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Parts availability an issue

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Bob Allen, Oct 2, 2004.

  1. Bob Allen

    Bob Allen Captainbaba

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    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Hi: I had the fuel gauge TSB work done at my dealership. They were good folks to deal with and they take care of their customers. One annoying problem with getting this work done is the shortage of parts. I needed a new computer which took about two weeks to get here from Japan. After the work was done, I noticed that one of the dash panels had not been fully snapped into place and I couldn't get it to lock. I took the car back to the dealer who ditzed with it and finally concluded that a snap clip sort of thing was missing and they will order me another panel.....this one is coming from New York and will take five days or so.
    I don't fault the dealer because he has no way of making parts happen if they aren't available. I think this will be an ongoing problem with the Prius for some time and something I wondered about when I got the car. My fear is that something serious will happen to the car and it will be impossible to replace it because of the scarcity.
    Any of you experiencing waits for parts that would probably be found easily in town, if this were, say, a Corolla or Camry?
    Bob
     
    #1 Bob Allen, Oct 2, 2004
  2. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    Bob I think that there will always be some parts avialability problems for the Prius until Toyota get's a handle on what moves and what doesn't move out of inventory. To compare it to a Corolla or a Camray we'll always have a wait for parts that aren't cross used in the fleet. Most large metro areas will be able to get from the zone warehouse faster than out lying areas. It's just something all small market cars have in common. A fender for a Prius and a fender for a Corolla probably won't make much difference but a fuel control computer for a Prius might pose a different challange. They will always be avaliable but it might have to come from some other part of the country.
     
    #2 Frank Hudon, Oct 2, 2004
  3. toolbox

    toolbox New Member

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    dont fear toyota builds a good car and parts will be available for a long time but pricing will always be higher than an american car (it is on all toyota's and lexus). no dealership can inventory all replacement parts and some might be special order depending on how big or what it is. dealers try to stock what they know is common failures starter,oil pan gsk and so forth. parts like engines.body components,computers internal panels have to ordered to match the car. its not bad if its a minor inconvience like a window motor but if the car dont run its urgent to us and we want it now.
     
    #3 toolbox, Oct 2, 2004
  4. aarons12

    aarons12 New Member

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    on the other hand, the 'ramp-up' in production should increase demand and therefore availability in the long run, and with the 2005 pretty much identical to the 2004, that helps too.
     
    #4 aarons12, Oct 2, 2004
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