[Rmarchena]

We have different perception of the Prius.

For you guys:

Toyota Motors Co. is giving you the "previlege" to own a temperamental car which mpg performance nobody can follow up in the name of environmental conservation at the astronomic cost of $US 24,000.00 which represent the cost of the ticket to enter to the show. You get $US 2,000.00 back to cover the inconviniences during the show respect to what was announced in the flyer outside the theater. Then you are not alowed to exit the show due the Priusylitis Psicological State of Mind (PPSM) that will stay on you forever to make talk excellent about something (The Prius) that is just aceptable under the testing stages.
That situation is the perfect kitchen to cook any kind of trolls and riots.

For me:

I am looking you guys and talking about what how I see you.

I entered to the show like you, guys. But I could get out of Priusylitis.

 

[MikeFromEastCoast]

Someone said you were a 'riot' because they were amused by one of your posts. I don' t think it was intended as derogatory.

 

[evander]

It wasn't. I'm the poster, and in my day (way back) we used "riot" to mean very funny. Thanks for the clarification as I didn't mean any insult. But I wonder if Marchena already knew that. I think he's actually pretty sharp. That doesn't mean you're a needle, Marchena.

 

[RSnyder]

Yep, there's a certain cachet to owning a Prius. BMW drivers experience the same thing, but their ticket is much higher.

 

[rpm]

I lost my Priuslytis or whatever you call it after about the fourth recall. Or maybe it was the blown ECU on one of the service campaigns. Or the inability to get my dealer to deal with my low HID's. Now that I think about it, in 30 years of driving, and having owned about 2 dozen cars, the Prius is the least reliable I've ever had, even counting the old used ones.

Yet, I am still buying 2 2006's next winter...so maybe I'm having a relapse!

rpm

 

[hyperion]

NOPE, Your hooked on this milage thingy!

 

[idealflaw]

hey R-mar- what is your first language?

where are you 'from'?

 

[JDavies]

Then you are not alowed to exit the show due the Priusylitis Psicological State of Mind (PPSM) that will stay on you forever to make talk excellent about something (The Prius) that is just aceptable under the testing stages************************************************
Way to go RM. Tell it like it is. Tell us what to do as we are wandering in the wilderness.
Your msg has been forwarded to Cryptology HQ on the planet Zolton for analysis.

 

[Spartan1]

Marchena is not a needle - just a needler. I think he bought his Prius primarily because he enjoys pushing buttons.
Nothing wrong with that. Just got to take it all with a grain of salt ... and perhaps a Marguerita to go with the salt.

 

[evander]

I lost my Priuslytis or whatever you call it after about the fourth recall. Or maybe it was the blown ECU on one of the service campaigns. Or the inability to get my dealer to deal with my low HID's. Now that I think about it, in 30 years of driving, and having owned about 2 dozen cars, the Prius is the least reliable I've ever had, even counting the old used ones.

Yet, I am still buying 2 2006's next winter...so maybe I'm having a relapse!

rpm

I can't believe what I'm reading! How can you buy 2 new Priuses with such a bad service history? I'd really like to know. ( truly mpg?)

 

[rpm]

I can't believe what I'm reading! How can you buy 2 new Priuses with such a bad service history? I'd really like to know. ( truly mpg?)

I guess I accept the bugs as a consequence of the new technology, as opposed to just blaming it on poor build quality, etc. I've always loved Toyotas; my first car was a 72 Celica, and I've probably owned 10 or 12 of them (celicas, corollas, land cruisers, camrys) over the years, always (until the Prius) with excellent reliability results. I would say this is why I'm buying a 2006:

30% great MPG
30% great emissions
20% like the size, looks, utility of the hatchback, etc.
10% smart key
10% bluetooth

My guess is that my wife would be in fairly close agreement with my list. It's killing her to get rid of her perfect 2004 Accord, particularly as it has heated leather seats and a remote starter. However, the Accord is getting 26 mpg lifetime, and I will add the heated leather seats to her Prius.

When I buy a new car, I expect not to see the dealership for years, or even never again (I do my own oil changes)...unfortunately, that hasn't been true for my 2004 or 2005 Prii, but I have a feeling that the 2006's will be fine.

Rob

 

[evander]

As do we. Good luck.

 

[jeromep]

RPM, I'm sorry that you have had so much trouble with your car. But it sounds like you have a bad dealer more than you have a bad car. Nothing is worse than a dealer service department that is either unwilling or unable to fix your issue or provide a good reason for its occurance. Obfuscation, lying and other tactics seem to be commonplace in Toyota dealer service departments, especially when they mess things up, or don't bother to put in the time and energy to find information and solve a problem.

 

[DanMan32]

I concur. I was going to post something much like that myself.

Can't blame Toyota for a bad dealer.
Although blowing the ECU might not be the dealer's fault either. Seems the latest THHT software had flash issues causing the load to fail midstream. Toyota should have designed a boot loader into their ECUs so a flash could be retried. Motherboard bioses have the same potential problem, though these days that has been improved. If your flash loader fails, you had to return the MB, or do some tricks to reload a valid bios back into the flash rom.

 

[rpm]

I think you guys are misinterpreting me. Yes, one dealer did blow the ECU in my 2004 while doing one of the software updates. A different dealer (with whom I've had otherwise good experiences) had no clue on the HID thing on my 2005. But, I'm not talking about problems that are unique to my cars or my dealers.

My point is the high level of problems that the 2G Prius has experienced across the board (or frequently). The repeated software update recalls, now again resulting in ECU failures (which this time seems to be a Toyota problem as Dan points out, not a dealer problem); recalls for brake light switches, hood seals (and what am I missing?). The HID problem. The problem of dead MFD's.

My Accord's been recalled a couple of times, too, and it's not even a hybrid, so maybe it's a sign of the times and vehicles' increasing complexity. However, I could not in good faith consider or report the 2G Prius as a reliable vehicle, should Consumer Reports come asking.

rob

 

[DanMan32]

All cars have some issues somewhere down the line, especially new models. Most of what you describe were TSBs, not recalls.

I purchased my 2004 in August. Only 2 recalls that apply are 40J and 50P, and I never saw the problems that the 2 recalls fix, though the addressing could be better on the NAV. Brake switch doesn't apply.

I have the newer MFD, so of course I probably will never see a problem there.
I did get a glitch with the JBL amp, but cleared up once I restarted the car.
The reprogramming for many is preventative.

 

[rpm]

The car's just so damn cool, who cares about the occasional trip to the dealer...good time to pick up a couple of oil filters!

I do know one thing; if I ever manage to keep one of these past three years (which is my intention when I buy 'em!), I will (for the first time ever for any product) be buying an extended wty. thru PriusChat...

anyway, time to go home. hoping for a big snow tonight, as was predicted, so I can test out the new Blizzak Revos. Dan, don't you wanna move north?

rob

 

[hyperion]

My car picked up in March of 04. Got one letter from Toyota and had the brake switch repaired at the 5,000 mile check. Nothing heard from Toyota since and no mention of TSB's at my recent 10,000 mile check. Car runs like a good watch.

 

[Guest]

Definitely agree. No problems here and you can't find a Prius on many Toyota lots. Mention Prius and the dealers laugh in a sinister tone. This is the reason some of the low life white trash SUV posters come here. Sheer jealousy that we can just glide by in the HOV line using 1/3 the gas they do. LOL!!!

 

[drash]

My Accord's been recalled a couple of times, too, and it's not even a hybrid, so maybe it's a sign of the times and vehicles' increasing complexity. However, I could not in good faith consider or report the 2G Prius as a reliable vehicle, should Consumer Reports come asking.

rob

Comsumers Reports don't come calling. They send a pretty lengthy questionaire (and not just for cars) which I of course filled out and reported that my 2005 Prius, which I've had 1 year, has had 0 problems in the 9,000+ miles I've had it. Is my Prius the most reliable car I've owned? Yes. Don't confuse best reliability with no problems. I believe Prius owners still reported 3.2 problems per vehicle, but that was by far the lowest of all cars. They also reported they get 44 mpg (the best for any family sedan) but I get in excess of 50 mpg and my mileage is mostly city driving. What was astonishing was they got results from 17,000 Prius owners which I think is pretty high for a voluntary questionaire. And they keep sending you the questionaire for 5 years. That's where they get their data from.