[acarisatool]

Newbie here, not normally a poster, feel a kind of duty to post here, and hope to learn also. Just purchased a 2013 Prius 3. You should be aware that dealer does not check alignment. Took prius to shop I trust--front and back needed alignment. Shop aligned front okay, but rear axle has to be shimmed, so that requires another appointment because of the time involved. Called Toyota salesman--he said that his organization had never had alignment issues, although new tires wore a little fast because of soft rubber.

Second heads up, and so glad Prius has a spare tire, even if it is just a temporary one. On way home from shop, hit small object in road, probably metal, looked but never found it. Result of striking object was immediate flat with 1/2" hole in side wall at thread edge. Not fun, but a can of goop instead of a spare tire would have left us stranded. So, Toyota: D grade for alignment, B- for spare.
Hope this helps someone.

 

[Phoenix]

Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the forums.

Had a problem with a new Chevy we bought years ago. Dealer told us they don't warrant alignment, because I could hit the curb driving out of the new car lot. So, had to pay out of pocket after about 5,000 miles when I noticed tires wearing funny.

Too bad about your experience, though. I have since purchased three new Toyotas and never had alignment problems. Recently, installed new struts on our 2002 Prius (135,000 miles); and had a four-wheel alignment done. However, this was due to strut replacement, not poor tire wear.

We used to run Michelin HydroEdges, and they lasted 65-75,000 miles with very even wear. However, they quit making that tire in a size that will fit our 14-inch wheels.

Just a tip, but to improve tire wear and fuel economy, ignore recommended tire pressure on the door sticker. We have always run 44/42 psi (front/rear) and tires wear evenly across the tread, with regular tire rotations (front-to-back and back-to-front only; no cross rotation). However, you must check "maximum inflation pressure" on sidewalls. Do NOT exceed this value. Our tires are rated for 44 psi max (some are 36 psi max).

 

[firepa63]

What do you mean "dealer does not check alignment"? That's just plain BS. If you have an alignment issue, the dealer will take care of it at no charge as long as bring it in as soon as possible.

How did you know that you had an alignment problem???

 

[acarisatool]

What do you mean "dealer does not check alignment"? That's just plain BS. If you have an alignment issue, the dealer will take care of it at no charge as long as bring it in as soon as possible.

How did you know that you had an alignment problem???

I called salesman who sold me Prius (he had asked me to call him to arrange any service at time of sale). Salesman told me they didn't check alignment on new cars, at lest not for free. It is an hours drive to the dealer; its 5 min to the local shop.

How would I know, only the day after my purchase? I didn't! Based on past experience with other brands of new cars (new car every 5 to 10 years, double that, as we generally have two vehicles), I thought it wise to ask if dealer had verified alignment during presale prep (or anytime). Based on the salesman's response, I thought it not only wise but necessary to verify alignment. Based on local shop's alignment tech, the alignment was clearly out, both front and rear, as stated in original post. I trust the local shop as much as I trust anyone with a vested interest in repairing my vehicle.

 

[Ct. Ken V]

Hi, acarisatool,

I know for a fact that Toyota would do one free alignment within the first year of ownership or the first 20,000 miles on the 2G Priuses ('04-'09), but they wouldn't do it if you just asked for it. You had to complain about difficulty in handling. I believe they carried the same policy over to the 3rd generation (2010 to present) as well. But they never could do anything for the rear axle at Toyota except replace the entire axle if it was really bad, and some owners got a new rear axle that was even worse than the one that was removed. Sorry they refused you & you had to pay for it somewhere else. Maybe they will reimburse you, but I think that's not likely. Just remember to have them check it before one year from your "In Service Date" (not necessarily your purchase or delivery date---the dealers sometimes fudge that date to meet "end-of-month", "end-of-quarter", or "end-of-year' sales quotas) or before you reach 20,000 miles, whichever comes first (it may be a lower mileage limit now on the 3G's).

 

[The Zech]

I have a 2021 Prius prime and noticed the rear tires wearing on the inside. I brought this to my dealers service dept attention and they said to bring it in. I was due for 20k service anyway. They said everything was in spec and tires were good. 2k miles later she fails inspection for tires. Does anyone in the auto industry know what they're doing anymore. My guess is they don't want to eat the cost of the tires beat his should have been caught at a previous service.