Inspect very carfully before purchasing!

Re: 2008 Prius leans to the left

If it's true that the rear left is worse than the front left, then it *must* mean that the front right is higher than the rear right or the frame is bent. If the frame isn't bent and the front right is higher than the rear right, then handling will be compromised and ABS and VSC might not even work optimally. I'd sure like to know if the reports of the "pedal to the floor" brake failures are on left leaning Prius's. BTW, this will show up in an alignment check as it will effect both camber and castor. One thing you might do is go to an alignment specialist and get your alignment checked. If it's out, a specialist will be able to tell you if it's due to adjustment or a defective suspension component. But it was already like this during the factory alignment, then the alignment might be in spec because it was done with a defective part in place.

 

Re: 2008 Prius leans to the left

Do you have an alignment printout done by a Toyota dealer?

 

What a lame response. Maybe....just maybe he wants a Prius and maybe just maybe he might expect that such an obvious and possibly dangerous defect be repaired without having to go through hell.

I for one appreciate the OPs post because my Prius is coming up in a few weeks and I certainly won't accept one that leans to the left or right. Since I'm getting a Touring model, it probably won't be an issue.

 

Re: 2008 Prius leans to the left

Since an alignment specialist is also a suspension specialist they should be able to give you a written diagnosis along with a written opinion about the state of your suspension. If you have a third party document that states this is not normal or that you have a defect, it will go a lot further when trying to convince Toyota to fix the problem.

 

Re: 2008 Prius leans to the left

No kidding! We could of saved 4 pages of posts if the 1st thread would have simply said, "will the dealer have it fixed in less than 2 days?" After all, your avatar show your car is nearly new. Under warranty. So you're good to go. Let us know what they do to fix it.

 

Re: 2008 Prius leans to the left

I'd say there's no chance the dealer is going to correct a half inch ride height variation and I bet Toyota corporate will say it's within tolerances.

Rod

 

Hi Toy..,

Most likely the Touring cars tires result in less lean. The Touring tires have a lower section height. The lower section height for the same load rating, means the tires have to have a higher spring constant to take the same load in a shorter compression distance. Consequently, they deflect less due to the extra weight.

 

Re: 2008 Prius leans to the left

Glad to hear you can determine that without any sort of testing whatsoever.

 

Hi Toy..,

As you indicated in your other thread that the problem was more pronounced in the rear, it might be the rear axle. The Prius rear axle is a combination axle and torsion bar welded sub-assembly. And that makes it cheap, but requires precision welding. I would imagine all the parts are fixtured, and a robot comes in and lays down the welds. But various pieces of metal may react differently to the heat. It may actually be the proper shape, but the torsion may be more on one side than the other.

There is a free one-time alignment check for the first year of ownership of the Prius. Have them check that, and see if the rear alignment is ok. They might be able to get a good alignment with an out-of-true rear axle, but most likely not.

You might take it to a shop with a pressure sensors for each wheel. There is a shop here that sets up 911's for road racing, and when they do alignments they give you a weight / tire result. One can then bias tire pressures to get neutral handling. For the 911's they add balast to the desired weight at each corner.

 

Mine is 1/8th inch lower on left and isn't noticeable.

You say yours is off 1/2 inch or more? Why is the dealer claiming 1/4 inch? Geez, just go out with them and a take measurement and clear up that up first, right?

1/4 inch would be just barely noticeable, but damn, 1/2 inch or more is nuts. I had Land Rover re-calibrate my ride height sensors on my LR3 because it sagged 1/2 inch on the right rear after going off road. Note that the first thing they tried to tell me was that it was more like 1/4 inch. I dragged their sorry asses out there with a tape measure and shut their piehole fast. Then they cried that it was within spec. I said it wasn't within my spec. Eventually they caved in and fixed it. 1/2 inch in an LR3 with oversize A/T tires was horribly noticeable. You need to nail down just how off it is with the dealer.

Good luck.

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[edit]I went back and looked at your photo. It does look closer to 1/4 to me than to 1/2. To post a photo and have us objectively look at it you need to park the car in your garage where the slab is level. Driveways are not level. Also you need to use a tripod. Put a level on the tripod head/platform and level it before mounting the camera.[/edit]

 

No, I didn't see them. I usually don't open word documents from untrusted sources (no offense). I took a look and damn, that's pretty bad. The best measurement, though, will be from the ground to the body at the highest point in the center of the wheel well. The places where trim and body panels meet up are not reliable, as the vehicle may not be perfectly symmetrical left to right. The taillight spot was a good measurement.

Again, though, why is the dealer saying 1/4 inch? Did you physically drag the service manager's nice person out there and show him? Might be worth a try. Ask him if his car was over 1/2 inch off if it would bother him.

 

You know, just some odd thoughts.

1. Try measuring the height of your tires from concrete to the top of the tread. See if there is any variance. Measure the wheel itself. Switch your rear tires just for shits and giggles.

2. Measure from the concrete to various suspension parts and check them left to right.

3. Has it occurred to you that maybe one side is high instead of one being low? Can you go out and check the "normal" height of other Prius?

4. Try driving rather aggressively down a country road with potholes. See if anything re-seats itself or settles.

I can't see any reasonable service manager that would not at least swap your shocks, springs and tires in the rear just to see what happens (if the springs are the same left and right). They're only out the labor. I know in some vehicles the springs for left and right are slightly different. Maybe one side on yours got the wrong part... Just thinking out loud here...

 

Swap the wheels side to side and see whether the imbalance changes. Start by checking the air pressure in all the tires.