Refurbished MFD - Should I be concerned?

Abq Richard · 09-01-2006, 01:46 PM

The MFD on my 2006 failed after only 5 months/5000 miles. They want to replace it with a refurbished MFD, not a new one, which I am told is standard procedure. Does anyone have any sense if this is something I should be concerned about? I did not have terrific luck with the longevity of a refurbished CD changer, but don't know if refurbished components are generally less reliable. The MFD is a comparatively troublesome component of the Prius, and I don't want to do anything that makes it more likely that I will experience further problems in the future. Any guidance from those of you who have some experience or knowledge about this would be appreciated.

Richard

galaxee · 09-01-2006, 02:01 PM

haven't heard of any problems with a refurbished MFD yet, so no worries. how did yours fail? what did it do?

Abq Richard · 09-01-2006, 02:08 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Sep 1 2006, 12:01 PM) [snapback]312856[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

haven't heard of any problems with a refurbished MFD yet, so no worries. how did yours fail? what did it do?
[/b]

Mine just totally died. No flickering or intermittancy like some reported in other threads. The screen was just blank a week ago Thursday when I turned the the car on to drive home after work.

eagle33199 · 09-01-2006, 02:09 PM

At minimum, i'd confirm with them what the warrenty coverage will be on the refurbished MFD...

refurbished generally means someone sent the part back in because it wasn't working (like your MFD, for example), they took it apart, found the part that was broken, and fixed it... you might think this takes a bunch of added time and effort and they could give you a new one cheaper, but in reality they'd be doing most of it anyways to try to figure out if there's a comon failure point in the item and why.

So refurbished should mean fully functional, no more problems. I'd guess that with your CD changer it just wasn't that great of a design anywawys, and destined to fail early, regardless of being refurbished or not.

Abq Richard · 09-01-2006, 02:47 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Sep 1 2006, 12:09 PM) [snapback]312861[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

At minimum, i'd confirm with them what the warrenty coverage will be on the refurbished MFD...

refurbished generally means someone sent the part back in because it wasn't working (like your MFD, for example), they took it apart, found the part that was broken, and fixed it... you might think this takes a bunch of added time and effort and they could give you a new one cheaper, but in reality they'd be doing most of it anyways to try to figure out if there's a comon failure point in the item and why.

So refurbished should mean fully functional, no more problems. I'd guess that with your CD changer it just wasn't that great of a design anywawys, and destined to fail early, regardless of being refurbished or not.
[/b]

I will still have the remainder of my three year warranty on the MFD. I was also told that there is a one year warranty on the part, so if this happened to you near the end of your warranty period or after, you would have some additional protection.

You're probably right about the CD changer, although it was, in theory, a higher end component.

**Tideland Prius** · 09-02-2006, 02:19 AM

Yeah ask if that 5 months will get added on after the basic warranty expires (IOW, see if you can get the MFD covered for a full 3 years)

Abq Richard · 09-04-2006, 04:42 PM

I haven't decided what I'm going to do on this yet, although I don't know that it is worth making a fuss over. FWIW, though, the warranty provides: "Any needed parts replacement will be made using new or remanufactured parts." The question then is: who gets to pick? Interestingly, that paragraph goes on to say that the decision as to whether to replace or to repair parts will be made by the dealership or Toyota, but it doesn't address who is to make the decision as to replacement with new or remanufactured parts. Since it didn't reserve that right to itself or the dealership, however, I would think I should at least have some say in that matter. There is an arbitration provision to resolve disputes, to take not more than 40 days.

09-01-2006, 02:09 PM	#4
eagle33199 Platinum Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 4,283 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #7 Thanks: 35 Thanked 70 Times in 40 Posts Friends: 3	At minimum, i'd confirm with them what the warrenty coverage will be on the refurbished MFD... refurbished generally means someone sent the part back in because it wasn't working (like your MFD, for example), they took it apart, found the part that was broken, and fixed it... you might think this takes a bunch of added time and effort and they could give you a new one cheaper, but in reality they'd be doing most of it anyways to try to figure out if there's a comon failure point in the item and why. So refurbished should mean fully functional, no more problems. I'd guess that with your CD changer it just wasn't that great of a design anywawys, and destined to fail early, regardless of being refurbished or not. __________________

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09-01-2006, 01:46 PM	#1
Abq Richard Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Albuquerque, N.M. Posts: 56 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	The MFD on my 2006 failed after only 5 months/5000 miles. They want to replace it with a refurbished MFD, not a new one, which I am told is standard procedure. Does anyone have any sense if this is something I should be concerned about? I did not have terrific luck with the longevity of a refurbished CD changer, but don't know if refurbished components are generally less reliable. The MFD is a comparatively troublesome component of the Prius, and I don't want to do anything that makes it more likely that I will experience further problems in the future. Any guidance from those of you who have some experience or knowledge about this would be appreciated. Richard

09-01-2006, 02:01 PM	#2
galaxee resident lab rat Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: boilermaker territory Posts: 9,675 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: N/A Package: #5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 93 Times in 37 Posts Friends: 26	haven't heard of any problems with a refurbished MFD yet, so no worries. how did yours fail? what did it do?

09-02-2006, 02:19 AM	#6
Tideland Prius Moderator of the North Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 19,606 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: N/A Package: Technology Package (Canada) Thanks: 227 Thanked 343 Times in 242 Posts Friends: 23	Yeah ask if that 5 months will get added on after the basic warranty expires (IOW, see if you can get the MFD covered for a full 3 years)

09-04-2006, 04:42 PM	#7
Abq Richard Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Albuquerque, N.M. Posts: 56 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I haven't decided what I'm going to do on this yet, although I don't know that it is worth making a fuss over. FWIW, though, the warranty provides: "Any needed parts replacement will be made using new or remanufactured parts." The question then is: who gets to pick? Interestingly, that paragraph goes on to say that the decision as to whether to replace or to repair parts will be made by the dealership or Toyota, but it doesn't address who is to make the decision as to replacement with new or remanufactured parts. Since it didn't reserve that right to itself or the dealership, however, I would think I should at least have some say in that matter. There is an arbitration provision to resolve disputes, to take not more than 40 days.