Dealer Inventory???

Hi-I have posted previously about getting the run around from my dealer about the car now that they have my deposit money. On the toyota website, when I do the build the prius and search the inventory, several vehicles are coming up with one saying available immediately (a different color than what I ordered, but would consider) and others like I ordered as being available on 6/23, 6/29, 7/1, etc. How accurate is this and are they actually allocated to this dealer? They have the last 6 of the VIN listed. Is there any way a dealer can search by VIN to get a better idea of availability or where these cars are being delivered? According to my dealer, they have no way of searching anything and I was told to just "be patient", it will work out and they will get my order.

I don't see the option to search inventory on the Toyota site, where is that? All I can find is each individual dealers inventory on their websites, and they are not always current. It would be great if I could see inventory for a broader area...

Your looking at South East Toyota inventory. The delivery dates are right. Vehicles with only last 6 digits of VIN are for the whole SE. That car could be headed to NC or Ala, who knows?
Right now thru 7-16-09 I see 1216 2010 prius listed.

If its full Vin # Then its your dealers car.

That is correct. Just go to buyatoyota.com and you'll find out all available Prius.
Your dealer may be willing to trade allocations with any other South Florida dealer, but it may be more difficult to do it with out of state dealers and such, but if you insist they may trade the allocation without having to move cars around. Everything is possible.

The only problem I personally foresee with sites like that are their inability to know what car's already got a deposit on it, or is spoken for, or is sold and not removed yet.

It's a tough thing, and I go thru it daily when folks even search our inventory and see cars I already have sold and spoken for, but because they show up as "in my inventory" thru Toyota, they show up at even our own website.

Someone asked me yesterday "should I look at your online inventory, or should I look at your Priuschat inventory?"... and since I don't do the dealership's inventory online task, I cannot keep it current or accurate. I guess for Prius, it's clearer and more accurate here daily (24 hours can change a lot of availability!) but cars I have had a deposit on for a few weeks will show up on the dealership website because they are still technically "there" till they arrive physically and are driven away. That would happen at every dealership on the site you refer to as well.

I'd always call the dealership and check. When it comes to Prius, call n' check with your locals. Of course, when it comes to Prius in SoCal, I'd call me (LOL) ... no seriously, even if I don't show the car as being available or coming, I am often able to obtain it on trade (port trade) in many different ways!

Di