Is it just me, or is the Prius awefully easy to bottom out!

sl7vk · 07-23-2006, 11:59 PM

Ok, I have 800 miles on this car and I've already bottomed out a couple of times. Now I think I've got it figured out, and I take any bump at about 1 mph.... Like a neurotic 85 year old woman. But washing my car today, aside from a couple of scratches on the plastic thing that is under the front bumper, I noticed that I had jarred one of the bolts free that is holding the plastic thingy down.

The passenger side is drooping sadly, and I was wondering what size bolt I need, and where I can obtain one? Thanks in advance.

brandon · 07-24-2006, 12:15 AM

Huh. No problems here, but I've always driven vehicles that are low to the ground. What kind of "bumps" are you running into on normal roadways?

Alnilam · 07-24-2006, 12:41 AM

I think it bottoms out easily. I've got a dip in the road leading to my house and I've learned to slow way down. I hate that sound.

sl7vk · 07-24-2006, 12:46 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ Jul 24 2006, 12:15 AM) [snapback]291269[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Huh. No problems here, but I've always driven vehicles that are low to the ground. What kind of "bumps" are you running into on normal roadways?
[/b]

I'm just talking about turning off a road and having to go through a gutter before engaging the street. Most of my problems are when I'm pulling out of a gutter, not when I'm pulling into one. Some of the streets have rather steep grades and the transitions between two streets can be a bit rough at times. I don't bottom her out anymore, but I really have to creep through these gutters and not a mph more!

AuntBee · 07-24-2006, 01:05 AM

Happens to mine in the same spot of road routinely, no matter how slow I go. But I can tell from the marks in the asphalt left by other cars that it's the road, not Ruby's fault.

j24816 · 07-24-2006, 01:30 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AuntBee @ Jul 23 2006, 10:05 PM) [snapback]291308[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Only place I have a problem is pulling out of my driveway. Contractor who did the sidewalks decided to be clever; all the homes in my tract have steep drop to the street. Scrape the underside every morning, never pulling back in. Not sure what sort of damage its doing.[/b]

daronspicher · 07-24-2006, 08:01 AM

I found that Utah has a different design mentality for the gutters where the street meets the road. Maybe it's an 'out west' thing, and especially St. George. I think they do it because when they get rain, it's dumped hard and fast and it all runs off quick.

The gutters are not so pronounced in the midwest..

withersea · 07-24-2006, 09:39 AM

Same for me. Pulling out of the drive- it sometimes scrapes but backing in the drive it is OK. It is pretty low to the ground.

Starfall · 07-24-2006, 12:35 PM

How does the Prius do with speed bumps or humps?

sl7vk · 07-24-2006, 12:47 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Starfall @ Jul 24 2006, 12:35 PM) [snapback]291443[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

How does the Prius do with speed bumps or humps?
[/b]

Just fine. The humps no prob, the bumps take them slowly. It's just these gutter transitions that are killing me here!

07-23-2006, 11:59 PM	#1
sl7vk Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 512 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #3 Thanks: 2 Thanked 15 Times in 14 Posts Friends: 1	Ok, I have 800 miles on this car and I've already bottomed out a couple of times. Now I think I've got it figured out, and I take any bump at about 1 mph.... Like a neurotic 85 year old woman. But washing my car today, aside from a couple of scratches on the plastic thing that is under the front bumper, I noticed that I had jarred one of the bolts free that is holding the plastic thingy down. The passenger side is drooping sadly, and I was wondering what size bolt I need, and where I can obtain one? Thanks in advance. __________________ Magnetic Gray 06

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07-24-2006, 12:15 AM	#2
brandon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Manhattan, KS Posts: 771 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts Friends: 0	Huh. No problems here, but I've always driven vehicles that are low to the ground. What kind of "bumps" are you running into on normal roadways?

07-24-2006, 12:41 AM	#3
Alnilam The One in the Middle Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Carlsbad, CA Posts: 760 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Friends: 0	I think it bottoms out easily. I've got a dip in the road leading to my house and I've learned to slow way down. I hate that sound.

07-24-2006, 01:05 AM	#5
AuntBee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 2,383 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 4	Happens to mine in the same spot of road routinely, no matter how slow I go. But I can tell from the marks in the asphalt left by other cars that it's the road, not Ruby's fault.

07-24-2006, 08:01 AM	#7
daronspicher Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,205 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I found that Utah has a different design mentality for the gutters where the street meets the road. Maybe it's an 'out west' thing, and especially St. George. I think they do it because when they get rain, it's dumped hard and fast and it all runs off quick. The gutters are not so pronounced in the midwest..

07-24-2006, 09:39 AM	#8
withersea DNF is better than DNS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: TN Posts: 1,154 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: III Package: Solar Roof Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 2	Same for me. Pulling out of the drive- it sometimes scrapes but backing in the drive it is OK. It is pretty low to the ground.

07-24-2006, 12:35 PM	#9
Starfall Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 215 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	How does the Prius do with speed bumps or humps?