Check Engine Light :(

first year pip experienced very few problems. a couple of stupid recalls like the airbags though. i hope toyota quality isn't slipping.
it's funny, akio toyoda came back to correct the quality because they had grown so fast and lost control of some things. but it seems to be getting worse under his reign.

 

I would think that, since the Prime is heavily based on the Gen 4 liftback, that most of the bugs have already been worked out since the liftback has been out one model year already.

 

Bob Wilson refers to the Prime as Gen 4.5 since they made some HSD changes.

 

and yet, gen 4 has had more than its share of problems. we'll see how 2017's do.

 

Like what problems?
It seems almost all cars today have an air bag issue.
The parking brake clip was just for idiot-proofing.
Early 2016 were lacking miles/km conversion.
I believe a limited number of 2016 needed strut nuts.

Supplier issues & limited manufacturing issues are to be expected, especially with a new design. that is what warranty of for. Are there other things I have missed?

 

a few people are having trouble putting gas in, someone with a prime has it in the shop for a problem they haven't been able to figure out.
i bought a 2004, and it had zero issues. my neighbor still has it, classic toyota old school manufacturing.
2010 was a different story, and so far, 2016 is tracking similarly.
as problems mount, we become numb, and start to call them expected. btw, the airbag recall is a toyota issue, unrelated to the takata problems.
i'm not saying these are huge insurmountable problems, but it's just a little bit different than it used to be.
we had great success with our early camry's, not sure how they are fairing now. the hycams just seem to get one recall after another.

 

I thought the early Gen 2 had some dangerous issues corrected by a firmware upgrade? All new designs have startup issues.

 

you're probably right, just my perception. it's hard to quantify.

 

Well, that's why they say not to buy a car in the first year of production. Takes time to work the bugs out.


iPhone ? Pro

 

My other car is a 1992 Camry wagon which I bought new. It was my only car until 2002 when I bought my first Prius. I decided to keep the Camry to use for weekend hauling, it's still going strong. Amazing how much that thing can carry. Although when I replaced the Gen1 with Gen2 in 2006 ($3,150 federal tax credit) I was surprised at the cargo capacity of the Gen2 and found that I don't need the Camry as often as I used to, but it still comes in handy for larger loads (or dirtier ones like mulch).

 

The inexorable increase in high tech in cars is no help. Auto manufacturers work hard at convincing buyers their car needs to be a rolling cell phone.

What about the guy here who's Prime front bumper took a love tap: $11,500 please.

 

The 2004 had a steering box issue, didn't it?

 

Here s a list of the 6 recalls for the 2004 Prius. 2004 Toyota Prius Recalls | Cars.com

The 2016 Prius has two. 2016 Toyota Prius Recalls | Cars.com

 

Yes it did. I remember because when I had mine done the TSB clearly stated how to keep the steering wheel in alignment, and emphasized it, yet, I had to have them redo it to straighten the steering wheel afterwards....

 

If in Vegas, I'd bet a BMW will more likely have problems than a Toyota.

According to CR, it can take even 2 or 3 years before a new model or redesign can return to the make or model's previous level of reliability.

 

Just be more careful on choices where you buy fuel...especially in winter....many stations when experience high level of water in underground tank storages use adative to break out water and some of this finish at time of filling your car....
I personally use Shell in my car and since I have heavy discount on premium 91-93 octane fuel a use without a problem and looking much better and sound of engine once is operating....I can't discuss on MPG....but my experience is much better power and response with Premium fuel in Prius Prime
And my advice stay out of fuel with ethanol percentage....use 100% fuel

 

I haven't had to fill up yet, but since a tank of gas will last much longer in this car, I plan to use top tier fuel only, which I believe the owners manual recommends. Check out Home | Top Tier Gas for a list of brands of gas that meet these higher standards.

 

Among the cheapest gas in my area has always been at QuikTrip convenience stores. However being concerned about additives I rarely bought gas there, and mostly stuck with the majors. That is until 2004 when QuikTrip started advertising their gas as being "Top Tier", which I assumed was just marketing mumbo jumbo. But their ads mentioned a Top Tier website, which I went to and to my surprise found that QuikTrip was one of only two companies to be given Top Tier certification by the big auto companies, the other being Chevron. Of course now many gas brands are also Top Tier, but I stayed with QuikTrip exclusively, until 2014 when Costco upgraded their gas and became Top Tier certified, so now I go to whichever of those two is most convenient.

It pays to check out the list on the Top Tier website, as you don't necessarily have to pay top dollar for Top Tier gasoline.

 

Right. Also, the list was different about a year ago, when I'm pretty sure some brands were not yet listed. I plan to check every 6 months or so in case some brands change or get added.