No Way to Change MPH to KPH on New 2016 Model Three

I'd also recommend reading this article, by a Michigan lemon law lawyer, describing the exact situation of refusal to repair: deadspin-quote-carrot-aligned-w-bgr-2

 

Thank you for that information. Each state or province has similar but sometimes different requirements and vehicle regulations. When I purchased my new 2016 Toyota Prius with an advanced technology package, I expected my vehicle to meet the factory specification I reviewed prior to purchase. I do not want to review the laws in each state or province to see if my vehicle with an add-on aftermarket device is in compliance with their regulations. Yes, you could do that but I don't want the hassle.

 

Worth noting that in the USA, it's generally true that what's legal to have in place in the state that the vehicle is registered in, is legal in all 50 states, due to Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution. (It may not be legal to operate that equipment, as in radar detectors in Virginia, but it's still legal to have it there.)

Canada is another story, though, as they're not required to respect any US laws.

 

Thank you for your post. Last year, I did read that article and spoke with Attorney Steve Lehto regarding Toyota dealers refusing to write up a repair order for the mph/kph problem. As you know, other 2016 Prius owners are describing the same problem with no remedy after over one year. Accordingly, I am reaching out to investigative reporters who can hopefully find a resolution for Toyota owners to fix this issue before someone driving a 2016 Prius gets in an accident due to the speedometer issue. If this issue applies to you, please send me a message with details.

 

Yeah, look out...

Hmm: I'm incline to just leave stuff like this in Toyota's lap, see how they handle it. And keep that in mind the next time I get my check book out.

In the interim, on the road, just do the conversion math. What else can you do? And think of that check book.

 

The Michigan law says not to attach anything to the windshield. Top or front of the dash is not mentioned.

I know you want to stick it to Toyota, but if you really want to know your speed in KPH in the meantime, an aftermarket GPS will get the job done. Maybe Toyota will settle by paying for your GPS.

 

My car is affected, but I can do mental math, so I've not bothered to report the defect.

 

That is not the only place you can mount it. There are other mounting options.

 

Garmins with the suction cup ball joint mount work well in the little triangle window, on 3rd gen. 4th Gen is similar?

 

There is a small window on the Gen 4 in front of the main side window, but it's moved to the door.

 

Hmm, so the unit swings in and out with the door. A little less secure, and you'd need more slack on the cord.

 

That is exactly what I did on my 2010-II, without Nav. My 2012-Three has Nav.

My newer Forester is a version without Nav. I made a plastic panel to fit a console cubby/storage hole just in front of the shift knob, cut a hole just large enough for the screen to show through, then double-stick taped the Garmin to the back side of the panel. I'll try to get pictures later.

Note that dedicated GPS Speedometers are available too. These have smaller screens showing only speed, so that take up much less visual and mounting real estate than a normal map display unit. Plus they are easily set-and-forget, so they won't be creating any driver distraction to get them set up to the right display.

 

Thanks, but if you can post link I will add directly.

Edit: I just submitted complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

 

You can purchase HUD units that sit on the dash and plug into the OBD port or get a free android HUD speed app that projects the GPS speed up onto the windscreen from your phone.

 

I have no interest to "stick it to Toyota" by reporting a vehicle safety issue. Ever since my sister was killed in a vehicle crash, I pay more attention to vehicle safety. That is one reason I purchased a 2016 Prius. I encourage every Prius vehicle owner with the speedometer mph/kph problem to enter an on-line report with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration at File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

Not every Prius owner understands English to metric conversions or would want to refer to a conversion chart or use an aftermarket product to display the correct speed while driving in a Toyota Prius.

I am very concerned that the 2016 Toyota Prius speedometer problem will be a contributing factor in future Toyota Prius vehicle crashes. Just like Toyota stuck it to their customers when they hid a deadly unintended acceleration issue and was forced to pay $1.2 billion to avoid prosecution, I believe Toyota is sticking it to their customers when their dealers refuse to document the digital speedometer problem on a service order. Toyota advertises a selectable MPH/KPH speedometer and navigation system in the Prius owner's manual. Then, when the advertised feature doesn't work, Toyota advises their 2016 Prius owners who want a remedy for this problem that Prius owners must purchase a new Prius to replace their new Prius at a cost of about $15,000 more.

Regarding Toyota paying for a GPS unit, you should know that Toyota refused to pay for a $250 map update after Toyota corrected their software in their constantly rebooting navigation unit. It took Toyota seven months to create that software remedy before I could use the Prius navigation system. After the Toyota software update, the vehicle map data created in 2015 was over one year old. Toyota refused to pay for a navigation map update. Aftermarket products flying off a dashboard during a crash can cause deadly trauma injuries to the driver and passengers.

 

I drive to Canada as well and I can confirm that my 2016 prius can't make the conversion and I find that completely ridiculous when it is just a simple math formula

 

Please enter an on-line vehicle safety complaint at File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

If you look at the date of manufacture sticker with the VIN on the driver door, what month was your car made?

 

It seems to me that although it is "just a simple math formula" it is causing you and ff/medic (et al) a problem you can't wrangle in your minds. Perhaps if you Google the conversion for the common limits and write/print it out on a small card it could act as an aid memoire you could leave in the car. Write it out more than three times and it should burn it into your memory. YMMV.

 

I too purchased an early 2016 Prius 4T. On a recent trip to Canada, I too discovered what others have found. You cannot shift over to Km from Miles. We took it to a Toyota dealer in Vancouver and three people tried to get it to convert. They all failed.

When we returned to the US, I took the car in for regular servicing and said that I couldn't get the speedo to convert to Km. They wrote it on the repair ticket. Long story short, they now claim that the only way to make the conversion is to schedule an appointment with a local dealer. It would take an hour to do the conversion. Upon returning from Canada, I should bring it back in and they would spend another hour converting it back to miles. While under warranty, they would do these conversions for free, but once the car was out of warranty, I would have to pay regular shop rates ($142/hr at my dealer).

Thus, it seems a fix is now possible. It will just take about an hour (of shop time) each time (and likely a good deal more given wait times). In addition, the car will be illegal between the shop and crossing the border. Later, it will cost me $300 each time I go to Canada.

Maybe I should just get a rental car in Seattle and be done with it. It would be cheaper.

 

I don't think it'd be deemed illegal. Inconvenient tho.