Generation III reliability concerns

Please cite credible sources about how they have slipped "a lot" in quality. Floor mat and potentially sticky pedal recalls don't indicate bad or slipping "quality".

That said, I would expect the first model year of a new generation or new model to have somewhat worse to much worse reliability than subsequent model years, w/the latter being quite true of the likes of some of the more unreliable car makers.

 

Prius was always the most reliable model and I find that P3 is as reliable as the former models. I owned mine since 6 months but untill now I don't have doubts.

 

I'm upto 13k miles (6 months) of hard taxi-ing and all is well (touch wood). At first I did have some doubts as I thought the interior cloth looked cheap, but it is holding up very well.

It is early days as I intend to keep the car another 4 and a half years yet, but early days it's doing good.

 

The only repair i have needed in the 10 months 15k i have drove my car was to replace the dash cover on the lower left side of the dash. This part never fit right from the factory. They replaced it all is good.

 

From the Prius point of view, perhaps. But not the technology itself. Pieces of it have already been in use in other HSD hybrids for awhile now. Since they had a next-model upgrade sooner, they got the improvement sooner. And they haven't had any trouble.

At 17,064 miles in my 2010 now, it's clearly delivering as promised... in many respects.
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At 10 months and 13,000 miles, not a single problem yet.

 

I'm at 17K miles with no reliability problems, but I do understand the concerns. Yes, Toyota definitely has some quality control problems.

This is my third new Toyota, the other two were free of any manufacturing defects. This one, unfortunately, not so. There were 5 missing bolts and a 6th one half way out in the front spoiler, headlights aimed so low I would overdrive them at 30 MPH, Brake light cruise control cancel switch adjusted wrong (by quite a bit), and the interior has been full of rattles.

No show stoppers that would leave me stranded, no reliability problems, nothing that was to hard to fix, except the rattles. More like a Monday morning or Friday afternoon Detroit product than a Toyota though.

But with all those fairly minor things wrong one wonders, what else that I can't see is about to fall apart? Probably nothing and I plan on keeping the car for quite a while because I like it a lot, except for the rattles, but I do think about it.

 

I've owned two other Toyotas, both 4Runners and extremely reliable. Now have the Gen# Prius, model IV with 16K miles on it. I had some rattling in the dash and took it to the dealer. They pulled the dash (I know, big risk) and put in sounded deadening stuff and replaced the dash. Solved about 80% of the problem and they did a really good job.

Notice the minor brake problem from the beginning. Didn't think it was dangerous. But took it in because of recall. They fixed it in 20 minutes and it's been fine. So is this unreliability? I don't think so. It seems to be working out the bugs in a very complex vehicle. Would I buy another Prius? Definitely.

 

PikRok - Reading your post suggest to my mind that you are making an effort to convince yourself there could be problems. We all know motorist that have experienced problems with every make and model. Do your self a favor .... Look at this months Consumer Report magazine (2010 auto issue) it should be re-assuring. Toyota and especially the Prius receive rave reviews in every category. Then thumb through the competition ... especially the section on reliability since that is your concern.

The Prius is not a perfect automobile; Toyota is not a perfect manufacturer, what is importatnt is the experience you are having with your vehicle, the relationship with your dealer/service ........... and if you are still concerned ... sell it. It is not worth a frayed peace of mind if you are going to constantly "anx" every day, every mile.

In my [long] life I have owned 4 Ford's, 2 Mazda's, 4 VW's, 2 Acura's,3 Toyota's, 3 Honda's, and one Dodge. I have never really had a problems with any, which suggest to me that routine, preventive maintenance which I have always done, is essential,including routine oil changes; rotating the tires and etc. are necessary.

I own a Prius G3 with 10,000 miles. To date, I have changed the oil twice, tires rotated twice, and had the ECU update (which I did not feel necessary, but feared the insurance company would check if I was ever in an accident and possibly use failure to have it done as a reason to not pay). I did buy the extended warranty when I purchased the car, but quite frankly, after owning it for 9 months, I am confident that I shall never need to use the policy.

After reading all the post ... see if you can name a better vehicle. Post your candidate, and await all the responses of people that owned one and considered it a piece of junk.

 

My late mother would have told me I was crazy for buying the first year of a new model, and cwerdna obviously agrees--to some extent. In fact Gen III Prius was the first time I bought a first year model--thus far, it's been fine.

One thing that is different from the time of my mother's wisdom--Toyota does "rolling updates" so for important safety things (e.g., the brake issue), you don't have to wait for 2011.

On the other hand, if you can wait a while, you might want to listen to my mother and wait for 2011.

 

One of the best cars that I have ever owned!

 

In 2004 a friend who had owned a Prius 1 for several years recommended I buy a Prius II. I did. I had no problem in the 5 years I owned it, though it which had been entirely re-engineered since the Prius 1. I bought a Prius III in June 2009 and feel no cause for concern. Given the history, why should I?

 

PikRok, what are you driving now?

 

Excuse me? You have data that shows the PRIUS is slipping in terms of reliability? Links, please.

Please don't white-wash the Prius (after all, that is the car you are talking about), with the same big brush that's used to paint all of Toyota's many products. I own a PRIUS, and could care less about the problems/issues with the Tundra, or other vehicles that Toyota makes. Unless the issues in question on these other vehicles are also shared in common with the Prius, it's completely irrelevant.

But even if reliability has slipped a bit, so what? You already own a G3. Go ahead and sell it at a loss based on the "concerns" that reliability may, or may not have slipped. Avoid the rush to sell, and put it on the market now. WOW!

Sounds like more freekin' hysteria to me. It absolutley boggles my mind the number of people on this site that have nothing better to do, than to worry about what "could" happen? OMG, the sky is falling.

But here's the bottom line (if this gives you any reassurances) - If there are any problems with the G3, because of new components, etc...chances are, those problems will manifest themselves well within the warranty period. Stop worrying about things you have no control over at this point.

Get a grip.

 

I brought my 2010 Prius V w/AT package back in May of 2009. The only thing that I had done with the Prius since I brought it was an oil change. My 2010 Prius V runs great, no problems with it what so ever. It is like a Timex watch, it keeps on ticking.