( 
)
Continued from part 3:
John of Findlay OH (01/09/08)
I work for a Toyota dealership (but, I am not neccesarily a fan)however, I think your writer, Joe Benton is way off base in his Prius mpg article and I believe that the tone of his comments are slanted against Toyota. He says that Toyota was the one stating the 60 mpg city figure. Not true. The EPA mandated those figures be on the window sticker, not the manufacturer. Toyota knew that the EPA's test was antiquidated and not at all accurate on Hybrid vehicles. Anybody that looks at those EPA numbers must understand that they have nothing to do with real-world driving conditions and were only to be used to compare one vehicle to another under their same unrealistic test conditions. In fact, during the 60 mpg label days we always told customers to expect about 45 mpg. Toyota never said that these cars get 60 mpg so it shouldn't be put on them. Blame the EPA - your tax dollars at work.
Robert of San Francisco CA (01/02/08)
I have a 2005 Toyota Prius with 35,800 miles on it. I have had no problems until 27 December 2007. On that day with conked out on the Golden Gate Bridge. All the warning lights came on. Take car to dealer immediately, etc. The fellow in the GG Bridge tow truck asked if I was out of gas. We checked the guage. It registered 1/2 a tank. Same as when we left our house 10 minutes before. So we were towed to our local Toyota dealer where the car had had its 35,000 mile service two weeks before. Next day the csr service rep calls. You were out of gas. Reason has to have been a faulty fuel gauge. I monitor the gauge ALL THE TIME. So does my wife. So did the tow truck fellow. My conclusion, the computer controlled fuel gauge is NOT reliable. Also the warning lights send all sorts of erroreus messages. I mean why not a You are out of fuel message instead of a take car to dealer immediately message.
.
Karen of Minnesota City MN (12/29/07)
On September 14, 2007 I pulled up in our driveway in our 2006 Prius and stopped at the mail box to get the mail. At that time the gas engine switched off and over to electric. We are at a dead end so I pulled forward, (approximately 4 miles per hour) to make a y-turn to back into our driveway. When I pushed down on the brake the car jolted forward (I didn't even get a chance to try and pump down on the brake again) and went through a six foot wooden fence with such force that it broke not only the wooden fence panel but also the sturdy cemented in wooden post.
The car sustained $3,000. worth of damage plus I also had a whiplash injury and went through two months of physical therapy at a cost of around $2,000. We reported this promptly to Toyota's National Customer Experience Center who sent a representative to inspect the car and told us that their was no diagnostic trouble codes in the ECM and that the incident was not caused by a manufacturing or design defect. And they left it at that!? We have also had a few incidences where the car is running and in Park and noticed that when the car shifts off gas and onto electric that the car slightly moves from the motor shifting on and off gas to electric. Doesn't happen all the time but we have noticed it a few times. I am now extra careful stopping for pedestrians at stop lights, ect. to make sure I have plenty of room in case the car jolts me forward that I don't accidentally hit someone. They couldn't blame the car mats as my husband checked them and there is no way it interfered with the brake or the gas pedal.
They also tried to suggest that I was wearing high heels, ( I don't even own or wear high heels!) It was also suggested that maybe I accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal. When I went through the fence and the car got caught through the fence and land scapping with my foot was firmly still pushing down on the brake when I looked down. After going through this incident we will probably never buy another car from Toyota. I am thankful that I didn't hurt someone or crash into another car that day because I had no control over the car when I pushed down on the brake! When they inspected the car they cleared the computer and rebooted it up in the car. We know this as a fact because we lost all our personal settings we had on the car. We thought this was the perfect little car to save gas mileage but no longer feel safe driving it!
Newt of Toronto, Canada (12/21/07)
I have a Toyota Prius hybrid car bought 3.5 yrs (2004)ago with 69000 km on the clock. [the warranty is 3 yrs bumper to bumper, and 60000km for the electrics]. The consumption display screen developed an intermittent fault. The fault develops about 3 minutes after the engine is turned on, and disappears after about 20 minutes of driving. During the fault period, the following happens; - The radio suddenly cuts out but can be turned on again. - The touch-screen display computer is extremely slow. - Cannot change the aircondition settings, but the A/C is working. It also indicates the A/C is not connected. - The gas consumption indication stops, yet the odometer works perfectly. The garages I have been to cannot/would not repair but would change the display unit for $3200 + taxes !!! Any suggestions ???
M.c. of Gloucester MA (12/17/07)
I bought a 2008 Prius and today, after only 2,000 miles it stopped while I was driving on the interstate... Two warning lights went on (brakes, engine) and power was lost...I had it towed to the dealer and am waiting to hear what is wrong...but my confidence in the reliability of Toyota and Prius have been seriously undermined. Waiting to see what happened.
Francis of Menomonee Falls WI (12/17/07)
2007 Prius- gas mileage is now at 33 mpg as winter temps are in the 20s. Very disappointing since the 50/61 mpg is a falacy.
Tom of Coronado CA (12/16/07)
Gas pump stops fueling at 1/2 tank at every pump we visit. After that we have to top off the other half of the tank. This is frustrating to say the least! This does not happen to other cars, just the Prius!
David of Westcliffe CO (12/14/07)
I am the owner of a 2005 Toyota Prius. Minus the traction control system it is a wonderful vehicle. The traction control system (TCS) is flawed by design and should be subject to a mandatory Federal recall. The TCS has left me and my family stranded in front of a oncoming semi-truck closing at 60 plus MPH. The Prius would only inch ahead as the truck now in a panic stop situation loomed upon us. This all due to a small amount of sand on the payment. There have been numerous other problems with the TCS in snowy conditions. Perhaps Toyota would respond to a class action law suit as this situation is extremely dangerous not to mention the added costs of having to have another vehicle to drive should it snow.
Dave of Melbourne FL (12/08/07)
I, too, purchased a 2007 Toyota Prius at the advertised rate of 60 MPG. I brought my car back to the dealer at 3000 miles because I was only getting 40 - 43 MPG. I had brought the car in at 2000 miles but the technician told me that the car needed a break-in period before it would achieve better mileage. Needless to say, the mileage did not improve. The dealership checked the car out and stated that it was getting what it should at 35 - 43 MPG and that Toyota was only following government regulations by posting the 60 MPG rate that was provide by the EPA. I asked for and received the corporate number and called and spoke with a case worker, only to hear the same retoric. Obviously Toyota took advantage of the EPA results to hype their sales and I feel that I, along with many other consumers, was taken advantage of by Toyota.
Joy of Madison WI (12/05/07)
I recently purchased a 2007 Toyota Prius and I cannot even make it up my driveway after a light snow. The engine completely shuts down and you have no control over anything. I simply slide back down my driveway very quickly and pray no one is behind me. Very dangerous!
Steven of Oak Park IL (12/04/07)
I want to be included as one of the people that is very disatisfied with my toyota prius' performance in snow. I have the same problem with lack of traction as the drive train shuts down immediately when there is a slip. This makes it impossible and unsafe to drive in snowy conditions. When I called Toyota in California to complain they told me that I was the first one to voice this complaint. I told them that I found that hard to believe since there are postings all over the internet. They said the problem isn't fixable. This is unacceptable. Please help.
David of Torrance CA (12/04/07)
It is rarely, if ever, the cost of ownership for hybrid vehicles is discussed. Recent Internet research efforts found little published on the support issue for these hybrid vehicles incorporating advanced electronic technology.
I recently discovered the hidden costs associated with the ownership of my 2006 Toyota Prius when I inquired about software upgrades to correct erroneous directions I was getting from the vehicles integrated GPS system. The dealership parts manager informed me that yes, the newest Version Seven of the Toyota GPS software is a whopping $350.00.
Being quite shocked I confirmed the price with the dealership service manager. Upon hearing the price is indeed $350.00 (plus tax) I informed him, and any who would listen at the dealership, that I considered such a fee usurious. Leaving the dealership stunned at the price, I was seriously considered ways I could duct-tape a hand held GPS over the front to the cars map screen.
The Garmen or Magellan GPS systems are suitably sized, and with some wrangling, one might be able to retrofit this white elephant. This letter of complaint is to inform Toyota, that as a consumer I do not like being taken advantage of. Beyond my feeble efforts as a single consumer to get this unfair pricing done away with; it is my hope that some enterprising software company may read this and be able to find a way to produce an independent product at a more competitive price.
Frederick of Red Lion PA (12/04/07)
I just finished reading an article on your site about the on-board computer on the Toyota Prius. I just bought a 2008 Toyota Prius and noticed that I too am not getting the mpg that the computer claims. For instance, the other day it claimed I got 51.4 mpg but when I took the miles I drove and divided it by the gallons I put in the tank, it was more like 46. This has been pretty consistent. Something seems wrong with the on-board computer; it isn't presenting the correct results. I called the dealership and the manager there couldn't help me out other than telling me to go to the service department.
Harold of Waverly IA (12/03/07)
12/1/2007--2 to 3 inch snowfall of wet heavy snow. Driving car into untraveled parking lot@ about 10 - 12 mph. Traction control engaged to keep from spinning tires. As traction control turned ON and OFF repeatedly, car gradually lost all momentum and came to complete stop. Moving throttle pedal had no effect. With car at idle, traction control light would blink ON and OFF and car would shudder in place with no forward movement. Had to back out of parking lot, being very careful to not get out of my tracks I had made going in. This problem was repeated in my own driveway a little later.
I believe this is a major safety hazard and could cause rear end collisions because this car will not go forward or could leave motorists to become stranded in snowy weather. Toyota says traction control can not be turned OFF. Gm cars have a switch to turn their traction control OFF.
Bruce of Allen TX (12/03/07)
I own a 2001 Prius. About 2 years ago, the dashboard warning lights began coming on randomly. The lights indicated either to contact a Toyota dealer immediately or to find a safe place to pull off the road and stop depending on where in the owner's manual you looked for the meaning of these warnings. After the first dealer on-board diagnostic check, I was told that the only thing they could find was that maybe I had some bad fuel. The warnings continued, although the car seemed to run normally. The warnings disappeared after the car was turned off and cooled off. The warnings became more frequent, and after leaving the vehicle for a couple of days with the dealer, I was told that the diagnostics indicated the fuel tank was Imploding. Because it's a bladder, I had understood that was normal as the fuel was used. The dealer said that the fuel tank needed to be replaced, and I had it done. I filled the tank and when the gas gauge read about 3/8 full, the warnings showed up again. This time the diagnostics showed that the Engine Control Unit and a relay needed replacing. These items are under warranty, so there was no charge. The gas tank replacement cost me $621.61. After about 1000 miles, no warning lights have appeared. The problem first showed up at about 50,000 miles, and the warranty work was done 391 miles after the tank replacement. I am convinced that the original problem was the faulty relay and Engine Control Unit and not the gas tank. I found on 3 web sites that other Prius owner's have had a similar experience. I am trying to get an resolution with the dealer and Toyota to find out just how the tank failed and what Toyota has done to prevent future occurances in their hybrid models.
Mary of Northfield VT (11/22/07)
The Prius traction control presents a driving experience I can only liken to riding a bicycle in the snow. Traction does not exist in snow, mud,ice and other slippery conditions. Unlike the bicycle, studded tires offer little traction outside of braking.
John of Findlay OH (01/09/08)
I work for a Toyota dealership (but, I am not neccesarily a fan)however, I think your writer, Joe Benton is way off base in his Prius mpg article and I believe that the tone of his comments are slanted against Toyota. He says that Toyota was the one stating the 60 mpg city figure. Not true. The EPA mandated those figures be on the window sticker, not the manufacturer. Toyota knew that the EPA's test was antiquidated and not at all accurate on Hybrid vehicles. Anybody that looks at those EPA numbers must understand that they have nothing to do with real-world driving conditions and were only to be used to compare one vehicle to another under their same unrealistic test conditions. In fact, during the 60 mpg label days we always told customers to expect about 45 mpg. Toyota never said that these cars get 60 mpg so it shouldn't be put on them. Blame the EPA - your tax dollars at work.
Robert of San Francisco CA (01/02/08)
I have a 2005 Toyota Prius with 35,800 miles on it. I have had no problems until 27 December 2007. On that day with conked out on the Golden Gate Bridge. All the warning lights came on. Take car to dealer immediately, etc. The fellow in the GG Bridge tow truck asked if I was out of gas. We checked the guage. It registered 1/2 a tank. Same as when we left our house 10 minutes before. So we were towed to our local Toyota dealer where the car had had its 35,000 mile service two weeks before. Next day the csr service rep calls. You were out of gas. Reason has to have been a faulty fuel gauge. I monitor the gauge ALL THE TIME. So does my wife. So did the tow truck fellow. My conclusion, the computer controlled fuel gauge is NOT reliable. Also the warning lights send all sorts of erroreus messages. I mean why not a You are out of fuel message instead of a take car to dealer immediately message.
.
Karen of Minnesota City MN (12/29/07)
On September 14, 2007 I pulled up in our driveway in our 2006 Prius and stopped at the mail box to get the mail. At that time the gas engine switched off and over to electric. We are at a dead end so I pulled forward, (approximately 4 miles per hour) to make a y-turn to back into our driveway. When I pushed down on the brake the car jolted forward (I didn't even get a chance to try and pump down on the brake again) and went through a six foot wooden fence with such force that it broke not only the wooden fence panel but also the sturdy cemented in wooden post.
The car sustained $3,000. worth of damage plus I also had a whiplash injury and went through two months of physical therapy at a cost of around $2,000. We reported this promptly to Toyota's National Customer Experience Center who sent a representative to inspect the car and told us that their was no diagnostic trouble codes in the ECM and that the incident was not caused by a manufacturing or design defect. And they left it at that!? We have also had a few incidences where the car is running and in Park and noticed that when the car shifts off gas and onto electric that the car slightly moves from the motor shifting on and off gas to electric. Doesn't happen all the time but we have noticed it a few times. I am now extra careful stopping for pedestrians at stop lights, ect. to make sure I have plenty of room in case the car jolts me forward that I don't accidentally hit someone. They couldn't blame the car mats as my husband checked them and there is no way it interfered with the brake or the gas pedal.
They also tried to suggest that I was wearing high heels, ( I don't even own or wear high heels!) It was also suggested that maybe I accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal. When I went through the fence and the car got caught through the fence and land scapping with my foot was firmly still pushing down on the brake when I looked down. After going through this incident we will probably never buy another car from Toyota. I am thankful that I didn't hurt someone or crash into another car that day because I had no control over the car when I pushed down on the brake! When they inspected the car they cleared the computer and rebooted it up in the car. We know this as a fact because we lost all our personal settings we had on the car. We thought this was the perfect little car to save gas mileage but no longer feel safe driving it!
Newt of Toronto, Canada (12/21/07)
I have a Toyota Prius hybrid car bought 3.5 yrs (2004)ago with 69000 km on the clock. [the warranty is 3 yrs bumper to bumper, and 60000km for the electrics]. The consumption display screen developed an intermittent fault. The fault develops about 3 minutes after the engine is turned on, and disappears after about 20 minutes of driving. During the fault period, the following happens; - The radio suddenly cuts out but can be turned on again. - The touch-screen display computer is extremely slow. - Cannot change the aircondition settings, but the A/C is working. It also indicates the A/C is not connected. - The gas consumption indication stops, yet the odometer works perfectly. The garages I have been to cannot/would not repair but would change the display unit for $3200 + taxes !!! Any suggestions ???
M.c. of Gloucester MA (12/17/07)
I bought a 2008 Prius and today, after only 2,000 miles it stopped while I was driving on the interstate... Two warning lights went on (brakes, engine) and power was lost...I had it towed to the dealer and am waiting to hear what is wrong...but my confidence in the reliability of Toyota and Prius have been seriously undermined. Waiting to see what happened.
Francis of Menomonee Falls WI (12/17/07)
2007 Prius- gas mileage is now at 33 mpg as winter temps are in the 20s. Very disappointing since the 50/61 mpg is a falacy.
Tom of Coronado CA (12/16/07)
Gas pump stops fueling at 1/2 tank at every pump we visit. After that we have to top off the other half of the tank. This is frustrating to say the least! This does not happen to other cars, just the Prius!
David of Westcliffe CO (12/14/07)
I am the owner of a 2005 Toyota Prius. Minus the traction control system it is a wonderful vehicle. The traction control system (TCS) is flawed by design and should be subject to a mandatory Federal recall. The TCS has left me and my family stranded in front of a oncoming semi-truck closing at 60 plus MPH. The Prius would only inch ahead as the truck now in a panic stop situation loomed upon us. This all due to a small amount of sand on the payment. There have been numerous other problems with the TCS in snowy conditions. Perhaps Toyota would respond to a class action law suit as this situation is extremely dangerous not to mention the added costs of having to have another vehicle to drive should it snow.
Dave of Melbourne FL (12/08/07)
I, too, purchased a 2007 Toyota Prius at the advertised rate of 60 MPG. I brought my car back to the dealer at 3000 miles because I was only getting 40 - 43 MPG. I had brought the car in at 2000 miles but the technician told me that the car needed a break-in period before it would achieve better mileage. Needless to say, the mileage did not improve. The dealership checked the car out and stated that it was getting what it should at 35 - 43 MPG and that Toyota was only following government regulations by posting the 60 MPG rate that was provide by the EPA. I asked for and received the corporate number and called and spoke with a case worker, only to hear the same retoric. Obviously Toyota took advantage of the EPA results to hype their sales and I feel that I, along with many other consumers, was taken advantage of by Toyota.
Joy of Madison WI (12/05/07)
I recently purchased a 2007 Toyota Prius and I cannot even make it up my driveway after a light snow. The engine completely shuts down and you have no control over anything. I simply slide back down my driveway very quickly and pray no one is behind me. Very dangerous!
Steven of Oak Park IL (12/04/07)
I want to be included as one of the people that is very disatisfied with my toyota prius' performance in snow. I have the same problem with lack of traction as the drive train shuts down immediately when there is a slip. This makes it impossible and unsafe to drive in snowy conditions. When I called Toyota in California to complain they told me that I was the first one to voice this complaint. I told them that I found that hard to believe since there are postings all over the internet. They said the problem isn't fixable. This is unacceptable. Please help.
David of Torrance CA (12/04/07)
It is rarely, if ever, the cost of ownership for hybrid vehicles is discussed. Recent Internet research efforts found little published on the support issue for these hybrid vehicles incorporating advanced electronic technology.
I recently discovered the hidden costs associated with the ownership of my 2006 Toyota Prius when I inquired about software upgrades to correct erroneous directions I was getting from the vehicles integrated GPS system. The dealership parts manager informed me that yes, the newest Version Seven of the Toyota GPS software is a whopping $350.00.
Being quite shocked I confirmed the price with the dealership service manager. Upon hearing the price is indeed $350.00 (plus tax) I informed him, and any who would listen at the dealership, that I considered such a fee usurious. Leaving the dealership stunned at the price, I was seriously considered ways I could duct-tape a hand held GPS over the front to the cars map screen.
The Garmen or Magellan GPS systems are suitably sized, and with some wrangling, one might be able to retrofit this white elephant. This letter of complaint is to inform Toyota, that as a consumer I do not like being taken advantage of. Beyond my feeble efforts as a single consumer to get this unfair pricing done away with; it is my hope that some enterprising software company may read this and be able to find a way to produce an independent product at a more competitive price.
Frederick of Red Lion PA (12/04/07)
I just finished reading an article on your site about the on-board computer on the Toyota Prius. I just bought a 2008 Toyota Prius and noticed that I too am not getting the mpg that the computer claims. For instance, the other day it claimed I got 51.4 mpg but when I took the miles I drove and divided it by the gallons I put in the tank, it was more like 46. This has been pretty consistent. Something seems wrong with the on-board computer; it isn't presenting the correct results. I called the dealership and the manager there couldn't help me out other than telling me to go to the service department.
Harold of Waverly IA (12/03/07)
12/1/2007--2 to 3 inch snowfall of wet heavy snow. Driving car into untraveled parking lot@ about 10 - 12 mph. Traction control engaged to keep from spinning tires. As traction control turned ON and OFF repeatedly, car gradually lost all momentum and came to complete stop. Moving throttle pedal had no effect. With car at idle, traction control light would blink ON and OFF and car would shudder in place with no forward movement. Had to back out of parking lot, being very careful to not get out of my tracks I had made going in. This problem was repeated in my own driveway a little later.
I believe this is a major safety hazard and could cause rear end collisions because this car will not go forward or could leave motorists to become stranded in snowy weather. Toyota says traction control can not be turned OFF. Gm cars have a switch to turn their traction control OFF.
Bruce of Allen TX (12/03/07)
I own a 2001 Prius. About 2 years ago, the dashboard warning lights began coming on randomly. The lights indicated either to contact a Toyota dealer immediately or to find a safe place to pull off the road and stop depending on where in the owner's manual you looked for the meaning of these warnings. After the first dealer on-board diagnostic check, I was told that the only thing they could find was that maybe I had some bad fuel. The warnings continued, although the car seemed to run normally. The warnings disappeared after the car was turned off and cooled off. The warnings became more frequent, and after leaving the vehicle for a couple of days with the dealer, I was told that the diagnostics indicated the fuel tank was Imploding. Because it's a bladder, I had understood that was normal as the fuel was used. The dealer said that the fuel tank needed to be replaced, and I had it done. I filled the tank and when the gas gauge read about 3/8 full, the warnings showed up again. This time the diagnostics showed that the Engine Control Unit and a relay needed replacing. These items are under warranty, so there was no charge. The gas tank replacement cost me $621.61. After about 1000 miles, no warning lights have appeared. The problem first showed up at about 50,000 miles, and the warranty work was done 391 miles after the tank replacement. I am convinced that the original problem was the faulty relay and Engine Control Unit and not the gas tank. I found on 3 web sites that other Prius owner's have had a similar experience. I am trying to get an resolution with the dealer and Toyota to find out just how the tank failed and what Toyota has done to prevent future occurances in their hybrid models.
Mary of Northfield VT (11/22/07)
The Prius traction control presents a driving experience I can only liken to riding a bicycle in the snow. Traction does not exist in snow, mud,ice and other slippery conditions. Unlike the bicycle, studded tires offer little traction outside of braking.
Guide created: 04/05/08 (updated 05/28/08)
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