Update on Solar Charging Roof Not Working

I wrote a couple months ago about a problem with my solar charging roof. This is an update to that post. As I don't know where that one is, beginning a new post. If this forum is not the right one for it, please move it.

2025 Prius Plug-in XSE Premium with all premium features, including the solar charging roof. (Which I wanted because there is no place to plug in where I live, and the car is parked outdoors in the sun. (and I don't drive a lot. (922 miles now on the car, which I have had since July, about a half year.)

The solar charging roof worked at the beginning, adding about 3 miles of charge per day, while parked in the sun. I believe that is similar to what others on this forum have reported.

But in recent months, as I reported earlier, it stopped working. I notated the EV miles left on parking the car, it could sit out in the sun for multiple days, and no EV miles were added at all during that time. Clearly not working.

I finally brought it to Toyota Service this morning, Marina del Rey. I spoke to the rep there late this afternoon. She said they left it out in the sun, and that the tech there said it did charge, added .6 of a mile of charge during the day. She said that tech will go over it with me tomorrow.

I have noticed before there is something in Settings called "Solar Charging". When I looked at that before, it did show it was adding charge. Yet in reality it was not, as the EV miles on the main screen had not gone up at all. So I am guessing the tech looked at that screen and thought the solar charging was working, whereas in reality no EV miles were added. (besides, .6 of a mile per day is much less than the 3 or so miles I got before) (But again, lately I have left it multiple days in the sun and seen no increase at all in the EV miles left on the main screen.)

Any suggestion for discussing this with the tech tomorrow? I will not accept being told the solar charging is working, when it actually has not worked at all for months? Does anyone understand that screen under Settings, that may show that the solar is adding charge, when I see no actual charge added in the EV miles listed on the main screen?

Thank you in advance for any input. (Except for the guy who always writes that the solar charging roof is worthless. I don't need that input. I know it charges much slower than being plugged in, but the few miles per day of added charge while sitting in the sun was worth it to me before. Now not working at all.) Thank you for any real insight, and suggestions though, Thank you,

 

Note the following article: It says the solar roof could add up to 6.4 miles of charge daily when parked all day in the sun! I never got nearly that much (more like 3 miles), although as said, nothing at all in recent months. (although parked in bright sun). (How much have others usually got?)

So BS for that service dept to tell me that mine does work, that parked all day in the sun there today it added .6 of a mile charge, and that that is all it is supposed to add!

See the following article: Is The Prius Prime's Solar Roof Worth The Extra Cost?

I would still appreciate any tips on dealing with that service dept. tomorrow!

 

Another article: 2023 Toyota Prius Prime review: no longer an ugly duckling - Digital Trends

Quote from it: "After six hours parked in continuous sunlight, the car registered just 2.7 additional miles of electric range from solar charging."

Well, much less than 6.4 (see my previous comment), but only 6 hours, yet closer to what I used to get. Still far more than the .6 of a mile they told me today it is supposed to get. (although I actually have not been getting any solar charge lately)

 

Thank you. I now updated that thread too. Well, did you bring yours to a service dept too?

 

BTW folks, I added further updates to my old post about it. See link to it that AgentPTFC posted above. I will continue with updates there, not here.