MFD issues on '04/'05 Prius

[efusco]

Originally Posted by hobbit

Remember that the IEbus runs between the MFD and the stero, among
other things, and that's what the DICE unit needs to talk to
as well. The DICE is an aftermarket unit, developed at a time
when these digital communication protocols were somewhat new,
so if something spits bad protocol or waveforms onto your AVCLAN
then certainly the stereo and MFD will be affected.
.
_H*

Apparently the DICE does a LOT of spitting then! Pretty frustrating really.

[Mauison]

We just had this problem occur in our 04 Prius at approximately 46,000 miles. We're out of warranty BUT we had purchased the Platinum extended warranty and everything's covered, including a loaner car when they do the repair. Phew, the extended warranty just paid for itself.

[richard schumacher]

If only we could get everyone to post whose extended warranty didn't pay for itself...

[Bob Allen]

Originally Posted by mellowyellow

does any body know if the 2006 mfd will work in a 2004 ?

I think not, because the 2004-05 uses an analog display and in 2006 Toyota went digital.

[jdenenberg]

Originally Posted by richard schumacher

If only we could get everyone to post whose extended warranty didn't pay for itself...

Had I purchased an extended warranty, it would not have paid for itself as I have had almost no unscheduled maintenance costs in 45 months and 105k miles.

JeffD

[jdenenberg]

Originally Posted by efusco

When did you get your '05? Only a few of the early '05s are affected by the MFD problem. The easiest way to find out if you have the new/non-affected version is if when you hit the "INFO" button on the steering wheel that you can switch b/w the Energy screen and Consumption screen. --evan

Evan,

How can you tell if there is no "info" button?

JeffD

[efusco]

Originally Posted by jdenenberg

Evan,

How can you tell if there is no "info" button?

JeffD

Hmm, don't know, I thought they all had that.

[Feferl]

The MFD began acting up on our 04 Prius after 70,000 miles. The dealer told my wife he had never seen the problem before, and he said replacement would cost $4,000 plus labor. When she pressed him, he said he could get her a rebuilt replacement for $650. I then went online, discovered this thread, and downloaded the TSB. When I confronted the dealer with this information he immediately acknowledged the problem. He asked how much we'd be willing to pay, and I said nothing, since this was a defective part, Toyota knew about the defect, and the fact that the trouble only became apparent now, long after the warranty period, had nothing to do with wear-and-tear. The dealer called Toyota and they conceded: they've agreed to provide a free "one-time only" replacement. The dealer will still charge us for labor, which will be "under $133." In short, Toyota knows they have a problem, and if you push hard enough, Toyota Motor Corporation -- if not necessarily the local dealer -- will do what's right. By the way, other than this one problem our Prius has been trouble-free, we love the car, and now that our faith in Toyota has been restored, we will definitely buy another Prius when the time comes.

[efusco]

Originally Posted by Feferl

The MFD began acting up on our 04 Prius after 70,000 miles. The dealer told my wife he had never seen the problem before, and he said replacement would cost $4,000 plus labor. When she pressed him, he said he could get her a rebuilt replacement for $650. I then went online, discovered this thread, and downloaded the TSB. When I confronted the dealer with this information he immediately acknowledged the problem. He asked how much we'd be willing to pay, and I said nothing, since this was a defective part, Toyota knew about the defect, and the fact that the trouble only became apparent now, long after the warranty period, had nothing to do with wear-and-tear. The dealer called Toyota and they conceded: they've agreed to provide a free "one-time only" replacement. The dealer will still charge us for labor, which will be "under $133." In short, Toyota knows they have a problem, and if you push hard enough, Toyota Motor Corporation -- if not necessarily the local dealer -- will do what's right. By the way, other than this one problem our Prius has been trouble-free, we love the car, and now that our faith in Toyota has been restored, we will definitely buy another Prius when the time comes.

Not everyone's been as successful with the 'push hard enough' approach, but it's definately worth making your case. I wish Toyota would just extend the MFD warranty out to 100k, at least for the early '04/'05 MYs that are known to be defective...if for no other reason than to show their dedication to the Prius and the loyal early adopters.

[Mauison]

We got our screen replaced today and didn't even need the free loaner car, in and out in a few hours.

The invoiced amt was about $700, $0 for us.