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Comments
Any luck with financial help from Toyota ?
What did you do about your transaxle problem ?
Frank
My friend gets around 44 mpg most driving this past year and now and then on a flat highway he'll get up to 53-54.
It sounds like the questioner might read back in this forum and elsewhere to get a few tips on not 'riding the accelerator' and let the HSD system do what it does best.
With good techniques and favorable weather now a driver should be able to get 47-54 all the time. I am exactly at 50 mpg with a 150 mi daily commute ( 85% Hwy / 15% City ). One of the key factors not normally discussed is that 'time in the vehicle' is critical in getting the best use out of it.
Has anyone tried Mobil 1 in the Prius gas engine to improve mileage? It made about a 10% improvement on my Pathfinder.
With cruise control whenever the vehicle slows a 1/2 mph or so there is a 'boost' of fuel in order to maintain the set speed. You don't get the gliding/coasting benefit as much.
Thanks, LW
Sounds curiously like the exact same situation as the one experienced by wkogler, How did you get to Corp HQ? It's usually the travelling district tech rep that has to look at the situation first and make a report.
For reference there are several Master Tech's on PriusChat who can assist you. If you have any info from the dealership you visited then the techs can look it up and give you some guidance.
How was your brake failure resolved?
Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Linda
Shirley
Shirley
My original postings were from last fall and I had not followed the forums for a few months. Our "problem" was finally resolved as follows:
After the accident, my wife drove the car approx. 1/2 mile to our home and called the dealer, about a mile away. The car had restarted after the crash, and the brakes worked. The radiator was leaking. She then drove it to the dealer, when the night mechanic made the "there was a guy in here last night with the same problem" quip. Fast forward about two weeks of the dealer saying the body work needed to be done before they could do the analysis on the engine (cooling system was damaged and empty). Body shop saying they needed dealer to approve the repairs. Fast forward another 2-3 weeks, the body shop finishes repairs after loosing some time waiting for hidden parts. Car sits at body shop for 3-4 weeks while dealer and insurance point fingers at who is responsible. Car finally goes to dealer for analysis, waits 2 weeks for district tech to come out. When he finally does, he finds that all of the codes are erased from the computer and he can't find any problems, and (this is the good part), THE BODY WORK SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE UNTIL THE ANALYSIS WAS FINISHED. He finishes his work and we wait for approximately 3-4 weeks for the letter from Toyota telling us (suprise, suprise) that there is nothing wrong with the car, so they have to assume that it was driver error, thank you for buying Toyota. No response to or admission of the mechanic's quip the first night.
Repair bill: $5,600. Total time out of our possession: 3 months. Hit on our insurance: $600 every 6 months, 3 years minimum. Frustration: Priceless.
Tricraig
I don't know what to do, any advice would be appreciated!
While I have not gotten any resolution from Toyota (what is wrong with them?), I have filed a complaint with the NHTSA and the California State Bureau of Automotive Repair (division of Consumer Affairs). My hope is that when enough of us come to the attention of government regulators, it will force a recall. Let's hope and pray that in the meantime, none of us are killed or seriously injured.
Be sure to go to the NHTSA website and file a complaint. This is what brings visibility to problems.
Thanks, silver siren
Great advice!!
I dumped the crappy Goodyear Integrity tires in favor of Costco Michelin Xs - better handling, better traction in all weather, equal ride, better noise. Otherwise, I couldn't be happier.
Because of the electronics, an extended warranty is a must if you intend to keep the car beyond the basic warranty. As noted above, the touch-screen is a potential wallet-emptier if it goes out after the warranty has expired. The deals on the warranty are easy to obtain, with costs under $1k east to get - just don't let your dealer's F/I guy try to sell you one for more. The usual asking price is in the $1500 range, which is ridiculous. And you don't need to make this purchase until you get close to the end of the basic warranty - most certainly NOT in the overheated atmosphere of the new car deal closing.
The battery warranty is 5 years / 100K (in Texas), after that you are in uncharted territory on battery replacement. There have been several cars that have gone high mileage without problems.
In west Texas it gets REALLY hot, but no hotter than Phoenix (there are several Prius owners from there that frequent these forums). However, I have my doubts about batteries in hot weather.
You cannot run a hybrid "into the ground". The entire car propulsion system is linked through the central computer. It is a complicated system that requires that all parts be fully operational, or the system doesn't work. It is not like a conventional car in that respect. The brakes, transmission, and (of course) the battery and charging systems run through the computer. It is high tech to the max, a real selling point for many people. But that stuff has to be maintained.
If you don't need the size, you might consider a small conventional car, which would yield high 30's in MPG, but would be easier to maintain "into the ground". Or you could look into the couple of diesel options available, the VW Passat and the Jeep Liberty.
I'm not saying you should not buy a hybrid, but rather that you should consider all your options.
How many miles per year do you put on a vehicle? That will be very important as to the practicality of the car you buy. On the other hand if you just like the looks and concept of the Prius. Go for it.
Actually it's 8 yrs / 100,000 except in the CARB states where it's 10 yrs / 150,000 miles ( same vehicle ).
Running it into the ground? To me it depends on your definition. Is 200,000 miles ground level?
Toyota's website and literature all state that the batteries should last the 'life of the vehicle'. They further state that they stopped testing at 180,000 when there was no deterioration in the performance of the battery at 180K.
It is high tech to the max, a real selling point for many people. But that stuff has to be maintained.
Actually it requires no maintenance except a coolant replacement at about 60,000 mi intervals. The primary maintenance to any of the Toyota HSD vehicles is to the ICE as with all ICE vehicles. Actually the hybrids tend to save maintenance ( brakes ) and with certain insurers can generate discounts by simply owning one.
A smaller vehicle such as a Civic or Corolla or Elantra is always a better choice for saving money. There is no question about this. The main question here though is what if all these vehicles ( plus Mazda3, Cobalt, etc ) are eliminated since they are compacts.
The Jetta is the closest to the Prius in size since it bulked up but the Passat is way more expensive.
Understood, but realize that your "trusted mechanic" is most likely the Toyota Dealer. The Hybrids require special equipment and training for maintenance. If you are only looking for 150K miles or 8 years, I think you will be fine.
Sorry, hit the wrong key, it is 8 years for non CARB.
I suppose I should have said "repairs". When one is intent on keeping the car until it "runs into the ground", it means repairing whatever breaks. While one could be lucky enough to get to 150K without breakage of some sort (parts do wear down, after all), it is unlikely.
I was not referring to the electrical components; I was referring to the entire vehicle.