Total Frustration!!

whoa, this sucks. It's probably too late to suggest to ask for advice in this forum. Usually people come here with an error code and a description of what the dealer said. The experts here suggest the most plausible way of a good way out.

I can't help on the specifics but isn't there a way your mechanic repays what he screwed up?

 

Yes, very sad. This is a sorry tale of what can happen when a shade tree mechanic is turned loose on a modern automobile.

Unfortunately, at this point there is not much anyone can do to help the OP other than moral support, or to point her at a *good* mechanic that knows how to work on Prius.

Tom

 

Very sorry, hollyinct. Do you have an attorney friend who might discuss your options with respect to the mechanic's work that ruined the engine or other options? Sometimes just a letter from an attorney will get cooperation, where without it there is stonewalling.

Good luck to you.

 

How many miles on your Prius and where do you live?

 

Holy crap! What a . Sorry to hear about all your car problems. I'd go with a lawyer at this point, cause there's really no excuse for your mechanic not to have read a Prius shop manual (seriously, it's $22http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/1563926911?tag=priuschatcom-20

 

Garage mechanic needs to get the job done right. If he just drained and replaced the fluid then he didn't do the work correctly, which means he didn't read a technical manual about the vheicle. If a car goes into the shop with minor issues and comes out in worse condition than it went in it means the service provider did something incorrectly and it is up to him to make it right. Don't let the first mechanic off the hook. If you have already resolved the coolant issue with the dealer or another mechanic then you may not have a claim against the first mechanic, but a tersely worded letter from a lawyer might get you some action.

As for the cat, they are not inexpensive to replace. If the car is driveable get a second opinion from a different Toyota dealer. And be sure to take your purchased parts with you to that dealer. It may be true that the parts do not fit, then again, it might be a ploy by a dishonest dealership to make money for their parts department.

Definitly double check with the NAPA store who sold you the parts and make certain that they searchd for and ordered the correct model year parts for you. It is possible that NAPA didn't order the correct parts or were confused about the parts it was supposed to order. If all else fails, return the unused parts to NAPA and get your money back and then get the issue solved with dealer provided parts.

You may also wish to consult with a muffler and exhaust specialist. Those places will often do cat replacement in addition to mufflers and pipes. Those places might also be willing to sell you parts from their suppliers even if you don't want them to do the service or replacement.

I'm sorry to say this, but servicing modern cars in not inexpensive. I guess I'd call it the reliability cost. For all the reliability you get with vehicles, when something goes wrong, it will really cost you. It is still less expensive to fix a car, than to buy a new one.

 

If the first mechanic isn't taking your calls, then you will need to get a lawyer involved. As for price gouging, well, some dealers do it because they believe that their customers are over a barrel. It is wrong, but the market is open and most regions have multiple dealers with which to price compare against. To be honest, I will never let a non-dealer touch my car unless they have demonstrated experience with the Prius. Most mechanics don't have Prius or even Prius service documentation. I hope you are able to find some kind of resolution.

 

Listen - instead of getting all pissy, just answer the question.

The emissions warranties on new cars runs a LONG time. Federal warranty covers all emissions related devices (including the cats) for 8 years / 100k miles. CARB states cover them for 10 years / 150k miles.

In other words - the whole thing might cost you NADA - ZIP - ZERO - ZILCH.

Similar thing happened to a friend's Accord. Check engine light came on - took to a shop who tried to sell him a $1200 cat. Sounded extremely expensive. I told him to take it Honda who replaced it for free under warranty.

 

I needed to buy a radiator for my 2006 when I rebuilt it. There is an after market part listed for his car, which I ordered. Get it, take it home, and find it is for a GEN I. I return the part, and explain they erred, it is for a 2002/2003 model. They order another one - same thing. Manufacturer still insists I have the correct radiator. I bought a used one on EBAY, It was fine, except it was missing the petcock. I order one from Rockauto. It doesn't fit. Call them up, they double check, claim I have the correct part, I am wrong. So I get the correct part (the same petcock is used on the thermos bottle) and photograph the petcocks. Rockauto agrees that the parts are not the same, and issue me a credit.
The moral of the story is BUYER BEWARE. Know what you are buying, or you may not get what you need. If your CAT doesn't fit, it probably is because it is not the correct one. (The after market CATS are two piece assemblies, the factory is one, but they should be interchangeable.)

 

Yah, I think this now calls for involving your state attorney general office, or a lawyer.

 

No Hollyinct, you should have bought a Vespa, or something so utterly simple to maintain and drive that you could have avoided all the problems you now face.
I sympathize with your predicament. Which is all I can do, frankly.