MFD Problem

tell em straight out that didn't fix it. you can lend the tech your car for a day or so, usually that will show up. also point out that you're near the end of warranty. most of the time if you're dealing with a good company that will create a sense of urgency.

 

Could you video each start-up process and, when the problem does occur (and is recorded), show them the video? BTW, video is what us old people use to descibe digital recording B)

 

Good ideas - the frustrating part is that it's an on and off thing. I showed them the TSB, described the problem, etc. and the tech says he knows about it.
But the dealer wants to see the problem occur for himself. Before they go any further, they want me to leave the car Friday or longer with the tech to see if it happens to him.
In the meantime, I'll use your suggestion... and pull out the cellphone, and snap some pix of the MD problem on screen -- alongside the front page of the local paper displaying the current date.

 

I like the idea of the local news paper with the date. Smart one!

 

After all day at the dealer, and within 30 minutes of driving off the lot, the MD failed again. Another hour there (till 8 PM) and no solution. They are firm saying it's not TSB EL002-05, but "bad communications" somewhere. I'm waiting for an appointment with the regional Toyota tech. It's been a week now...

 

I've had the MFD problem for a few months. It first started in january, then didn't occur again till late february, then again in early march - grew progressively worse from then on. I brought it in twice during this time, but of course it wouldn't exhibit the problem, so I waited till it did it almost constantly.

Left the car with toyota on wednesday nite. They called thrusday and said the MFD needed to be replaced. It's now sunday and expect to have it back monday or tuesday.

approx 30k miles

john

 

No resolution after 3 visits -- which included watching the Prius tech literally, continually bang on different parts of the dashboard and the steering wheel and column to see if he could clear up the "miscommunication." It's a loose wire, he says, not the TSB issue.

Finally, the dealer scheduled a visit for me with the regional Toyota factory tech. That's supposed to be tomorrow. Of course, the problem started at 35,000 miles and now it's a month later and well over 36,000. We'll see what happens.

I'm not a happy camper.

 

cripes, this sounds like a rough time, don...

not surprised they wanted you to leave the car... that's very common especially with intermittent problems.

there is a specific way to "bang on the car" to test for loose connections, believe it or not. many times you can find one that way but if they went through and couldn't find anything and you're still getting the failure it's time to replace the mfd anyway and see what that does. i don't know why they're resisting so much.

this is an issue that will be covered under warranty because you have it documented that it started before the 36k mark, and the problem is not on your end it's the diagnostic process. let us know what the regional rep says, hopefully you'll get some help there.

good luck.

 

Thanks for the support, galaxee. The 4th time in was the charm.

The factory rep took a look and instructed the dealer to order another MD as per the TSB.

Don't know if it will be new or refurb, but I'll be happy as long as it works.



But... as long as I'm thinking about it...



Does anyone know if the refurbished MDs being supplied include fixes for the bug that didn't allow some '04s (like mine) to swtich b/t Energy to Consumption screens using the "info" button on the steering wheel?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Don-RI @ Apr 18 2006, 03:50 PM) [snapback]241645[/snapback]</div>

finally- they got someone in there with some sense in their head! good!
it'll probably be refurb but no worries, they're good as new. the manufacturer takes em back and fixes everything. i haven't heard of any reports of a replaced MFD having trouble yet.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Don-RI @ Apr 18 2006, 03:50 PM) [snapback]241645[/snapback]</div>

An (overdue) update. They finally replaced the MD on the 4th visit back in April after the factory rep told them to do the work. And, a bonus: the refurbbed MD *does* do the switch from Energy to Consumption from the steering wheel.

 

Oddly enough, this file seems to have been removed.

 

Well thanks to everyone here... when my MFD started to malfunction I found that others were having the same problem. I found the TSB: EL002-05 and it was exactly what I was experiencing.

My '04 is at 42k so I am out of the bumper to bumper warranty. I brought my vehicle in... took a couple of days for them to wiggle wires and see what the problem was. They got the new screen in a couple of days and I left only having to pay $50 (my warranty deductable). I also got my uppper glove box fixed since it wouldn't open anymore (they almost didn't cover it because they said it was a 'hinge' problem which isn't covered). So it actually worked out ok... thanks guys!

-Peter B

 

I've been reading these posts only after having the same problem with the screen that everyone else has on this thread.


Three questions:

What exactly does MFD stand for?

What exactly does TSB stand for?

My car has 34K miles as of right now, will this be covered under warranty?


I guess if it's not covered I'll have to shell out some major cash. We'll see about that.


Any help, well . . . helps.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(The Bransons @ Aug 1 2007, 07:30 AM) [snapback]488600[/snapback]</div>

MFD stands for Multi Functional Display

TSB stands for (I believe) Technical Service Bulletin.

Another one that'll come up is ICE, which stands for Internal Combustion Engine

Your car is under warranty until 36K miles, unless you get an extended warranty.

 

MFD multifunction display "center screen"
TSB techincal service bulliten
Edit: time shift again!

 

Yeah, but the actual warranty is 3 years/36K miles, and we just passed the three year mark in March.

Does anyone know what this might cost out of pocket?

 

Price ranges from $50 to $4000 are what I have seen on posts. Even sometimes zero $ if the dealer is having a good day. I was quoted about $850 by Toyota of Berkeley. I have been really annoyed at them for the 'goodwill' argument they gave me. I bought the car (2004) model even before it was released, in Aug 2004. Paid MSRP, cash. 27,000 dollars+ (package 6). I failed to get my oil changes at Toyota of Berkeley, though i did take it in for the initial checkup and paid whatever the cost was. (not cheap). I used to be a car mechanic myself, so I had no idea about 'goodwill' over future mfr defects replacements having anything to do with being willing to be overcharged for oil changes I can do myself or have someone else do more cheaply (Toyota wants roughly $40 to use oil that I don't even want to use), and the like.

My MFD started to malfunction around the end of the 36K warranty. I took it in once I figured out was going on. This was around 40K. I realized then it was the TSB issue and was a mfr defect. The dealer looked at my service record and asked with some attitude where I was getting my servicing done. I said I was doing it myself, or not doing it, or having my local mechanic change oil because I wanted to use Mobil 1 synthetic oiil. I got the lecture about 'building a relationship' with the dealer by having the car in for service there. I asked "Wasn't it building a relationship to give you $27K for my car?" He said "well actually we lose money on the oil changes because we are paying three shop guys, the price of the oil, etc." I said "So I'm doing you a favor by not coming in for oil changes."

I have written a long letter to the owner of the dealership asking for leniancy on the warranty, considering that there is a TSB on this issue, and that other models of Toyota are also affected. It is a known manufacturing defect that is likely to fail just around the end of warranty. I included the TSB printout in my letter to Tim Southwick, the president of Toyota of Bekeley that said the following:

<blockquote>5/30/07

RE: My 2004 Prius MFD failure
ATTN: Tim Southwick Jr.

Dear Mr Southwick,

In August of 2003, I reserved and paid in advance for a new 2004 Prius that I have been very happy with, for the most part. I was an early adopter of a new technology, buying even before the car was available. I took possession in October, 2004. Having previously driven a Honda EV+, I was all in favor of electrics and hybrids. I am an author of over 40 books about computers and technology, and have written over 100 magazine articles about high technology, and have promoted the Prius actively since happily purchasing it from Marty Zeitman at your dealership. I have sent numerous people to your dealership to look at Priuses, and probably am responsible for a few of your sales. I myself purchased the full package #6 with all the bells and whistles. It hasn’t been perfect, with the navigation system sometimes leading me astray, for example, but that is to be expected.

At about 35K miles, the multi-display unit began to malfunction. No navgation, no radio, energy system not showing battery level, etc. I’m sure you are aware of this issue. I thought it was a glitch and would clear up, as the car is basically a computer on wheels, and we all know that computers lose their minds sometimes. Since I write books about computers, I know all about that! I just waited and hoped the problem would clear up, but it did not. I Googled about, read the Prius forums, and found that lo and behold I was not the only person with this problem! In fact, it's happening on 2004 Highlanders and Land Cruisers with the navigation system, and on 2004 Prius with or without the navigation system. I even hear there a TSB #EL002-05 which identifies this problem, which means Toyota is aware of this issue, so most likely it is an inherent design flaw meaning it was there from the beginning, including before the 36,000 mile mark was passed. In any case, the owner’s manual clearly describes the MFD as being part of the hybrid system, so it shouldn't even be an issue. This failure should be covered up to 100,000 miles!

After realizing this was not going to clear up, I was about 5K miles past the warranty. I brought my Prius into your dealership today for reprogramming (since I received a TSB recall, called SSC 50P), and had it all checked out. Repair team captain Ray Prasad told me that it was indeed defective and I would not be covered, and I could have a refurb unit installed for $800 or so, plus tax. I was not happy about this, and so I then had a long conversation with Dave, your shop manager, who explained that because I had not come in for regular service at your dealership, I was not favorably looked upon for an out of-warranty repair of the MFD. I said I did not understand this policy, since I had already given the dealership quite a large sum to purchase the car. He explained that this was essentially irrelevant. He said that good will was dependent upon bringing a car into the dealership for service. (Apparently the good will of bringing you $28,000 has very short legs.) Oddly enough, he then went on to explain that actually the dealership lost money doing oil changes because of the labor costs. I explained that I was getting my oil changes for $15 when I supply the Mobil 1 5W-30 that I like to put in my cars, and that even includes a filter, so we were both better off if I got my oil changes elsewhere. I also said that last time I asked for a tire rotation, his shop refused to do it because there was not enough tread on the tires. At that time, I felt pretty rudely treated by Ray, who grilled me about where I was getting my service done, which is another reason I had not returned for regular service, by the way.

I feel I came to Toyota of Berkeley in 2003 in good faith, and paid MSRP for a car I had never even seen before. I did not haggle, or even try. I paid $28,000 cash. This was the first new car I have ever bought. I sold my Nissan 300ZX and Audi 5000 to be able to afford this. Now this car seems has a known defect that was not recalled by Toyota. Maybe Toyota was hoping most failures would happen after the 36K warranty expired. Yet many people seem to be getting a pretty good deal from some Toyota dealerships who admit this manufacturing defect. (I can quickly find more than a few examples on Prius-chat of owners saying they got replacements for either no charge or a few hundred dollars.) But not me. I now have a state-of-the-art hybrid with no navigation system, intermittent radio with limited tuning ability, limited climate controls, and no energy readout.

I currently have a blog online at http://bobcowart.blogspot.com/ talking about the Prius mostly in positive terms. My 45 technology books are available in over 15 languages (see Amazon.com under Robert Cowart) and have sold over 1 million copies worldwide. I would love to continue to praise the Prius to my readership and those who read my blog. However, this recent development has me wondering whether Toyota’s reputation for reliability might be falling into question. While I applaud Toyota for taking the leadership to research and produce the Prius (which I realize has been a loss leader while the demand for hybrids heats up), I also feel they must own up to electronics design errors, just as computer manufacturers such as Dell and Lenovo have done recently around defective batteries that were well out of warranty. It appears the MFU in the early 2004 Prius was defective from the outset and should be replaced without making disgruntled owners jump through hoops at their dealerships.

I look forward to your reply, and will await it prior to contacting regional or national Toyota Customer Service.

Sincerely,

Robert Cowart</blockquote>

I have heard nothing from them, four months later. I am going to phone the Toyota Customer Experience line next. I have contacted Channel 4 KPIX TV in the Oakland area about this, and corresponded with the consumer advice people. THey claim to have contacted a different Toyota dealership and been told about the "goodwill" situation and that the MFD is out of warranty and that therefore I should have to pay full price for repair. I find the inconsistency over this repair to be annoying and to not speak well of Toyota. I believe they should simply issue a recall or a blanket policy to replace malfunctioning units. If anyone has specific phone numbers and even names of contacts to call about this, I would appreciate it if you were to list them here.

Bob