I'm glad to see this blog has come back to life!
As you may recall, I had budgeted $500 for the year for my lousy 2001 Toyota Prius. As is usual, the thing has let me down badly. I got the Terrifying Exclamation Point in Triangle light, and took it into the dealership. They quoted me well over $3000 to fix an incredibly long list of ailments--including YET ANOTHER "computer" at around $800 for the part. (The last one went bad two years ago--naturally, they only offer a one-year warranty.) I complained--heartily--and demanded they file a "claim" with Toyota, as the car has needed, not including usual maintenance items like brakes/rotors, tires, oil changes, tune-ups, multiple $250 batteries and the like, well over $15,000 in full-on repairs in the time I have owned it (six years).
The transmission alone was a $10,000 fix. Keep in mind that the Prius transmission is not like other fidgety and breakable hydraulic transmissions. The Prius transmission, which is far more impressive than their hybrid battery, should outlast us all. If it breaks, it is because it is a design defect or a manufacturing defect--and indeed, in my trials and tribulations with the tranny, I found many Gen 1 Prius owners with catastrophic failures of their transmission. After a full month with no car and about forty hours of my time (including several costly fed-exes), Toyota did me the "kindness" of agreeing to replace the transmission for a mere $2500. God bless 'em.
Anyway, after complaining to the dealership about the latest $3000+ worth of insults, they said they'd get back to me. They didn't, and now they aren't even returning my calls. (I am thinking of stopping payment on the $98 "diagnositic" fee I paid them.) I took the car to my favorite nondealership fix-it place, and he repaired everything for $2000--though he didn't, and can't, touch the "computer." (Why the big difference? Just as one example: the dealership claimed the CV boot was "torn"--cost to replace, about $250. My guy said a simple bracket had come loose instead. Cost to replace, about $15.)
So I'm way, way off budget for car repairs now. It's still cheaper to fix than buy another car, of course, but it makes my eyes water to keep paying and paying on this lemon. Toyota's short sightedness is really remarkable. I've had numerous people ask me about whether they should buy a Prius, because with my long-term ownership, I'm in a good position to report on reliability and costs. I have always simply told the truth: that things--expensive things--go wrong with it with frightening regularity, and it is never less than an ordeal to deal with Toyota. I know that I will never, ever buy from Toyota again. And I know that at least two friends who had been thisclose to buying a Prius changed their minds based on my experiences.
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I think the problem may be that your Prius was made the first year of production. My only problem after 5 years is a new brake pump that cost $1600, and two new sets of tires after 58,000 miles. I have now found a great mechanic that only works on Toyotas and Lexus and if I had found him before I probably would have gotten a much better deal on the brake pump.
ReplyDeleteOh, I agree with you--but Toyota should know this. What does it say about *Toyota* that they built a car with design and/or manufacturing flaws, and refuse to fix those flaws? It says that when they make mistakes, they would prefer to hide them and screw over their customers. Toyota has been incredibly penny-wise and pound-foolish about this. When you buy a car, you are not just buying the vehicle, you are buying the support and reputation of the company that built it.
ReplyDeleteFor a while after I purchased my Honda Civic Hybrid I regretted not getting the more popular Prius with its hip colors, roomier seating and better gas mileage, but after hearing about other's Prius repair problems and now yours (have you had your headlights go out yet?) I am thankful that I have my reliable Honda. Next month is my cars 4 year birthday and the only time I have taken it to the shop was once to the dealership to fix some unnoticable recall item and the other times were for it's once a year check-up. None of the checkup so far has turned up anything that needed repair and I haven't even needed to do some regular things like change my oil filter because the mechanic said the filter was fine. Of course I do not take my car into the dealership for general tune-ups and repairs. I go to the 76 station where it is either the owner or one of the other two mechanics who take care of my car. If anything seriously went wrong with my car I would still feel more comfortable taking it into them than the dealership. I purchased a 9 year bumper to bumper extended warranty through the credit union when I purchased the car that I will probably never use.
ReplyDeleteWhen my Prius finally dies--and I'm hoping to get to 200K miles (I'm at about 115K now, so that's maybe five more years)--I'm pretty sure I'll go back to Honda. I had a zippy little Honda Prelude for years that I loved, and that seemed indestructible. UncleSam--a friend of mine bought a Civic Hybrid instead of the Prius and is as happy as you are.
ReplyDeleteIn a year, Honda will be bringing out its second generation Insight. By the time I'm ready to buy again, I imagine I'll gravitate towards that car.
Okay, I'm ready to climb on the anti-Toyota bandwagon. My car wouldn't start Sunday a.m. Charles jump started it and it was okay to take me to my third ear treatment, but I needed to get the car inspected so I asked them to check the battery too. The said voltage was fine, but something about getting a charge to the started was not good. Only Toyota sells batteries for the Prius, so I went to the dreaded dealer. Yes, they have a special battery that costs $200, but you can't get a battery anywhere else! So I told them to install a new battery. They took forever and finally told me when they test drove the new battery an engine check light came on and said I need a new fuel tank - for $350. No explanation as to why I didn't need a fuel tank until they installed a new battery. I couldn't even drive my car home and bring it back tomorrow when they will have the needed part. I did get a loaner so I could pick up stuff I needed from Alan.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was really interested in the 2010 Prius that has solar panels on the roof to keep the car cool when parked in the sun and run the A/C.
I don't trust the dealers when they say something is wrong. Yes, only the Toyota dealership has those special starter batteries (I've been through THREE and they cost $250 installed here), but the fuel tank can be replaced by anyone. It is a special fuel tank in the Prius (it's actually a "bladder" and so expands and shrinks with the gas), so the part has to come from them unless there are aftermarkets out there, but your local fix-it person should be able to do it. (Just something to keep in mind for next time.)
ReplyDeleteThis puts you at $2000 for five years' worth of repairs... but at the same time I'm glad to have I-Hate-Toyota company, my guess is you could have probably gotten the stuff done for half that. $1000 over five years isn't fabulous--but it's not awful.
I got my car back today and I did NOT need the fuel tank. So much for their computers. Next time I will go to my car guy because he gets the parts from the dealer and installs them.
ReplyDeleteSo, momcat, does that mean you didn't pay for a fuel tank, or that you found out after you had paid to replace it?
ReplyDeleteI did not pay the $350 because they said I did not need the new fuel tank after all.
ReplyDelete