Cheap plastic used to keep things light?

I have owned a Prius Prime since October. Wonderful gas milage. But I find that some of the plastic is thin and breakable. A switch on the dashboard collapsed leaving a hole where it had been. My driver side mirror developed cracks and is now kept on by electrical tape.

The dealer fixed the hole in my dashboard. But when I asked about the cracks in the mirror, the response was that somehow I was responsible for the damage. Although the mirror had never been hit and had absolutely no scratches or dents on it, the cracks were supposedly from an "impact" after I had received the vehicle.

Looking at my Subaru, I see the difference. The Prius mirror is made made like a toy, and a fragile one at that. The Subaru mirror is metal with a plastic shield, while the Prius is all thin, black plastic.

I would pay a little more in gas costs to get a vehicle that was a little sturdier. I think the dealer should have replaced the mirror as well. This is a $27,000 car, yet the guarantee on its plastic parts is over already.