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2 problems with my new 2021 XLE that the dealer claims is "Normal"

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by kc5dlo, Jan 19, 2021.

  1. kc5dlo

    kc5dlo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2015
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    Location:
    DFW TX
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    Noticed my week old Prius is making a fairly loud noise when the car is put into reverse and gets louder as it is driven in reverse. It also makes a similar but quieter noise when put into drive and when driving while the engine is not running. When I demonstrated the noise to the service writer, she exclaimed that it was Not normal. The other issue is the driver's interior door lock switch is not illuminated like the one on the passenger side is.

    Just got the call from the dealer that said everybody looked at it and determined that the noise is normal for the Prius and that the drivers door lock switch is not illuminated "for safety reasons" therefore also normal. I even reminder the service writer that she herself said the noise was not normal and she countered with the excuse that the car is a new model and she had not heard one yet.

    How should I approach these issues when I take it to another dealer? I did not notice the noise at the dealer when I picked up the car because I did not drive it backwards till I got home. The dealer i purchased it from is 200 miles away and took the car to the local dealership to have them look at it.
     
  2. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Describe the noise...
     
  3. kc5dlo

    kc5dlo Active Member

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    Location:
    DFW TX
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    Kind of a whirring noise. I drove my 2014 Prius 200,000 miles and it was virtually silent when the gas engine was not running. just putting the car in reverse while your foot is still on the brake and it is twice as loud as the motor would be. The noise going forward is much quieter and kinda reminds me of the sounds the "Jetson's" car would make increasing in pitch as the speed increases. That noise is barely noticeable and I could be convinced was normal yet different from my 2014.
     
  4. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    That’s nonsense. Return to the original dealer and ask them to check their online version of the Electrical Wiring Diagram (more info) for 2021 Prius cars. Under System Circuit: Vehicle Interior: Illumination, scroll to the right to see connector J7, Multiplex Network Master Switch Assembly (Toyota’s name for the driver’s door and window control switch unit), with its ILL+ and ILL- terminals and seven LEDs inside.
    That sounds like it might be the vehicle proximity notification system, new in fourth-generation Prius cars and now required by law as a pedestrian safety measure.
     
    kithmo, krmcg, alanclarkeau and 2 others like this.
  5. kc5dlo

    kc5dlo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2015
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    Location:
    DFW TX
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    I just got back from the dealer and a manager was able to talk me down from the ledge. He told me most of the 2021 Toyotas now make that noise and it is supposed to be at a frequency that even people with hearing difficulties can hear. He did not have an explanation for the door lock switch but assured me it too was working as designed. He offered to show me another car with the same thing and while he was getting the key fob to another car, I did a google search and saw many complaints about the new noise. The new car he brought up also had the noise and the door lock switch was not illuminated on the driver's side either.
     
  6. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    That's Vehicle Proximity Notification System (VPNS) sound. Starting 2020 or 2021 model, that sound has increased, and can not be customized anymore. The reverse makes it louder to warn the pedestrians you may not be able to see.
     
    kc5dlo and Merkey like this.