New 2010 repeatedly needs to be towed in...

Welcome and major bummer on the issues. I would look into your local lemon laws. But I would think that as long as they are trying to "fix" it, your stuck with it. You might bring the subject up with your salesman/manager.

 

You should have a brochure with your Owner's manuals that outlines the Lemon Law for each State. In GA if it's in more than X number of time within the first year it's calssified a Lemon. These rules very by State so I would consult the brochure and if it hits the criteria to be classified a Lemon, they have to buy it back from you.

 

The highlighted tells me a lot about your dealership.

I've NEVER met a dealership - EVER - that made the damning statement that the workmanship on a brand new car (one of their products), coming from the manufacturer, had "shoddy workmanship". Seems to me, by so doing, they just gave you all the ammunition you need to proceed...if this has "shoddy workmanship", then what else is shoddy?

But then, the dealer supposedly fixes the "shoddy" work done by Toyota in Japan, only to find out a day latter, that their own fix - on a VERY simple problem - didn't work?

Com'on?!

Finally, why does it take any dealer "5 days" to fix a "hoses off" problem?? This is not rocket science...or is it?

Something doesn't sound right to me.

 

Google "lemon laws" and find the one for your state. Armed with that info, you'll be in a better position to discuss the situation with the dealer.

You mentioned you drive on secondary roads. Are you sure the damage hasn't been caused by the car bottoming out?

 

How far are you from Huntsville, AL?

I'd like to take a peek at this critter if it is reasonable close.

Bob Wilson

 

To my point - It sounds like your dealership, or at least the manager at your dealership is NOT very professional.

I've NEVER heard of someone within a dealership saying the workmanship on a new product was "shoddy". That's just not professional, at all. I've worked in this business all my life, and if I ever heard that someone from a dealership was telling customers the prooduct they just bought had "shoddy" workmanship...well, they would be gone in a heart beat. That does not instill customer confidence, and is compeletely counter-productive to solving your problem.

Again, flags would go off if they claimed something was wrong with the battery, yet, hoses came off...

Is this a new new Toyota dealership? Sounds to me they have some issues...

Too bizzar. Flags going off....and if what you describe is all accurate, I would be looking for a different dealership. I would have ZERO trust in anything they told me.

 

i would be in contact with toyota. the corporate version, not the dealer.

 

this story sounds like the woman that posted here about a prius problem in the mid-west or texas area?

her husband was in the armed forces.

 

I also live in NC. Can you give us an idea of where your dealer is located? Would be interested in knowing. Our dealer is in GA and is supposed to have an excellent reputation. Hope your problems are over soon.

 

Please rat out the dealer. I agree it is time to start talking to Toyota and send them a letter apprising them of the situation so far. Good luck.

 

Another NC resident here that would be interested in knowing what dealer you are working with. I agree with letting Toyota corporate know about this dealer.

Maybe one of us NC residents can recommend another dealer if this becomes necessary.

 

So I think the general consensus is start to document. If it's 4 strikes and your out with the lemon laws, you want to be able to point to 4 attempts clearly defined.

Unfortunately, you might want to contact a lawyer that deals with these situations. I know nobody ever wants to contact a lawyer, but a car is a big investment, and if you have indeed gotten a lemon it might be worth it.

I also would recommend looking for a new dealer, but I wonder if that resets the # of strikes?

The assembly line process really does create a uniformity usually of both quality and potential defect in modern auto making. It's still possible that competent diagnosis and repair could result in your problems being solved. Just sounds to me like you have yet to have a good diagnosis or repair.

Good luck.

 

Yep.

So, first strike are the hoses coming off...BUT, even that, when asked a direct question as to whether the OP might have hit, or run over something knocking off the hoses....the OP never replied to that question. So, is that the 1st strike? Who was at fault here - the operator, or the car?? As we all know, a lot of the blame that Toyota has taken this past year, was clearly operator or dealership error, and not "shoddy" engineering or manufacturing from Toyota. I'm not saying that's the case here, but...flags are going off. Something fishy here.


As for what the dealer did, or more likely didn't do to properly diagnose the problem and fix it properly (ie, hoses came off a 2nd time after dealer supposedly fixed the problem), does not count as another strike.

 

So you're already up to strike #3 with last night's 'system drive' going down? Yes, document each and every instance in detail. Print out a copy of the lemon laws for NC. Call Toyota corporate AND FedEx a copy of all your documentation to someone in charge.

Then go to your dealer with the same documentation and let them know the car will need to be taken back according to the lemon laws of NC.

Engage the services of a lawyer, if needed. Even if they only write a threatening letter, that may be enough to convince the dealer to honor the law.

 

Your many complaints might be genuine? I don't know? But if they are, then it's clear your dealership is taking you for a ride.

You say you live in the Triad area (I know it well), but won't mention the dealership. Why? They've either mis-diagnosed the problem, or, did a "shoddy" fix, themselves. Further, it sounds like you have been inconvenienced - multiple times - by the dealership. So what's the issue in not wanting to mention who your dealership is? That's partly what this board is for - to share information with other consumers. Or are you simply here to vent your anger/frustration?

It's extremely rare to get shoddy workmanship right from the factory...especially on a Toyota. Bad engineering designs, or material/parts are more common. It's even rarer, still, to get a dealership that says the manufacturer did "shoddy" workmanship. I'm in the business and it's very unprofessional...so I would question your dealership.

As to your problems...can you back up and list them chronologically? So far we've heard hoses coming off - twice. We've heard about a failed battery (which one) - twice. Now we hear the cars CPU has been replaced. I fail to see how hoses coming off (which is what your first complaint was), relates to a failed battery, and then a failed/faulty CPU on the Prius?? Either this is just troll material (and there have been quite a few here back in the Winter/Spring), or, your dealership is inept, and trying to run up a healthy tab at Toyota's expense, and wasting your time in the process.

So, I'll ask it again - who is your dealership? Maybe I know someone at your dealership?