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MFD/monitor dying???

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by number5, Sep 25, 2008.

  1. number5

    number5 New Member

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    is Toyota really going to try to get me to pay $4000 for something that has a TSB on it? I'm talking about TSB EL002-05 for the MFD on my 2004 Prius. I'm well past the warranty both in terms of time and miles. They obviously know the monitors are flawed.
     
    #1 number5, Sep 25, 2008
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Well, your dealer's service dept might try to sell you a new MFD for $4K. However, if you ask for a remanufactured unit, the price should be ~$600 plus labor to install.

    A TSB is not the same thing as a product recall, by the way. A recall implies a product safety or reliability issue that is so significant that the manufacturer is willing to offer a repair regardless of warranty coverage status.

    A TSB provides technical information about a problem that a subset of the vehicle population may encounter. The MFD was covered by the 3 year/36K mile warranty. Once the warranty has expired, then it is up to you to pay for needed repairs...
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Sep 26, 2008
  3. number5

    number5 New Member

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    Well, that still seems very unreasonable...this thing shouldn't go out after just 4 years. It doesn't even have the GPS stuff on it. I wasn't running it ragged with use. I don't care so much about the bells and whistles around the energy use, but trying to figure out how to adjust air and radio is more than inconvenient--it's unsafe, especially if you're riding with children and trying to adjust volume or temperature quickly to meet their needs.

    I have to say I am very disappointed with Toyota on this one. I didn't complain when I didn't get anywhere close to the gas mileage they claim you should get (and I mean nowhere near the mileage). And I didn't complain when we had to replace one of the HID bulbs at great expense. And I didn't complain when I had to put my second set of new tires on the car. But this is an operational issue and more than inconvenient.
     
    #3 number5, Sep 26, 2008
  4. RatedN

    RatedN New Member

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    Sorry to hear about your unfortunate experiences.

    Another option would be to buy one off of eBay, like this one for $325:

    MFD on eBay

    Sometimes I'll see them for less, sometimes for more. Just make sure it's listed as 04-06 without navigation.
     
    #4 RatedN, Sep 26, 2008
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes, however there's no guarantee provided, so this used unit may have the same problem that the OP's current MFD is suffering from. At least the remanufactured unit will have a one year warranty associated with it.
     
    #5 Patrick Wong, Sep 26, 2008
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