded the '04 for my 2007 Touring Edition, the Internet Manager quickly determined that I knew more than he did and he actually asked me questions about Prius behaviour and features. In neither buying experience did I get INCORRECT information, just a lack of it.