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Battery Recall

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by lhneumanns, Sep 9, 2004.

  1. lhneumanns

    lhneumanns New Member

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    I have really enjoyed my first 40K miles since buying my 02 Prius in Jul 03. I have not been happy with my local dealer service and had maintenance done at a dealership 100 miles away for each of 4 free 7500 mile service intervals. I took the car to my local dealer for the HV Battery recall yesterday. When I returned I found what looked to be the entire car taken apart with parts shoved into the front passenger's seat and the rear seat resting on the roof of the car. Is this standard procedure?
     
    #1 lhneumanns, Sep 9, 2004
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Do you mean the taking out of the seat to get to the battery or are you upset that the parts were put in the seat and the back-seat on the roof. Please clarify your concern.

    AFAIK, it is normal to take out the back seat, in the 1G Prius, to access the battery. As long as the seat is soft/upholstered I don't see why the roof wouldn't be a good place to put it. As far as the parts, as long as they aren't putting greasy bolts and tools directly on the seat fabric it seems like a logical 'holding place' so they can find everything they need to get the car back together.
     
    #2 efusco, Sep 9, 2004
  3. lhneumanns

    lhneumanns New Member

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    The back seat came out of the car and was placed on the roof. Regardless of the material used on the seat I have a problem with this. The seat picks up dirt from the vehicle and the vehicle has the potential of getting scratched (you wouldn't let someone lean on your vehicle, would you?). The rest of my problem was with the way the rest of the material was handled (no regard for what may have been on these parts, just shove them into the passenger compartment). If I was doing this I would have a place (different from part of the car) to put items that I took off and I would place them so that when I went to re-assemble the vehicle I would just have to reverse the order in which they came off instead of having to drag them out of the car.

    You can bet that I will inspect my Prius for any damage this might have caused.
     
    #3 lhneumanns, Sep 9, 2004
  4. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    Well, yeah. I don't have a problem with that. I do agree however, that they should be putting the seat on the ground or workbench, as well as placing smaller parts in a clean location outside the car.
     
    #4 bruceha_2000, Sep 10, 2004
  5. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    I wasn't there and I certainly agree there should be a high degree of care taken with your car and the materials in it to assure they do not become dirtier than necessary or damaged. And you would be wise to carefully check your car not only for damage but also any poorly attached parts or missing items.

    That said, I can't help but feel your reaction here is a little extreme. I lean on my car all the time...I don't jump up and down on the hood and I don't think sitting on the hood of the Prius is a good idea, but leaning on the side will cause no harm. Likewise, the back seat, if you ever lift it, weighs almost nothing...it is very light weight and risk of damage to the vehicle is negligible. Certainly, if the metal parts contacted paint it could cause a scratch, but the same thing could happen to the side of your car as they were removing or re-installing the seat.

    The upholstry cleans up easily with a damp cloth and any minor dust or dirt from the roof or the items placed on the seat should wipe right up. I'd make them do it, to your satisfaction, if it does happen. And pointing out what was going on or what has happened to the service manager is a good idea. But I think that, in the end, if you hadn't seen what was happening you'd probably never know that they did that as there will likely be no damage or soiling to worry about. I certainly hope that's the case for you.

    Good luck.
     
    #5 efusco, Sep 10, 2004
  6. Ray Moore

    Ray Moore Active Member

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    Leaning against the side of the car will cause minute or possibly more serious scratching to the surface. There is nothing wrong with trying to maintain the car in showroom condition if that is where you want to put your energy and focus. The small crease that my stepson put in the ridge near the top of the passenger door by closing it with his hip bugs me every time I see it. The little chips in the front paint caused by road gravel are only noticed when I wash it. I try not to obsess on perfection but I don't want the car to look older than it is. I'll have it a long time. Putting the seat on the roof of the car is just plain wrong. This car is someone's pride and professionals err on the side of caution when protecting a clients expensive property. The client should not have to worry about whether or not a practice is damaging their vehicle. The professional does things in a way that leaves no doubt about the care being taken during their work. Report this incident to Toyota corporate and the general manager of the dealership. I do not consider your reaction to be extreme if your finishes are important to you. The service department will rise to what is expected of them but no higher.
     
    #6 Ray Moore, Sep 10, 2004
  7. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    did you not see the clear plastic seat cover that he put on the roof first. That's what most dealers do to avoid hassels.
     
    #7 Frank Hudon, Sep 10, 2004
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