I apologize if this has been covered before. After talking with Toyota Customer Experience line, I appears that Toyota has a battery warranty policy that can vary not only on where you live but also what emission system you have. This is covered in the warranty booklet you get after you purchase the car. This is my understanding: Basically there are two warranties in CT, Maine, MA, NH, NJ. NY, RI and VT. If the sticker says that you have the “California Certified Emission Control Systems” then you have a 10 year, 150K warranty otherwise it is 8 years/ 100k. I assume everyone in CA has 10yr, 150k. So if you have a choice (not likely) find a car with a sticker that say “California Certified Emission Control Systems” I just boggles my mind that Toyota has a dual warranty within a single state.[/font] Philip
FWIW, the dealer told me this is because Toyota has to comply with some state law in California regarding auto batteries.
All Prii shipped to the USA have exactly the same emission control components. It does not matter where you purchased the car, or if you purchased one second hand. As long as you live in California or one of the states which adopted California's standards, you are covered with the extended emissions warranty.
Don't blame Toyota for this, blame the patchwork of state laws. The U.S. has a complex and confusing system of federal and state laws which often produce sub-optimal results like this. Tom
That not what Toyota told me when I called there "Customer Experience Hotline". They clearly stated that it depends on if the car has the California Emission System. Now for all I know, the difference is the wording on the sticker. Every dealer I asked said 8yr/100K. They do not seem to be aware of this issue. Philip
So if you bought the car a few months ago and the sticker is no longer in the window, where do you find out which warranty you have? Tim
all, As somebody has already said on this subject before, Priuses aren't sold like cars were in the 80's where there was a 49-state version & a California-only version. Maybe other Toyota products still have 2 different versions (though I doubt it), but all Priuses destined for sale in the USA are the same running gear/emissions wise to have their SULEV & AT PZEV ratings. It only matters that the Prius is registered in a state that has adopted the California emissions standards to get the lengthened warranty on the hybrid components & the emissions (cat, etc.) equipment. They SHOULD be the same (emissions wise) for our Canadian friends with the exception of added daytime running lights & no fuel tank bladder(?), & fewer option pkg's. I don't know anything about how any may be equiped for Mexico or if Priuses are even sold there. Priuses in the rest of the world get the EV switch as well no fuel tank bladders. I think Toyota's Customer Experience people are a little confused on the California emissions sticker/lengthened warranty issue. I think our Canadian friends have a different warranty than we do & their cars probably don't have a California emissions sticker either. My post here may just add more to the confusion. The states I was sure that had the longer warranty were all of New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, & Rhode Island), New York, New Jersey, & California. I saw a post the other day that said New Jersey was not part of the list, but that Florida had been added (don't know) & either Colorado or Ohio (not sure which or if either) too. Again, it's the individual state laws that cause this cunfusion. Ken (in Bolton,Ct)
The following Wikipedia article lists those states that have implemented California's AT-PZEV regulations. According to that article, NJ plans to adopt the regulations. If that is true, then cars sold prior to the regulation change would not benefit from the 150K mile AT-PZEV warranty. Partial zero-emissions vehicle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Also note that to qualify for the AT-PZEV warranty, the car must have been sold, registered and operated in the AT-PZEV state. All Prius sold in the US have the same emissions control equipment. Open the hood and look for the emissions control sticker. I believe you will see that the Prius is certified for operation in California. If any US owner can find a sticker that says their Prius is only certified for Federal operation, please reply.
Pat, I wonder how old that Wikipedia article is, because when I got my 2005 Prius in July of 2005 my dealer told me Connecticut was already one of the states that had adopted the standards & over the years some have posted over at PriusOnLine [Michelle (MRV) being one of them] the various states to be included on that list as they were added. I think some of the states in the list came from official Toyota sources. I thought New Jersey has been one of them since 2005 or 2006, but maybe I'm wrong. However, I can't trust the Wikipedia article since Connecticut has been one of the states for 3 years now. Thanks for providing the link though. Ken (in Bolton,Ct)
Ken what Toyota dealer do you go to? I'm in Manchester with a 05 prius with 100,222 mi on it and the hybrid pack just crapped out. Lynch and the Toyota helpline both told me 100,000 and 8 years because i don't have the california 'sticker', but I'm hell bent on not paying a cent because of the Califonia Emissions Warranty. It's a law not defined by which sticker am I right?.. I'm so much hell bent that I wrote a letter to Sen. Blumenthal because I believe dealerships are not broadcasting the longer warranty to the consumer properly. I still need my car fixed and if I can avoid arguing with Lynch and just get it fixed for free else where I want to do just that. Any help would rock JB (in Manchester,Ct)
Patrick has it right. Your car HAS to have been sold and registered new in CT, after CT adopted the CARB Warranty, and licensed continuously in CT since then. This document hints that Connecticut did not adopt CARB until 2009, (2008 Model Year) 3 years after your car was sold. http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/air/regulations/mainregs/sec36b.pdf Page 14 of the PDF is the consumer warranty.
guys, Been away for a few days, so didn't check in here until this morning. Jimbo, I don't have time right now to read your document (leaving for a few hours), but the notice for the longer warranty (& identifying CT as being eligible for it) was in my 2005 owner's manual when I purchased my Prius on July 14, 2005. My salesman (who was also the dealer's inventory manager) pointed it out to me & nobody ever said anything about requiring a "California sticker". prius4meprius4you, I occasionally use Lynch, but it usually takes me a week to get scheduled in for service with them, so I call Balise in W. Springfield, Mass & they can get me in the next day (or even the same day in some cases). I work at a car auction in E. Windsor one day a week, so it's a short drive from there up to their dealership & they're much more accommodating than Lynch's. Ken (in Bolton,Ct)
