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Toyota Prius: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • growler5growler5 Member Posts: 67
    Did you tell your folks you "broke" their new toy?
  • md_sailormd_sailor Member Posts: 6
    As you say, the OEM tires are terrible, but the "traction control" makes things much worse in the conditions I described, it shuts down any spinning of the wheels so that the car will not clear off the 1" of snow to get to the pavement. I know how to drive in snow and plow it all the time in my F250 truck.

    What replacement tires have you used for Prius? How do they affect mileage and performance? The OEM tires are so bad in the snow that I'm ready to change them out.
  • mof1mof1 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks, I really want to get a Prius, but my husband is afraid I will miss the AWD on my Rav. I have lived in a rural area all my life and now how to drive in the snow, so I think I will be fine. Did you change your wife's tires on her Prius.
  • featherheadfeatherhead Member Posts: 2
    My wife has experienced this problem twice. A half dozen warning lights, loss of power, running only on battery. Both times the car has gotten into a state where it wouldn't start and then has spontaneously corrected the condition after something over an hour. The dealer (Symes, Pasadena, CA) said that she had run it out of gas, but I am quite certain that this was not the case.
    We were paying pretty close attention to the mileage and what we managed to get into the tank.
    (Bladder problems have gotten worse and I am taking it in for TSB EL010-04 next week. Magic words: "The fuel gauge is inaccurate" and "I can't fill the tank all the way." My vin is slightly before 40057579, so I get both fixes.)
    The two events were within a couple of weeks of one another and took place nearly 6 months ago, but I would like to know that the problem is cured rather than in remission. It's a horribly complex control problem, making a prius act like a normal car when you step on the accelerator or the brake.
    I would stake my reputation as a beer drinker/rocket scientist that this is a software bug, but apparently Toyota hasn't found the bug yet. Symes did not do a "reprogramming."
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "I would stake my reputation as a beer drinker/rocket scientist that this is a software bug, but apparently Toyota hasn't found the bug yet. Symes did not do a "reprogramming."

    I agree, this sounds like a software error. I started a thread for software problems in the Prius:

    http://tinyurl.com/5jrae
  • jakclcjakclc Member Posts: 1
    I just had a strange problem. I took my Prius to the carwash today for the first time, and when I left the car I put my fob into the port. After I drove away and parked, removed the fob, now the smart entry does not work at all. I cannot unlock the doors or start the car without using the fob. Has anyone else had this problem?
  • tempusvntempusvn Member Posts: 119
    "now the smart entry does not work at all. I cannot unlock the doors or start the car without using the fob"

    Under the steering column is a button that turns the SKS on and off. Check to make sure it wasn't hit by accident.
  • markls8markls8 Member Posts: 42
    Hi- Just to clear up a missconception... Actually a "skinnier" tire is an advantage, not a disadvantage, when it's traction in snow that you're after.
    -Brian.
  • crosstcrosst Member Posts: 2
    Hi. I just purchased a 2002 Prius. Could you tell me more about this free update? Thanks. Ellen
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    Doesn't apply to 2002. The 2004+ Prius have a different NAV system and there were a lot of problems with it.

    There may be updated maps for the 2002 but AFAIK there has been no major revision to the NAV software itself. Updated map DVDs sell for anywhere from $200 and up depending on your dealer.
  • reddochreddoch Member Posts: 1
    I own a 3 month old Prius and our music teacher owns a 2 month old Prius. She had the accelerator stick the other day and she had to slam on the brakes. Even so, she hit a wall and although there air bag did not deploy, the bumper needs to be replaced. Anyone else experience this? Do insurance companies track this for safety purposes?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...of the kind of situation you describe has been traced to the driver hitting the wrong pedal, or accidentally covering the brake and accelerator with the same foot.

    You can report it to the NHTSA - insurance companies depend on them for stats. My skepticism that there is anything actually wrong with the car runs very deeply, however.
  • drtravel47drtravel47 Member Posts: 7
    Greetings all
    Just got a Prius last Friday and am still confused about a few things

    1. Is the bottom part of the hatchback window connected to the defroster? When I turned on the rear defroster, the top defogged fast, but the bottom did nothing.

    2. I'm totally confused about the Consumption display. I drove today about 20 miles over 35 minutes. It began at about 25 mph (it always seems to start low), then jumped up to 50 ish, and at one time jumped to 75, then back to 50. Sometimes, the little car icons appeared (2 of them), other times, only a half of one. There seems to be no relation to MPGs and the icons. Can someone explain this?

    3. Can you make the lights on the steering wheel brighter? I can hardly find them at night?

    4. Is the MPG average accurate. I filled up today for the first time. My calculations said 37 MPG, but the display had me in the mid 40s.

    5. Does the battery ever get fully charged. When I bought the car, it was in the blue zone. It usually gets to one green bar, and only one time have I seen it with 2 green bars. Is this OK?

    6. Finally, is there a way where I don't have to undo the compressor every time I want the heat on? I always wind up 'unclicking' A/C, which I assume is the compressor to save energy and improve gas mileage.

    Thanks in advance!
  • drtravel47drtravel47 Member Posts: 7
    1. Back window noise. There is SO MUCH NOISE when the back windows are open it is PAINFUL. Besides this, the radio begins to sounds like flub, flub, flub, flub.

    2. Air Conditioning vs. Heat: Maybe I wasn't clear on this before. When I turn on the heat, the A/C button is automatically lit. I assume this means that the compressor is working, which, of course, is not only not needed in cold dry weather, but wastes energy. So, I shut off the A/C button and run the heat. Why can't I just run heat wo/ A/C?

    Thanks again--in advance.
    David
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    I have a "Classic" Prius, but I can answer some of your questions.

    2. The car icons represent regenerated power from the brakes. That's "free" electricity you recoup from slowing or coasting. It is unrelated to the MPG.

    4. The MPG readings are somewhat controversial in all these cars. It depends a lot on how consistent you are at the fill-up. If you take 5 tanks and average the result, then average out the display readings, you're likely to see a closer number.

    5. It's perfectly normal that the battery not get fully charged. You always want to have some room in the battery in case you get an opportunity for some more "free" electricity, like a big downhill.

    6. In the current Prius the A/C is run by an electric motor, so it has a lower impact on your mileage. In the older models it was run off the engine, so turning off A/C did make more of a difference.

    Hope this helps.
  • toycashtoycash Member Posts: 139
    That bottom section of the window should defrost also.

    All Toyotas with climate control will show the A/C light when you put them in Auto mode. This doesn't necessarily mean that the A/C is actually running, only that it is available if the computer decides it's needed. And, if it's below a certain temp., (40, I think) the compressor won't run at all, even if the light is on.
  • fred8fred8 Member Posts: 3
    Had the same problem with my 04, 22,000 miles. Pulling out of a parking lot I suddenly got a string of error messages, including the red triangle and yellow circles with exclamation marks, brake advisories and heaven knows what else. The car stopped with the "ready" message off but the rest of the dashboard on. Couldn't turn the power off. I was running on the remote key, and finally tried inserting the fob into the dashboard slot, which allowed turning off. After a minute or two I hit "power" again and the car started but left three error messages in addition to the red and yellow little devils. I called my Toyota dealer, who suggested driving it carefully in to them (about 25 miles through rush hour LA traffic), which I did very gingerly but without obvious problems. On arrival at the dealership I absent-mindedly turned off the power and removed the fob. A minute or two later I turned it back on again using the remote key, and now all error messages had vanished. I left it for the dealership to look at, though their Prius techie said he had no idea of the cause. They reprogrammed it and told me to bring it back if the problem recurred. Since then (about a month) there have been no problems, but, like previous posters, I must say I've lost a little confidence in what I'd previously felt was probably the best car I've ever owned. The sooner Toyota honchos address this problem and issue a fix I believe the better off we're all going to be. I had to abandon an older Mercedes because of intermittent electrical problems resulting in my wife refusing to drive it any more, and I now notice her eyeing the Prius in a similarly suspicious manner. My reassurances to her are beginning to sound a little hollow, even to me!
  • worldpazworldpaz Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    I'm experiencing the very same thing with our 2005 Prius that my husband & I purchased last December 04. Any resolution to the problem? My car is in the shop now for the first time having our 10K maintenance but we've been having this experience just before our 5K (my husband thought it was a fluke). The service people said they've never heard of this problem.

    Thanks.
  • kjvdkjvd Member Posts: 1
    The guys at the carwash don't know what to do with a hybrid, and I'm not exactly sure, either. I tell them to put it in neutral (press Park and then joystick to N), and let it go. They usually turn it off, and I don't know what that does when it gets pushed through. Then the wipe guy at the other doesn't know what to do to restart it. I haven't seen anything in the manual on this, and would like to type up a sheet to give them, or at least read from, when I go in.
  • johnnyringojohnnyringo Member Posts: 31
    I am currently in the market for a new car... Although I usually buy American I was considering a prius for the gas milege... but after reading the posts here it sounds like the prius is more trouble than its worth. Is prius ownership really a non stop trip to the toyota dealer for repairs?... even if under waranty my time is worth too much to have to spend that much time worrying about weather or not my car will start.
  • toycashtoycash Member Posts: 139
    The Prius is not perfect, but actually is among the most reliable cars. According to Consumer Reports, the overall reliability has been outstanding.
  • crosstcrosst Member Posts: 2
    Does the 2002 Prius have traction control? I just bought a used 2002 Pkg 9. The dealer keeps telling me it does, but one site said not available for 2002.
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    Your question is confusing. There was no "package 9" in 2002. There were very few options on the "classic" Prius. Basically:

    --Daytime Running Lights
    --Cruise Control
    --Side Air Bags
    --Navigation System
    --CD player/changer

    So, if you have a "package 9" you have a 2004 or 2005.

    Anyway, the 2001-2003 did not have a stability control like on the 2004+. There may be an ABS-based traction control but I've never observed it operating. The reports from more wintry locales indicate a decent set of tires will make the Prius very adequate for typical winter driving.
  • tempusvntempusvn Member Posts: 119
    "So, if you have a "package 9" you have a 2004 or 2005."

    Package 9 was only available in 04. In 05 they decreased the number of packages, so the top package became Package 6, wich is exactly the same as the 04 '9'.

    However, the package designators stayed the same, so a 04 'BC' package 9 is the same as an 05 'BC' package 6, and the same for all the other remaining packages.
  • drtravel47drtravel47 Member Posts: 7
    Happy Easter all,
    I sat in traffic last night in Manhattan. I couldn't get through one traffic light for 15 minutes....As I sat there, I watched the battery icon show drainage until there was only 2 bars left. Finally I moved and the battery quickly charged.

    Would the battery eventually have drained if I couldn't move? What do I do then? How could I have avoided this. (PS- there were no headlights/heat or radio on).

    Thanks.
    David
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    Not to worry, the car is smart enough to recognize if the battery is getting too low for comfort. The engine would have started charging the battery long before then.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "Had the same problem with my 04, 22,000 miles. Pulling out of a parking lot I suddenly got a string of error messages, including the red triangle and yellow circles with exclamation marks, brake advisories and heaven knows what else. The car stopped with the "ready" message off but the rest of the dashboard on. Couldn't turn the power off."

    Can you post this over in the "Prius Software Errors" thread? I'm trying to encourage people to post there, to track software problems.

    http://tinyurl.com/3u2um
  • marcin1marcin1 Member Posts: 3
    Keep in mind that most new cars nowadays come with a built-in factory alarms and other anti theft systems, which chew up quite a lot of battery juice as soon as you pres the lock button on the remote entry transmitter. There is not much that can be done to fix that issue other than installing a larger capacity battery. In my opinion the one in the Prius is too small; I also had that problem too. All car manufactures will tell you that if you plan to store your car for a longer time you should disconnect the battery terminals completely anyway (make sure you have all the radio codes etc.., you may or may not need them depending on make and model). I don’t see how a dead battery can void your warranty, who ever said that must be smoking something really weird??? Here is why: A battery is an item which can die at any time, some batteries may look and work fine for a while but they can have hidden manufacturer defects, which under normal working loads can cause them to die prematurely w/o any warning. That is why Batteries are normally covered under some kind of a prorated warranty…
  • marcin1marcin1 Member Posts: 3
    Folks, My 2002 Prius has about 46K miles, and in the last week it developed what it sound like a noisy rear bearing issue (or so I think?!??). Any one has run into that problem at similar or any other mileage???
    I’m still in the process of trying to exactly localize where exactly the noise is coming from (front, rear, left right or maybe a transaxle-still under warranty). Noisy Bearings are difficult to pinpoint at the onset, only when they get really bad they can be easily spotted. I have no problem with changing a bearing whether it is a front or rear (rear one is pricy-you’ll need the complete hub-it lists at $300 USD, front lists for about $80USD, all that w/o labor). I’ve done this kind of job a few times, what I’m puzzled by is that seems to me that it is somewhat early for a noisy bearing (46K) for a Toyota, although it is not unheard off???
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    We're at 58K in an '02 with no noises like that.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "All car manufactures will tell you that if you plan to store your car for a longer time you should disconnect the battery terminals completely anyway (make sure you have all the radio codes etc.., you may or may not need them depending on make and model)."

    Can someone with a Prius confirm that the owner's manual says it is OK to disconnect the battery? I had understood that both batteries had to remain "connected" (of course you can't disconnect the traction battery anyway).
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    The owner's manual reccomends disconnecting the 12v battery if the car is to be stored for more than 30 days.

    And, you can disconnect the traction battery via the service plug.
  • 67stingray67stingray Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I am an IDOIT Just purchased a 02 Prius and upon returning home decided to clean the engine compartment since it looked like something in junkyard. Had oil film and dirt like it had not ever been cleaned. Well I made the intelligent choice of using the water hose as I do all my car motors. Well the motor looks like new and all clean. The only problem it wont run. nothing works. All electrical everything is dead. I am hopping it will dry out. The battery in the trunk has juice though my tester was dim. I dont think this is a 12 volt system and wont charge till I find out. Are there any circuit breakers? I dont have a service manual yet and I want to fix my self. Thanks if anyone knows.
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    The auxiliary battery is indeed 12volts. Everything not encased in orange cladding is 12volt. Everything that IS in orange cladding is high voltage and should be considered hands-off.

    You can charge the small battery in the trunk with a low-amperage charger (under 10A) just watch the current and don't overcharge it.

    The owners manual has diagrams showing where the various fuse and circuit breaker boxes are located. There's a fuse block in the passenger compartment on the side of the dashboard (can only get to it when the driver's door is open), and there are at least three additional ones in the engine compartment.
  • oregon_trailoregon_trail Member Posts: 1
    okay, I'm new to this forum, but will give it a try.

    I had a similar problem. I just turned a corner and when I hit the accelerator, the whole dash lit up with error lights including the Red triangle. Couldn't notice all of them. I coasted a bit, then noticed the electric motor was running and it took me the last few hundered feet to our driveway. I tried repeatedly shutting down and re-starting. This seemed to reset the first problem of the engine running, it was fine now, but I still had a few warning lights on. I called the dealer, same answer you got: drive it in carefully as soon as you can. Dealer was flustered and couldn't find anything wrong or explain it. Hear is what I figured out: The engine stopped when I entered the turn as it should. It did not re-start when I hit the accelerator and this turns on the red triangle (and some other lights). Once I turned everything off it all reset except the lights because this was a major fault and required service. I think the lights are over zealous. Bottom line, if the engine ever hesitates in starting, you'll get lots of lights and they won't reset until you see a dealer. Kind of a bummer. It has only happened to me once in 10,000 miles though.
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    It's an EPA thing. Anything that can effect emissions is supposed to trigger a warning light that doesn't reset until at least 3 complete driving cycles (from engine cold) take place without the error recurring (for example a loose fuel cap generates such a condition). It's also possible the error you saw could have been one that the computer will not reset on its own.

    An OBD-II scan tool combined with a reference for trouble codes would tell for sure.
  • marina3marina3 Member Posts: 2
    Issue is that I have a 60 mile commute every day on the freeway where I drive 80 to 85 mph. I have been told that the Prius is not powerful enough for this use. Additionally, I have been burned royally by my BMW and all its mechanical and electrical problems. Any advice on the power of this car in sustaining my type of commute?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    the freeway where I drive 80 to 85 mph.

    Welcome to the Forum. You are going to have a tough time getting good mileage with those speeds. I would suggest the Honda Accord Hybrid for that kind of driving. It will cost a bit more, but the comfort and power should be more to what you want. I just drove the last leg of a Portland to San Diego trip in a Passat TDI. The last 100 miles was never under 80 MPH. It lowered my mileage by a couple MPG to about 36 MPG for the last 228 miles. The Prius shines in stop and go city driving, not high speed highway trips.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...that's not the same thing as saying it's "not powerful enough" for high speed fwy use. I regard that assertion as utter nonsense. The Prius will be just fine at those speeds - just don't expect 50 mpg.
    I can think of no modern car, certainly no new car being sold in the US, that isn't perfectly capable of sustaining any speed common on our highways all day long - the Prius certainly qualifies.

    Nothing wrong with the Hybrid Accord, of course, but expect to pay at least $30k.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    The Prius will be just fine at those speeds - just don't expect 50 mpg.

    I wonder if it would day after day 120 miles round trip. If the trip was all flat land maybe. That just seems like a lot of stress on that small of an engine. I disagree with your generalization on any new car sold being capable of 80-85 MPH all day long. I just drove 400 miles of mostly freeway that seldom saw speeds under 80 MPH. Up the long grades on 58 to Mojave and several long hills on Interstate 15 I passed dozens of cars that ran out of steam. They drove like a bat out of H*** on the downhill portions.
  • brendakhbrendakh Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2001 Prius that I bought new. It's been a great car. No problems, just routine maintence, tires, fluids, that sort of thing. I drive a lot and have 169,000 miles on the car. A couple of months ago, the car wouldn't start. I had to replace the 12v battery and was charge appx. $400. I was surprised! Shocked, more like it. Wow! I still don't understand why a 12v battery is SO expensive.

    But considering what a price I got this morning... the battery was cheap. :(
    Yesterday, driving home from work, the check engine light came on. I went by my Toyota dealer this morning where I bought the car. They've done all the maintenance. I was told the only error code the computer read was the catalytic converter was shot. Ok, 169,000 on a converter, 'No bad', I thought, THEN I was told a new converter was $1,600 for the parts and $1000 for the labor. With tax, it will come to about $2,800!!! YIKES!

    $1,600 for a catalytic converter?! Is that right?! And a $1,000 for labor?!

    Anyone else have to have a converter replaced?

    Thanks!
    Brenda
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Anyone else have to have a converter replaced?

    A few months back a Lady with a 2002 Prius needed a new Catalytic Convertor @ 90k miles. She was quoted $2100 by Toyota. They have a monopoly as long as the Prius is a niche vehicle. They will charge whatever they can get for the parts. Ask what a Catalytic convertor for a Toyota Corolla costs. I'll bet it is under $100 because they have competition for parts. See link below for a $48 Cat Convertor. It is a Giant Rip-off and this will continue on the hybrids until they become popular enough for the after market manufacturers start supplying parts. Many on this forum would say you have gotten your monies worth out of the Prius and it has reached the end of it's useful life. I disagree with that philosophy. A newer car should go 250k to 300k miles without major expenses.

    http://www.carpartswholesale.com/cpw/index.html?mv_todo=return&mv_action=return&mv_session- _id=Mcuk7ViE&model=COROLLA&x=45&y=15
  • brendakhbrendakh Member Posts: 2
    I have been hoping for 250k+ miles from my Prius. I'm having a really hard time justifying $2,800 (including tax and 'fees') to replace the converter. Because of way I live, I don't have to have emission inspections. As much as it bothers me, I may just ignore this repair. The dealership service tech said that it wouldn't affect the car if it wasn't replaced.
  • marina3marina3 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks so much for responding to my questions as to the high speeds and whether the Prius can handle it. The other car I'm considering is a Scion. The reasons for the Scion are that I have somewhat of a lead foot (high freeway and in-town speeds) and I'm told the Scion tC is a better fit more my driving style. Additionally, if certified Prius mechanics are the only ones who can fix the car and order the parts, the difficulty in getting it repaired at a convenient location and reasonable price might be compromised. Conversely, I'm not a 20 year old (the target Scion market) and want a more formidable, fuel efficient car. Plus, with all the time I spend in my car, I need a great interior that's comfortable, roomy, amenities, etc. Any insights on the Prius vs. Scion vs OTHER??? MANY THANKS FOR YOUR OPINIONS!!!
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    There are, in my mind, huge differences between these two cars, but it has absolutely NOTHING to do with their suitability at freeway speeds. I just couldn't disagree more that the Prius is somehow not suited to long-distance, high-speed fwy use. The size of the engine has got nothing to do with it - the car certainly performs as well or better than the Passat TDI.

    That said, the tC will be quicker, harder-riding, noisier, and much tighter inside. The Prius is roomier, more comfortable, more practical, quieter, and much more expensive. Real world fuel consumption for the tC will be in the mid-20s, vs mid-40s for the Prius. One car is all about style, the other a much more practical use of space - at a price.

    I've maintained from the start of the '04 model year that the point of the Prius is often missed by the media, and for that matter, a lot of its potential customers - the car has enormous room inside, and the hatch makes the cargo area practical to use - and the car gets a realistic 45 mpg. By contrast, the tC is all about style - it too is a hatch, but the comparison ends there. It really replaces the Celica in the Toyota lineup, and is a great value at that. Depends on what you want and need, and a good deal on what you want to spend.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    the car certainly performs as well or better than the Passat TDI.

    Quieter I will give you that, performance, handling, braking I would have to be convinced of. The 2000 Prius I test drove twice was screaming at 75 MPH. I know the Prius II is different. Maybe one of these days I will get to test drive one. None of the reviews I have read raved on the handling, in fact just the opposite. Performance was considered adequate.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...the current-gen Passat TDI, which you just bought [and is a car I think VERY highly of] and the new Prius. All comparisons to the original Prius are to be discarded - this is such a different package that it is hard to know where to start - the name is about the only thing they share.

    Having driven both, I can say either car would do just fine for a one-car family that doesn't exceed the need to seat 4 people comfortably. Sure the Passat handles better, in the sense of being capable of cornering faster. But in every other respect, I see no advantages either way.

    I have the appropriate Consumer Reports tests of both cars, and what's surprising is how alike they are, not how different they are.

    Anyway, this discussion is really out of place in this forum - I just can't sit still to have the Prius labeled as some kind of city-only econobox - I think you'd find the current body of owners would back me up on this all the way.
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    Biggest problem with Prius has been stock tires leave a lot to be desired. People who have gone with better quality tires at replacement time have reported much better handling with only slight reduction in fuel economy.

    As far as top speed goes, in the 2001-03 Prius speed was electronically limited to 102MPH. This is a direct result of the RPM limits set in the computer for the gas engine and the motor generator. The RPM redline is 4500 RPM, so describing it as "screaming" is misleading.
  • stevewastevewa Member Posts: 203
    The catalysts in these cars are significantly more complex than you'll find in non-SULEV/PZEV models. How do you think they reduced the emissions?

    Like anything else, prices should drop as more vehicles use the same technology. Adoption of stricter emissions compliance will drive these catalysts into more models which will increase production volumes.

    In any case, losing a catalyst that quickly suggests other problems lurking in the engine.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    The catalysts in these cars are significantly more complex than you'll find in non-SULEV/PZEV models.

    More research. The Camry is SULEV II rated and a replacement Cat Convertor for that car is available for $233. If the emissions components of a hybrid are so expensive it would pay to have it thoroughly checked by an emissions shop prior to the warranty expiration. I am not sure why the catalytic convertor would indicate other engine problems. I changed the one on our 1990 Mazda last year along with the muffler at 80k miles with no engine problems. It passed it's emission test and only cost me around $150. I don't believe most people bought into the Prius expecting big repair bills after 3-4 years or less if they drive a lot. These two Cat convertor failures had 90k & 169k miles on them. I thought the 90k mile failure should have been covered under the AT-PZEV emissions 8 year 100k mile warranty. I don't think that lady ever posted her attempt to get Toyota to pay. She was already unhappy with a $600 charge for some sensor on her 2002 model Prius.
This discussion has been closed.