Over temp !!!

With 4700 miles, this is a warranty repair, so the cost of the part may be interesting, but not really a concern, as long as it is successfully addressed and other things don't go wrong.

Concerning the CR reliability rating, let's just say that it has been received with a bit of scepticism in this forum. Especially when two identical models (the 2012 and 2013 plug-in) received vastly different ratings.

 

I dont think this is true at all. There may be a few individuals here who this may apply to. But generally speaking, this forum is where you will hear about any issues with the plug-in Prius first. Regardless of what anyone may think of Toyota or the car itself, if anything happens, people come here for answers first. No offense, but if you don't see that then its because you just dont frequent the forum that much. This is why someone like CharlesH, who is around a lot, can say CR's reports of "less than stallar" reliability can be viewed with skepticism.

I dont think anyone here is downplaying your personal experience. But to categorize the PiP as "less reliable" than the regular Prius based on your one experience doesn't make a whole lot of sense either. It would be the same as me saying my car has been 100% reliable.

 

I think that you will find that, if anything, the people on this forum tend toward the engineer/techie direction, and many would be quite capable of discussing detailed design issues with the Toyota engineers (if they could speak Japanese, anyway ). Lots of people here have OBD-II attachments so they can read out internal values on various internal systems.

I only brought up the CR issue, since at various times it has been a hot topic in this forum. In unrelated forums, CR ratings of technically sophisticated products tend to be received with a great deal of skepticism by those who work with that technology. Reports here of mechanical problems with the PiP are rare. And not because everyone here is wearing rose-colored glasses and feel that the PiP is God's gift to humanity. When issues come up, they are discussed; for example, the consensus is that the Display Audio System in the Base model is just plain lame, and there are all sorts of problems with the Bluetooth integration. But few issues with the actual operation of the car. In fact, many of us think that when CR is reporting reliability issues, that these must be issues with peripheral things like the audio/nav system. Obviously, in a complex product like the PiP, there are going to be component failures like what happened to you; that is why they have a warranty, to make it right. And it is important to share these experiences, so we can get a "heads up" about potential problems.

 

If you decide to illuminate the "change owner" light, you'll get a decent price for the pip.
Even with a sullied repair history, they hold their value fairly well.
If you live in a state like CA, people use the pip to get around the HO part of HOV lanes,increasing their demand.

You should consider changing dealerships.
Not getting a loaner car while a 3-month old, $30,000 Toyota is being treated for a non-trivial warranty issue?

Unacceptable.......for me.

YMMV.


Good Luck

 

The issue isn't that you had posted about a problem with your PiP. Many "enthusiasts" here have done so.

The issue was your initial post that indicated your opinion that the PiP was an unreliable, overly complex vehicle you can't wait to get rid of.

A bit of an overreaction, no? (And yes, my initial response to you was a bit snooty, but not intended to be malicious.)

 

Let us know how things go with your next test drive.
I think this is the first time, I have heard of this type of problem.

 

i think someone lost an inverter early on...

 

I would like to know what his other fleet of cars are?
I have owned 5 Toyotas over the years and have proven to me to be the most reliable dependable cars on the road. Be happy that the incident happen early on with a warranty in place. Toyota has built its reputation on quality and service to its customer's. So don't shoot the car down over a isolated incident. I wish you many happy future miles, and pockets filled with cash!

 

Factory mechanics aren't the best source of advice, and having to hit up Toyota corporate I think emphasizes that point. Like any other jobber, they'll say what they think they need to say to get the car in and out ASAP. A ton of service departments have done similar with failing/flakey 12V batteries in the Gen II. With that said... If Shigeyuki Hori told you to stay off a dyno, it would be something else entirely.

The issues using OBDII devices appear to be related to using an inappropriate transmission rate.

OBD Bluetooth adapters cause ABS error? | PriusChat

And the CR reliability issues were likely due to complaints about the nav/multimedia, which could be as much about ergonomics as reliability. I think a case by case examination of the complaints would be helpful.

 

I would say the tech is more knowledgeable than anyone on this forum, unless said person is a Toyota engineer. This is because they are specially trained and there is a lack of technical info available on this car.

 

I don't think that's the case. The FSM for the PIP is available to DL por gratis, and there are more than a few owners on this forum who are more thorough and better at troubleshooting for that reason alone than many service techs.

 

i believe you can pay by the day to use the on line manual, but i haven't heard of a free one.

 

In some respects, the Prius is complicated, but it has no fan belts. In all my years of driving, a broken fan belt has left me stranded more times than any other problem. Plus the transmission is simple and it has no starter motor.

 

Interesting juxtapositioning of "getting laid" and a "service" manual.