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Toyota Prius (First Generation)

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Comments

  • rdeschenerdeschene Member Posts: 331
    For what it's worth, here's some links to the Japanese test results (not just crash test results, but also some standardized braking testing they do). It's important to bear in mind that these are not the U.S. or Canadian models, and also that crash test results and real-world, insurance claims data (see www.iihs.org) don't always correlate well, for every make and model.


    http://www.osa.go.jp/anzen/html2001e/as105.htm


    http://www.osa.go.jp/anzen/html2001e/as133.htm

  • miltkomiltko Member Posts: 15
    Some time ago I advised that my wife had backed the right rear of our Prius into a driveway wall, and that the paint scrapped off looked thick. Well the demolition and repair, repainting the rear quarter panel (which goes from the rear all the way to over the front door), cost roughly a grand. The rear bumper cover only had to be buffed. Three estimates came pretty close and I picked the one recommended by my Toyota dealer. Good job. Looks like new.

    While I was in the shop they buffed a side door scratch and I had them add a one inch side strip all along the most protruding side of the vehicle. I'd recommend that anyone else does the same. 3M sells side stripping in most auto supply stores and it doesn't look hard. (I might have saved some money doing it myself, but I was ignorant of the ease of it until afterwards. )

    My Camry comes with a side strip; why not Prius?
  • miltkomiltko Member Posts: 15
    I forgot to mention that the reason the scrapped paint was thick, the body shop guy said, was that Toyota applies a rubberish primer under the body of the car before the final painting. I had them redo this elastic lining in their paint repair.

    Am I the only one who didn't know this? Maybe.
  • yoyob20057yoyob20057 Member Posts: 1
    About a month ago my family purchased a "used" Prius-it had 950 miles on it and was a demo on the dealer's lot. It has served us well but I'm not too impressed with the gas mileage. When we first got it we averaged about 36-37 mpg and we drove it the way that Toyota instructs. Is anyone getting better gas mileage or is this the best we can get? Those of you who are experiencing the effects of wind on the highway with the Prius should not be too surprised. If you look at the dimensions of the Prius, with its high structure body and light weight, it's no wonder that it gets thrown around on the highway. I have experienced this on the highway but the Prius is a small car that is susceptible to being thrown by wind.
    But in general my family and I love the car, although my mom always turns the a/c on and ruins the gas mileage, and we wish that there was a bigger car that had similar gas mileage and emissions as the Prius.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Every Toyota gets a coat of a rubberized compound on the lower rocker panels and the leading edge of the hood before the paint is applied. It is an anti-chip material. It is thicker on the trucks for obvious reasons but is done to all Toyotas.

    I'm glad the repairs came out OK for you.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Your mileage is lower than I have heard in the summer in the Prius. Most owners are reporting between 41 to 54. The reason for the disparity is due mostly to the type of driving and how the driving is done. The Prius does best at city speeds and stop and go driving. Cruising along at 65 is not going to take full advantage of the Prius system.

    I have also seen a number of drivers that get into the gas pedal pretty hard. From a stop, the gas engine kicks in almost immediately. Others play a game to see how far they can go under pure electric power without impeding traffic. Obviously, the second group gets the best mileage. This car is very sensitive to how it is driven. AC makes things worse, as does cold weather and "oxygenated" fuel that is required in many metropolitan area in the winter.
  • dsgechodsgecho Member Posts: 89
    Based on a lot of posts on the egroups.com and my own experience, here are a few thoughts:
    1. Run on electric for a short time and then accelerate fairly quickly but not full throttle to speed, let off the gas pedal and then cruise in a seady state at the desired speed. Best in city traffic at 39-41 mph.
    2. Cruise on the interstate at 62-63 mph if possible.
    3. As with any vehicle, anticipate traffic and stops to take the maximum advantage of not stopping or coasting.
    I can usually do these things at or near the speed limit. And I try not to worry about every hotshot gas-waster esp. in an SUV while not being dangerously slow. Last indicated mpg in lots of rolling hills in rural and city traffic-65 mpg.
    Have been able to do 60-63 mpg indicated consistently. Average 55-57 mpg on freeway trips 200 mi. or more.
    Thanks,
    Don
    Nashville, TN
  • edawson815edawson815 Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know if you can drive hybrids in the commuter lanes in California? Any DMV tax breaks?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Here in the Sacramento area, there has been talk of such a provision, but no, to my knowledge, at the moment there is no special break for hybrids when it comes to HOV lanes. You need to be carrying the requisite number of pax, depending on the jurisdiction, that's 2-3 people min in the car. And as you may know, the ticket is VERY expensive...
  • phideauxphideaux Member Posts: 1
    Much discussion in the Yahoo group about lack of NaV in MY01 cars. Could you get a definitive reading from the "powers that be" as to if they will offer a NAV retrofit for MY01 cars?

    The CC retro, though long in coming, was totally painless cause the ECU was already could do it, just needed the switches aded.

    We are all hoping that a NAV retro will exist and its just a matter of putting the NAV/DVD unit under the seat and pluging it all in.
  • mrgreenjeansmrgreenjeans Member Posts: 28
    I have just returned from a long trip (over 2,000 miles). I will provide you with my overall impressions of how the Prius handled first and then a breakdown of its mileage. Overall, this car is a CHAMP on the open highway. I traveled from Hartford, CT to Paducah, KY without a single problem. My average speed was between 65-75 mph. Despite some hectic road conditions, the cabin was quiet and the ride smooth. It drove like a much larger, heavier vehicle. When I showed the vehicle to friends and family I got many "oooos" and "awwws". All were impressed as the car converted from the gas engine to the electric motor. I was also impressed with the way this car dealt with the extreme heat. I drove for 7.5 hours in 95 degree heat on one part of my journey and the Prius had no complaints. Best of all, when I had to stop and go because traffic became jammed through Cincinnati, OH and Lousiville, KY, this car went all electric. Other vehicles were overheating and spewing out noxious fumes. Mine sat quietly and held its breath. I am not a huge "air condition" person, so I rarely turned it on. I felt quite comfortable with my windows down. Please take note of this, as I tell you my miles per gallon of gas. From Hartford, CT to Columbus, OH, a distance of 686 miles with an average speed between 65-72mph and hills elevating up to 1,200 feet high, this vehicle recorded 50.8 mpg. As I traveled from Columbus, OH to Paducah, KY, a distance of 420 miles with an average speed of 68-75mph over rolling hills in the east to relatively flat lands in western Kentucky, this vehicle recorded 48.7 mpg. I did some travel within western Kentucky, which included both highway and stop and go travel. I put an additional 189 miles on my vehicle and averaged 54.5 mpg. I then tracked back to Columbus, OH from Paducah, KY and averaged slightly better than my trip down, as my car recorded 51.4 mpg. On my way from Columbus, OH to Hartford, CT a distance of 702 miles this time I averaged 51.8 mpg. In fact, I drove from Columbus, OH to just outside Scranton, PA a distance of 502 miles on one tank of gas...then the car warned me to get gas. I think I had one gallon left at that time. I hope I didn't provide too much detail, but I wanted people to get a clear idea of how well this vehicle performs during long distance driving. Actually, it has been my experience that I get better gas mileage with longer distances than shorter distances. I think I know why. This car works best with a warmed engine. When you first start the car, it consumes its most amount of gas. If you use this car in a way in which it is constantly turned on and off, I believe the gas mileage is depleted. My average trips in town are no more than 7 miles or so and I turn this car on and off alot. Perhaps this impacts its gas efficiency!? I took this car on this trip because I wanted to be certain that I would buy my next Prius (I currently lease this vehicle). I have no doubt...no question...no hesitation in saying "YES", I would purchase my next Prius!! I have never been more impressed by a car than I am by the Prius. It delivers comfort, style, affordability and efficiency all packaged in an environmentally friendly car. What more could one ask? How about more advertisement! Toyota has not done enough, in my opinion, to promote this car. If more are not sold, I fear that the cost of maintaining this car is going to be high. I have some GREAT ideas for some cool ads that would surely get some attention...if only Toyota would call! LOL!! Until next time my Prius friends...KEEP IT GREEN! :)
  • manonashmanonash Member Posts: 2
    I'm a California Prius owner. I love the car but I'm wondering if any other Prius drivers been bothered by a high pitched noise when driving around 68-75 mph? It doesn't seem to happen all the time but it's pretty consistent and can be very annoying. It stops as soon as the foot comes off the accelerator. I'd appreciate hearing any theories on what causes the noise and possible remedies. Also, I've noticed that even with careful (i.e. slow and deliberate) driving, I'm averaging about 42 mpg around town and close to the same on the highway. I asked my local dealer's mechanic why I'm not getting anywhere near the 52 mpg which is advertised and he said that no one in California does because of the additives in the gasoline that the State requires. Does this make sense?
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Great review. For the moment, I don't think you need to worry about Toyota not promoting the car. At current levels, they are backed up with orders through January. At my dealership, we have the most outstanding orders of any in this region with 52 outstanding orders. Others have less, but supply can't keep up with demand. Toyota has plans for a minivan and an SUV within the next few years. The van could be here within 2.

    By the way, you'll be happy to know that I use you as an example when selling these cars. Your detailed reviews of summer and winter driving has been a godsend. I take people right to this sight to let them read your first hand accounts. Thanks.
  • michellegmichelleg Member Posts: 1
    Yippee! My husband and I finally placed our order for the 2002 model Prius. It won't be delivered until December/January. We first started looking at the Prius back in September 2000 but I really couldn't find much information or reviews about it .. that is until I found this site. I must say that reading these reviews provided much more information than I was able to get from my dealer. I live in Northern Virginia and my dealer only had a 2001 model on the lot. I stopped in about 2 months ago and took it for a test drive and LOVED it. The brakes took a little getting used to but overall I was very impressed. At that time he didn't know when the 2002 was due out or what, if any, additional features/options it would have. I stopped in only 3 weeks ago and here the 2002 model was available. I ordered it with all the extras including the NAV system. I really would have liked to touchy/feely see how the NAV systems operates but this particular dealership didn't expect to have a 2002 demo in until September. All he was able to provide is a brochure on the NAV. I agree with MrGreenJeans, Toyota really needs to step up the marketing and advertising on this car. I told a co-worker about it and she is thinking about placing an order too. This is going to be a big switch for us. We currently drive a gas guzzeling Ford Explorer. We get almost 18 to the gallon, which is pretty good for an SUV, but the monthly gas bills are out of control. I will miss my big cup holders, 6-CD pop-out changer, and leather seats but the "greeness" of the Prius outweights the creature comforts of my SUV. Does anyone out there have a 2002 model or comment on the NAV system?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Toyota loses money on every one of these they sell [consider it an R & D expense against sales 10 years down the line when half their production could be hybrid], and moreover, can't keep up with demand as it is. So, why should they spend much more money on marketing and promotion? Nothing worse than getting people excited about a car they can't have...I think the current level of advertising and public awareness seems about right. Can't imagine what they would do if demand suddenly went up by 50%.

    Honda will be offering the Civic in 6 months in our market with a CVT and hybrid drivetrain; unlike the Insight, which is too specialized to be of general interest, the hybrid Civic should be a real test of the general size of the market. While Honda's costs for the Civic will be slightly lower, they too will be bleeding cash with every sale they make. When that stops being true, then we know the technology will truly be ready for prime time...
  • fiery1fiery1 Member Posts: 31
    There are no plans at this time to make a NAV system be retrofit to the 2001 cars. It would really be costly... far more costly than buying an aftermarket GPS for certain.
  • mrgreenjeansmrgreenjeans Member Posts: 28
    Since my long trip to the Mid West/Southeast, it seems as though the car's power has greatly improved. I don't feel as though I am doing anything differently, yet the car seems to have more "get up and go" than previously. My gas mileage continues to be an impressive 51.7 mpg. Momentum is crucial to improved gas mileage. It takes a bit of gas to move the car from a dead stop, but once it moves forward up to a specified speed limit, the actual momentum gained by the car aids its gas mileage. Also, coasting greatly improves gas mileage. If I see a stop light, stop sign or stop and go traffic ahead, I do not apply the gas until I MUST stop, but rather coast to a stop. I am hopeful that the gas mileage will be better this upcoming winter compared to last winter, where I averaged 38 mpg. I have heard of improvements yet to come to the Prius and other "green" cars that will make this generation of hybrids seem like gas guzzlers. The critical piece here is competition. The more Prius' sold, the more other car makers will race to put out their version of a hybrid car. This will force Toyota to make more improvements with competitive prices. Perhaps it is capitalism that will repair the very environment it has carelessly abused. As a society, perhaps we are growing up...just a little. :) Take care Prius People. KEEP IT GREEN!
  • dsgechodsgecho Member Posts: 89
    Just got done ordering a nice armrest for my ECHO. Saw the website-
    www.husco.com- over on the Insight board and even suggested to them
    to make one for the Prius. They replied that they haven't gotten a
    lot of inquiries so far as opposed to the fast sales for the Insight.
    Reminded them there are a lot of Prius owners and at least as good a
    market as with the Insight. If you you like their products after
    visiting the website, e-mail their customer support and tell them to
    make one for the Prius, please.
    Don
    Nashville, TN
  • jonesie12jonesie12 Member Posts: 2
    Is anyone getting the extended warranty with the Prius? I know that the hybrid system has a 8yr/100k mile warranty, but what about the other parts? I know that they have the 3yr/36k standard warranty.
  • fiery1fiery1 Member Posts: 31
    Thats a great little feature. Thanks! I did email them and reaquest they look into a higher, better armrest for Prius. I also ordered the one for the 2000 Echo (my little commute car). Great link. Thanks.
  • paul34bpaul34b Member Posts: 33
    I too have heard a high pitched noise ever since I picked up the vehicle. No body else seems to hear it. I am atuned to it so I hear it quite often and I can be driving at low speeds when I do hear it. I can only assume it is part of the mechanics and the electrical stuff. I have no idea what it relates too and no one can give me a good answer because they don't hear it.
  • lm47pb09lm47pb09 Member Posts: 1
    Love my '01 Prius. BUT am not pleased with highway handling. Steering wheel does not return to center in slow turns. It doesn't hold a straight line and persists running off center. It is prone to lose tracking with wind and irregular road surfaces.

    Could this be a caster set up situation? The car handles like a dream in town, quick and easy steering, tight radius. Could this mean caster is 180 degrees to produce light steering at the expense of tracking ability on the road?

    Consumer Reports says handlling is "vague"

    Any comments?

    My dealer service dep't checked tire pressure. No other fix or recommendation.

    I repeat, I love my Prius!
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...is most likely due to the narrow, hard tires that are used on this car [and similarly, the Honda Insight] to minimize fuel consumption. They help in this respect, but hurt when it comes to straight-line tracking.
  • teddy11teddy11 Member Posts: 4
    I have now had my Prius six months and added on 7500 miles. Time for my first maintenance check. The service dept. performed the oil change and tire rotation although they were unsure how to charge Toyota. (their first warranty service, obviously) They mailed my invoice, which I received today. I was disappointed to find that they used bulk 30 weight oil instead of 10w30. I never thought of mentioning oil viscosity prior to the oil change because when I took the car in for a 3500 mile oil change, they said that they always use 10w30. I'll be ready for them the next time. My dealership is Dayton Toyota of South Brunswick, NJ.

    With that one exception, I am quite pleased with the dealership and very pleased with my Prius. After the Prius experience, I can't understand why anyone would settle for a car that runs its engine while the car is at rest. I find much satisfaction in the knowledge that I am not contributing to pollution when in a traffic jam.
    As to miles per gallon. I am a very conservative driver and get between 42 and 45 miles per gallon. City or highway driving does not appear to make much difference in gasolene consumption. However, I bought this car for the green, the high tech, and the pure fun of it. I have not been disappointed. Just remember, it is a small car and if you get behind a tractor trailer doing over 60 mph, expect the shakes.
  • sputnikxxxsputnikxxx Member Posts: 5
    Just a thought as I was reading about the hard, narrow tires -- how does this puppy handle in the rain, especially quick stops in rain?? We get a lot of the wet stuff in Houston, so such info is especially important to me here. If it's a little tricky, I just want to know about it. My "baby" is due to arrive in November, which I consider especially propitious since I plan to give thanks for its delivery!
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Actually, narrower tires are better in the wet than wider, all other things being equal. And while the overall tread compound is indeed biased toward the hard side to provide low rolling resistance, this is not taken to an extreme. You're not going to notice any significant negative effects on wet roads with this car. But the narrow cross-section does make the car vulnerable to crosswinds, which was how this topic came up in the first place. [The relatively slab-sided body design doesn't help either, but it's the "new look" that the industry is currently in love with, so we had better get used to it.]
  • chuzukchuzuk Member Posts: 1
    In today’s L.A. Times there was an article about tax credits for hybrid cars buyers. Here is a small citation: "The House bill would provide credits of $250 to $4,500 to buyers of hybrids. The amount varies based on several factors, including fuel savings... Under the House bill, the hybrid Durango could qualify for a credit close to $2,500, according to industry officials"

    It does not say how much would be the tax credit for Prius. Any ideas? Also it is very important for me to know if I buy the car before the bill is passed to the law (currently it is headed to the Senate) will I still get my credit? Several thousand dollars is a significant amount to take into consideration when buying a car.

    Any information is appreciated. My Prius is coming in November.
  • mikedzmikedz Member Posts: 1
    At one year old my Prius has developed a thunk on medium braking at 25 mph, and a softer thunk on acceleration from a stop. Dealer can replicate the problem, has tightened and greased "all" front end parts, but thunks remain. Dealer says problem must get worse before they can really diagnose. Any like experiences or advice on what may be making the noises?

    Mike DZ
  • texasowltexasowl Member Posts: 5
    I would like to know if anyone has run into the problems I have with my Toyota dealer. I went to him this past May to place an order for the Prius. The sales person, did not know how much it would cost, what options if any I could get or when the car would be here.
    I placed the order on the 25th of May and found out that the 2002 models started on the 28th of May. My sales person only knew of any info on the Prius when I showed him what I had down loaded to my Palm unit. I called him about 4 weeks ago and asked him to verify what year I would be getting since the order was so close to the change date. I received a phone call that says that the consensus of the dealership was that I would be getting a 2002 but he did not know what accessories I would be getting. I originally order a cd player and cruise control which I was told had to be installed by the dealer for about $550.00. To date, I still don't know when the car is coming or anything else, I do know that we had to change the color of our car. This was 4 days after the order was placed.
    Has anyone run into this lack of knowleged by your sales people.
    Thanks
    Texasowl
  • texasowltexasowl Member Posts: 5
    I went to the nearest Toyota dealer last May to order the Prius. This sales person and his co-workers had little if any information on this car. Fortuently I had, and down loaded Edmund's info to my palm pilot. I went ahead and ordered the car on the 25th of May. On the 28th of May Toyota started taking the orders for the 2002. Today is Sept. 19 and all I have received from Toyota is an owners manual for a 2001. I have been in contact with the sales person and he said that by a group agreement of his co-workers I should be getting a 2002. I had already informed him that I wanted to cancel the order and put my order for the 2002 since it had all the extra's I wanted. They were going to charge me $550.00 to install the cruise control.
    I would like to know from the Prius owners if their sales person had any more knowledge of this car then mine did.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Unfortunately, your experience is not unique. It is quite possible that you will end up with a 2002, but if you do, it will be equipped exactly as your order for the 2001 meaning no cruise control. Our dealership had a ton of 2001 orders in May and many of those have moved into the new model year since Toyota was not able to ship enough 2001s to fill the orders. This isn't a bad deal for the consumer since the price didn't increase but it does mean you are still getting one without some newly available features.

    For others thinking about an order, I will repeat advice I have given before. Shop for the right salesman and dealer. This makes all the difference in the world. There are numerous horror stories of ill-informed salesmen making this much more difficult than it needs to be. If you lack confidence in your salesman's ability to process the order correctly, find another one. Don't put your money down until you find one that knows his stuff.
  • fiery1fiery1 Member Posts: 31
    HER stuff, Cliffy.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Oops. Sorry ma'am. ;) I stand corrected as usual.
  • texasowltexasowl Member Posts: 5
    Just an up date to my previous post. I called the salesman today and he said my car should be in sometime with in the next 2 weeks. Accordingly, he said that is when it should reach port. When asked which port, he didn't know.
    I got my PR number from him and called Toyota's customer service department. Here's what they said.
    They car was built in July, remember I ordered it at the end of May. The delivery is something like 3 to 4 months AFTER it is built. This places the time some where between Oct and Nov. They couldn't tell me what year as there has been no VIN number assigned the my car yet. The port is LA Beach and the vehicle will be sent either by rail or truck(?). They still don't know what is going on.
    Unfortuently, I had check with several dealers nearby and this was the only one that was dealing with the Prius.
    I will look at the car when it gets here and I will probably turn it down and reorder a 2002 with all I want. I just rechecked on the options and the one's I want will cost me less then the $550.00 for just a cruise control being put in. The vehicle I have now has no problems other then the gas, so if I keep it for a few more months, I will still be ok.
    Cliff, thanks for the feed back
  • relentlessrelentless Member Posts: 1
    If there is a car that was not yet assigned to you... and it has no VIN# then it is a 2002 model already. There really is only a slim chance it might be a 2001. Matter of fact, I'd bet the farm it's a 2002.
    To cancel and re-order in your state (TX?) is a 4-5 more month wait. This might be what a lot of salespeople unschooled and unskilled with Prius are not telling you, unless you have yet to ask them if a cancel and re-order makes a large impact on your obtaining a car. Shame that every single dealership can't just assign =one= person who knows their stuff, internet and otherwise, to handle Prius.
  • texasowltexasowl Member Posts: 5
    Yea, I know about the delay. The sales person told me about it before I originally put in the order. I also found out about it by having read a lot of this chat board on the Prius. I have no qualms in waiting another 5 months to get what I want and to save money in the long run. I realize that there is a $2000 rebate on my taxes for the federal and I am trying to find out about my state, which, by the way currently happens to be New York. Long story about the Texasowl, but I did live there for 20years..:)
    Anyway, have a nice day, or weekend.
  • dsgechodsgecho Member Posts: 89
    Have you ever handled transfer of a prius order between regions? That is, if I move from TN to Idaho, 2000 mi.or so, in Nov. and car is supposed to arrive in Dec./Jan. [Aug. 2 order date] it would be most impractical to try to finish order back in TN at that time. Called the National Assistance Center and they referred me back to the dealer??? Thanks for any info you could provide!
    Don
    Nashville, TN
  • texasowltexasowl Member Posts: 5
    I was recently discussing the Prius with a mechanic friend of mine and he said that they just had one in the day before for new tires. He went on to say that he found out the tires are experimental and that they could only be purchased from Firestone and he had to give the customers name, mileage, and VIN number to be able to order them.
    Does anyone know of this or was I being BS'd to?
    Thanks for the feed back.
  • manonashmanonash Member Posts: 2
    Cliffy, you seem to be one of the most knowledgeable people in the country when it comes to the Prius so I'm asking you but if anyone else wants to answer, I'd appreciate it. I've been driving carefully (slowly, not accelerating quickly) but I can't crack 40 mpg while driving around my neighborhood. I get about 43 when I'm on the highway but around town it's about 38 in general and often 28 when making short hops. Does this make sense or is it possible my battery isn't doing what it should? The dealer says it's because of additives in the gas here in California but it's a big difference between the estimates of 52 mpg and my reality of 28-38. Any thoughts? I'd be grateful.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Let me make sure I understand your situation. You ordered the car in TN but are now moving to ID right? Your move will happen before your Prius will arrive and you want to see about Toyota switching dealers for the delivery. That's a tough one and I've not run into this. Contrary to what you were told, the dealer will not have any control over this and you need to address Toyota directly. I suspect they will tell you you need to cancel your original order and place a new one but this will set you back 5 months. I wish I could help more.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Fuel additives will affect things, but your situation seems pretty extreme. My first question would be how are you calculating the mileage? I know this sounds remedial, but I've heard all kinds of similar stories where people don't do this right. If you are calculating it correctly by taking the total miles driven divided by the number of gallons you put in, you need to talk to the service DIRECTOR at your dealership. Often, the service writer will not be as "in touch" as the director is.

    If you don't have success with the Director, take it to another dealership if you can before proceeding further. Without progress, your next call is to Toyota to ask for their intervention. Call 800-GO-TOYOTA.
  • engin2engin2 Member Posts: 8
    Hello Prius Owners, what's the waiting time for an order going in till actually receiving your new car?

    Thanks for your help........Engin2
  • hnthompshnthomps Member Posts: 3
    I love my prius, but I've had two flat tires since I bought it in February. Has anyone else had a similar problem?
    thanks!
  • hyde6hyde6 Member Posts: 4
    To nhthomps: my Prius had all four tires in need of replacement at six months into owning the car. The paperwork says Firestone covers the replacement in full for the first year.

    I just called Firestone. They say that only applies if I bought the tires directly from Firestone. They also say the tires died because the car is really heavy with the weight of the battery. Does this mean I should buy the next set of tires from them so they'll be covered under the warranty, rather than from a discounter like Costco, on the grounds that I should expect them to die fast? Meantime, this may be part of why you had your flat tires. Good luck...
  • hyde6hyde6 Member Posts: 4
    A correction: it was just the back tires. But to make clear: that means Firestone refuses to honor any warranty on any new Prius tires. I called another Firestone place and got told the same thing. The Toyota dealership told me to bring the car in to them, THEY'D replace the tires and bill Firestone.

    You'd think Firestone had had enough P.R. problems lately to learn not to go around dissing their customers like this.
  • peteanderica1peteanderica1 Member Posts: 1
    I have read that the warranty is not from Firestone but from Toyota. Have you tried to submit the receipts to Toyota? It is part of their road hazard warranty on their new cars. I have read on other prius' boards that they received money back with in a month after submitting their claim.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    The tires are warranted through Bridgestone/Firestone, not Toyota. The warranty is pretty basic though and just warrants against defects. There is no treadlife warranty, nor are road hazards covered.
  • mengyingmengying Member Posts: 1
    I have just placed a tentative order for a Prius. I am concerned about a few things: 1) people have posted that tires have been problematic; please elaborate if this is a general problem with the car or if just one person had bad luck; 2) will purchases made in 2002 (that's when mine is supposed to arrive) qualify for tax incentives? the Toyota website said that purchases made by Dec. 31, 2001 would qualify for a $2000 tax deduction (rebate?), but there is nothing about 2002 puchases; 3) how long will HOV restrictions in VA be lifted for Prius owners; how can I know that the law won't change next year (or next month for that matter) that would take away this benefit; 4) does anyone know if Prius owners are exempted from personal property tax in Virginia?

    Thanks for any information anyone can provide. These are answers we need before deciding to make this important purchase.
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Here in VA, I think the HOV benefit runs until 2004 or 2006. I can't remember which. As with any law, you are at the mercy of the legislature, but I honestly doubt there will be any negative changes. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they extended that when it does come up for renewal. Virginia is having troubles complying with clean air requirements and anything they can do to encourage more hybrid sales will be look upon favorably.

    Hybrids are not exempt from the personal property tax. If current budget plans remain in effect, all cars will escape this tax on the first $20K of assessed value by next year. The current elections could impact this pretty heavily. Early seems fairly committed to keeping the current schedule but Warner may have other ideas.
  • toyotabobbytoyotabobby Member Posts: 1
    Let me clear up the confusion about exactly how the Prius is allocated to the customers by Toyota. Toyota does not build this vehicle to spec based on each individual customer's order. When you place your order, all you have done is reserve a vehicle. It is produced the same as any other conventional vehicle in that they are assembled in batches of colors & different configurations of equipment, then shipped to the U.S. & matched with the customer's order. That is why some are taking delivery within 30 days & some as long as 6 months. Therefore it is impossible for a dealer or salesperson to track an order & anyone who tells you they can is delusional. The dealer is not aware until the vehicle is placed in their inventory as sea stock, which means the vehicle is about 2 weeks away from being in the dealership. I contact my distributor several times a week & find out what is coming in & assist them in matching my customer's request so that nothing falls through the cracks. Our dealership has assigned myself as the Prius Account Executive & one of my jobs is to make certain that my customers receive their orders in a timely fashion. The date you receive your owners manual & calculator means nothing. Your best bet is to find a dealer that sells alot of these cars & has someone on staff that is knowledgeable & has a vested interest in making certain the orders are matched.
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