Is My 08 Prius Steering Busted ??

first things first, how many miles do you have on the car? they'll adjust your alignment for free within a certain time period. have them check it to be sure it's in spec and adjust if it's out.

the car isn't the world champion when it comes to tracking. it's got those big, flat sides and is more susceptible to crosswinds and such. i guess i'm used to it so i no longer notice.

 

Okay, assuming that the alignment is fine, here is what is causing your tracking issues:

1) The Prius ships with zero toe-in. It's done this way for maximum fuel economy. You can have it realigned with a small amount of toe-in if you wish.

2) The OEM tires suck on the standard Prius (Goodyear Integrities). Get some real tires and the tracking will be a lot better.

3) The Prius uses electrically assisted power steering. This steering has essentially zero dead band, so every little input translates into steering motion. Most new Prius drivers over-control like crazy. It takes a very light touch on the wheel. Just think where you want to go. It gets a lot better as you get used to it.

4) The Prius is high and narrow. Obviously this causes some trouble in crosswinds.

When my Prius was new, I though I would never get used to the tracking. Now I track down the highway without any problems or effort. New tires and experience worked for me.

Tom

 

check the alignment of the tires... its possible that its off on two or more wheels...

 

I went from a Lexus IS250 to the Prius. I noticed no trouble with the tracking (sure the cornering and other handling aspects were different, but not the tracking).
I would recommend taking the car to another Toyota dealer and ask them a mechanic there to test drive it with you. That way you can show him/her exactly what is happening.

 

I put on Micheline MXV4+ Energy tires in the stock size. Micheline no longer makes this tire in that size, but they do have a new MXV4+ Primacy, which should be very similar. The difference in handling and ride was very noticeable.

Tom

 

Dave M,

I'm seconding qbee42's comments in post #4.

I too have the '08 Touring model, now with 11,200 miles. I haven't
experienced anything like what you're reporting. The only time I've seen
anything like consistent crab-wise wandering was on a windy day crossing
the Delaware Memorial Bridge, and it was only a mild irritant.

So, I believe you, something is wrong. I would first suspect wheel
alignment. As I recall the one, free alignment window is one year, or 22K
miles, whichever comes first. In other threads it has been pointed out that
to be sure everything is correct, you have to ask for a four wheel alignment,
and get printouts of the readings both before and after the work is done.

Second, there is something to be said for on the job training on the drive-
by-wire steering. At first, I found the total lack of tactile fedback
disconcerting, and as qbee42 says, I was weaving down the road in
the absence of any feeling in the steering wheel. (In other cars, I'm a very
good parallel parker. In my Prius, I get in but I'm usually a foot or more off
the curb.) All I can say is, I had to try really hard to learn to finesse the
steering.

Lastly, on this or another forum, I recall reading about a car with similar
symptoms. After many visits to the dealer, and even having a second
alignment done at an independent shop, it was discovered that one tire was
faulty. If I remember correctly, it was missing one of more belts under the
tread. Weird, but I suppose remotely possible in your case too.

I hope you find the answer soon. All in all, I find the Prius to be a source of
on-going fun, revitalization, and satisfaction. It would be a crime for you
miss that feeling.

Oh yeah, I don't have any issues with the OEM tires, at least not yet.

 

when they test drove, they were checking for a regular pull in one direction- looking for a specific symptom of something wrong. tire low, hit a curb, something like that.

ask them to check your alignment and give it 0.2 degrees toe-in in the front- that should help. i agree new tires will probably help, i was cheap and stuck it out for 26k before the oem integrities wore out. the energy mxv4+s were better ride-wise but wore out quickly too. i've got new primacy mxv4s on there now, but they're too new to tell.

 

Dave,

I was wondering, does your car pull to the left or right when you drive or brake? Do you have to turn the steering wheel slightly in order to go straight?

If so, you might have an alignment problem.

In any event, like others have said, get your alignment done anyway. It's specifically warrantied for 1 year or 20,000 miles.

Other suggestions:

1. Don't over-grip the steering wheel. A light grip seems better on the highway.

2. Consider getting the BT Tech Stiffening Plate sold at the PriusChat Shop. I and I think most PriusChatters who have bought it seem to think that it improves the stability of the car at highway speeds and in crosswinds.

3. Consider getting the BT Tech Strut Tower Brace which is also sold at the PriusChat Shop. It will significantly reduce the turn in lean of the car and improve its overall handling. I think it also improves the car's tracking at all speeds.

4. Consider getting better and/or wider tires for better dry and wet handling. I personally like Goodyear TripleTreds in the wider 195/60/15 size. Better and wider tires should also produce signficantly shorter stopping distances, e.g., Consumer Reports says that the Touring (which has 195/55/16 tires) has a 10 feet shorter 60-0 mph braking distance than the Standard (which has 185/65/15 tires).

I have the Stiffening Plate, the Strut Tower Brace, and the TripleTreds on my Prius. I live in Manhattan, and if you want to, I'll gladly let you test drive my car for comparison purposes. Just PM me if you're interested.

Good luck.

 

http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/53213-08-prius-driving-characteristics.html

FYI - Its better to only start one thread per problem (i.e. avoid double posting)

 

Dave,
I know what you mean and have felt simply driving my 2008 Prius on the 5 Fwy in Mission Viejo traveling to Newport Beach; approximately 17 miles each way. At first I thought it was high winds, but no when told otherwise. Then I thought there might not be enough air in my tires, yet the next day, the same left to right "fight" occurred. I do have my 2008 Prius being evaluated at Power Toyota of Irvine on Monday, September 8th, 2008. Investigator from the manufacturer is assured to be there based on what I was told by the Service Manager. I have computer panel problems, more than the steering problems, however this is what I know and have experienced based on your assessment.
~Disappointed and yet to know Pruis owner

 

From what I've seen so far the Prius has very responsive steering as mentioned above, but it also wanders somewhat with any outside input (textures, grooves, wind). The first characteristic is a plus as I prefer not having deadband (slop). The second is undesirable but should be modifiable over time (tire change, etc.)

My shipped alignment appears to be okay so far. It doesn't pull one way or the other and the mileage is good. If the dealer hasn't actually aligned the vehicle then it needs to be put on the rack and done. Having them driving around the lot is a worthless exercise if you are having problems.

The Integrities were designed for low rolling resistance and the set on the vehicle came from Japan (if I understand it correctly) and differ from the U.S. made version of the same tire. OEM tires have always had less grip and control in my experience with various vehicles, so the Prius is no different in that regard from any other vehicle I've purchased new.

Don't get too excited about U.S. made tires just because they are made here. Focus on the product and what it does for you. Firestone didn't get a bad rep for nothing and a defective Bridgestone destroyed my wife's Accord. (Ironically, the Bridgestone Revo truck tires I purchased the year before worked so well that I cautiously bought another set this past month. I'm unlikely to ever buy any other model of Bridgestone/Firestone again however.) The worst thing we can do as consumers is to blindly buy inferior products because they are made here. Doing so only reinforces self-destructive, anti-competitive mindsets (see the Big Three.)

 

The people at your dealership are functioning several levels below MORON grade. Your complaint is *CLASSIC* of uneven toe-in alignment. I suspect they know this and that you're prius has less than 12K miles meaning that the alignment is still covered under warranty in which case what they're really trying to do it not have to fix what they know is wrong. The 12K miles the mandatory by law requirement. Some manufacturers offer free warranty all the way up to 36K miles or anywhere in between.

 

1. the dealership and the tech get paid for warranty alignments
2. in warranty alignment pays better than out of warranty alignment
3. the guy didn't get paid a dime for test driving it, i'm willing to bet

yeah, big conspiracy.

 

If it's any help, my '04 has always tracked dead straight on
highways, and getting a BT plate helped keep things lined up
when going over bumps that would otherwise kick the back end
around a bit. Recently I ferreted out a very minor toe-in on
the right rear, simply by noting longish-term tire wear patterns,
and recently shimmed it straight. But that and the numerous
bone-shaking bumps I've put this thing over seem to not have
affected how the car tracks at all, which honestly seems like
a minor miracle to me. It's even still got the original struts
in there at 90+ K and doesn't feel like they're in any need
of replacement yet.
.
But I know I started pretty much dead-straight alignment at the
time of purchase, and it's managed to stay that way. So I would
definitely get yours looked at, preferably by a competent
INDEPENDENT alignment shop and you can maybe give them their
first lesson in "hybrid car power states" and the like.
.
_H*

 

When I had the same basic symptoms described in the OP: The dealer "was not able to replicate the issue"; an independent alignment check showed rear toe was out of spec.

Then I took it back to the dealer for alignment and they produced a printout that showed that the alignment was now "perfect"; a subsequent independent check showed that the rear toe was still out of spec and the dealer alignment caused the cross camber to now be out of spec.

Finally, I was able to shim the rear myself and a subsequent check showed that the rear toe was corrected with the shim.

I also strongly suggest that the OP get an independent alignment check if you are experiencing "wandering" at freeway speeds or a distinct pull to one side or the other.