Prius and filling the tank

mickeyrom

How can you tell if the mileage is great if there is no way to accurately check it? Sometimes it will take a fill up, and other times not even close.Can we trust the trip computer? :confuse:

stevegold

I don't mind beating up on Toyota M C but the guys at Toyota Bighorn Motor in Glenwood Springs, CO have always been perfect to me and all their other customers I've talked with. They deserve an A+ and have since I first dealt with them in 2004.
If anyone has the right email to complain to TMC or the proper federal agency, I'll send in my complaint. There might be a news outlet that will pick up and run with the story due to all the other problems. Now is the time.

chriscard25

The computer is going to be accurate within a percent or so--so yeah, I am certain when I owned my prius I got great mileage. When you can go 550 miles on a tank, as I have, you can presume the mileage is good:)

I am not picking on a dealer, just mis-information. The bladder design is not an intregal part of the prius being a prius. A tank like any other PZEV would still allow it to do and be everything a prius is and stands for.

buggirl

I have a fully loaded Prius 2004 and love it. I was one of the first people in Syracuse, NY to have one. The gas tank capacity however has been an ongoing problem especially on a trip. A few months ago it started to accept less and less gasoline on a fill up. It is now accepting less than 5 gallons when the fuel gauge says it is nearly empty ( no boxes lit up and or the last one blinking). This is worse now that it is winter, but I have a feeling that it will be progressive over time. Since it is not practible to stop every 100 - 200 miles for gas I guess I will be asking the dealer to fix it. I don't know what will be offered. Has anyone had work on this problem done at a Toyota Dealer and did it fix the problem? and how much did it cost?

backy

How many miles are on your car? I wonder if this repair would be covered under either the emissions components warranty or the "hybrid components" warranty.

nancyt2

Within 1 month of purchasing my Prius in 2008 my tank was so bad they had to put in a new bladder. It needed to be ordered because none were in stock. Got my car back within a few days. Because the car was new there was no charge.

mickeyrom

Maybe this is too obvious,but I have to ask.Have you tried to pump the gas slower?Seems to work for me.This requires to manually hold the handle rather than using the notch.

lk7

I have and there is no discernible difference. Car usually needs be be filled around 230 miles to the tankful. Maybe a trip to a good dealer?

mickeyrom

Definitely,and if that doesn't help,I would go to another one.

workaround

The gas tank is the one item that does bother me. You can't fill the tank completely. The fill will stop about 2.5 gallons short of a full tank. Considering the fact that it already has a bladder( to allow for expansion), this did bug me in the beginning. I found a way around it and my mileage is more consistant now. I was also told the the new generation has a different style gas tank. i don't know if this is true. I will note one item that is not brought up is that my odometer and gps speeds don't match. My car reads 1.5 - 2 Miles per hour faster than gps. Did any one else see this?

crabtrjt

My gauge will show 419 miles before needing gas, I fill up, actually overflow, get into car and the gauge still shows 419 miles before needing gas, It never returns back to 600 miles to fillup. Help please

leedp

Hi Serge. Have you had any success with Toyota Canada regarding your Prius fuel tank problem? I live in Brampton, ON and have a 2004 Prius. Around 2008 I noticed my tank not holding as much fuel and harder to fill completely.
Having an extended warranty I thought if it became a real issue it would get repaired under warranty. Finally by 2011, it was only filling to 35 liters. When taken to Toyota garage, I was told that it needed a new filler neck and a combustion meter computer for a cost of almost $2000! I contacted Toyota about my extended warranty coverage and they claim that this is not part of the fuel system coverage. I have requested Transport Canada to examine this as a safety related defect. I cannot understand how the fuel system can have a defect and yet Toyota can try to ignore it as a potentially very serious safety issue. Please let me know of your cars' and their status.

leedp

Have you had any success with Toyota Canada regarding your Prius fuel tank problem? I live in Brampton, ON and have a 2004 Prius. Around 2008 I noticed my tank not holding as much fuel and harder to fill completely. Having an extended warranty I thought if it became a real issue it would get repaired under warranty. Finally by 2011, it was only filling to 35 liters. When taken to Toyota garage, I was told that it needed a new filler neck and a combustion meter computer for a cost of almost $2000! I contacted Toyota about my extended warranty coverage and they claim that this is not part of the fuel system coverage. I have requested Transport Canada to examine this as a safety related defect. I cannot understand how the fuel system can have a defect and yet Toyota can try to ignore it as a potentially very serious safety issue. Please let me know of your car and it's status.

rc454

This problem continues and Toyota continues to deny there is a problem. I have documented numerous occasions when we are unable to add any gas to the tank. And by that I mean zero, not even 0.1 gallons. This problem occurs at every gas station in town and happens at all temperatures though it does seem more frequent when it's very cold. Unfortunately it is just intermittent enough in nature so that I've not yet been able to duplicate the problem for a Toyota technician - so their cute response is that we just don't know how to properly add gas to the tank. I have been all the way to the Corporate level (VP of Customer Service USA) and Toyota still denies that there is a problem. I would welcome a nationwide class action lawsuit against Toyota. This problem began manifesting before the warranty was expired. 2009 Prius

dapperdan63

Bought an 07 prius in '15. Noticed fuel fillup problems traveling between NY to FL with loaded car. Seemed not to be a problem when car wasn't loaded. Don't think i exceeded the 800 lb weight limit. Seemed to be related to the gas station and the pump nozzle used (longer pump neck "seems" to work). Can't full up at Love's, Flying J(?) truckstops. Pilot truckstops on I81 and I95 seem ok as well as Shell. Paranoid about running out so I fill up often usually @ 1/2 tank. Always press hard on the filler with the pump handle and pull the pump trigger hard. Haven't tried the recommended slow fillup method. Similar experience with toyota dealerships-they deny there is a problem. Just found this discussion thread so late to the game. Now noticing early click off problem before tank is filled with empty car in cold weather here in NE US. Fuel indicator shows tank is still down 1 or 2 bars. Had usual 2d gen problems (combination meter/speedometer) fixed but missed recall deadlines so paid for repairs. Would still buy a new prius despite the problems i've had with this car.