1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

How Durable Are These Plastic Hubcaps?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by crellion, Oct 4, 2010.

  1. crellion

    crellion Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2010
    48
    0
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Just had a tire-rotation for my first 5k miles. Afterwards I drove several miles down the highway to a store before I noticed my back-driver hubcap wasn't installed back on correctly. Part of the hubcap plate is still popped-out.

    In a panic I drove back to the service depot, and the guy just used his hands and popped the hubcap back in.

    Which make me wonder - how durable are they hubcaps anyways - considering I had been driving down the highway with part of its flap sticking out of the wheel-rim?
     
  2. Joe166

    Joe166 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2009
    720
    96
    0
    Location:
    South Florida
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    V
    They are as durable as most plastic hub caps.

    And there are a lot of them on the market.
     
  3. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    9,083
    5,796
    0
    Location:
    Undisclosed Location
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    There built to do what they are demanded to do.

    Which is BE a plastic hub cap.

    I don't mean to sound sarcastic but how durable do they need to be? Basically as long as they can stay in place...and not crack due to enviromental changes...then that's about as durable as they need to be or I would expect them to be designed to be.

    If your's wasn't installed correctly...then that's the problem. If it wasn't installed correctly because a tab is defective? Then that's a different problem. But in general a plastic hubcap is such a basic piece of equipment...no moving parts...it is what it is.

    Have heard complaints about how they look...but not too many complaints about any durability issues.
     
  4. Superdrol

    Superdrol Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2010
    399
    32
    0
    Location:
    ...........
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    the hubcaps are supposed to help with the fuel economy. They were designed to.
     
  5. Paul58

    Paul58 Mileage Miser

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2010
    1,126
    125
    3
    Location:
    Atlanta
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I expect mine to last quite awhile, they are being stored in my garage!
     
  6. jayrider

    jayrider Member

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2010
    163
    17
    0
    Location:
    southwest illinois
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Mine should last a bit longer -- they are in my heated and cooled basement.
     
  7. crellion

    crellion Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2010
    48
    0
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    So I reckon even with normal circumstances, these hubs can crack and break from weather conditions?
     
  8. Superdrol

    Superdrol Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2010
    399
    32
    0
    Location:
    ...........
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    rofl!
     
  9. Blizzard10

    Blizzard10 New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2010
    168
    38
    0
    Location:
    Queens, NYC
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Hub cap panic
    :rofl:
     
  10. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2009
    1,821
    255
    0
    Location:
    Cleveland, OH
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I took mine off the first week I had the car. I get an average of 60MPG. There is no reason to put them back on.
     
  11. rrolff

    rrolff Prius Surgeon

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2009
    1,610
    246
    0
    Location:
    So Cal
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Please site your reference for "designed to".

    It has already been proven that adding mud flaps actually increases mileage (forum search), and hub caps have been shown more than once to cause more poor performance.
     
  12. subarutoo

    subarutoo New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2006
    1,213
    23
    0
    Location:
    Chatsworth, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    My 06 Trim rings (equivalent to new hubcaps) have held up very well since Jan. 2006. They have been hanging on my garage wall, and look good as new! Garage, basemant, take your pick, just anywhere but on the car.
     
  13. Mailmandolin

    Mailmandolin Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2009
    20
    0
    4
    Location:
    Santa Rosa CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I lost one of my hubcaps :eek:. About a month later I found the hubcap in the bushes at a grocery store. I once was lost, but now am found.:)
     
  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,837
    16,073
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Chief Engineer Otuska-san

    They probably just didn't snap it properly that's all. It has a metal wire that runs near the edges of the cover to hold it in place.
     
  15. jburns

    jburns Senior Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2005
    829
    111
    0
    Location:
    Archdale, NC
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Once I was driving along and a huge bird dropping hit my windshield. I turned on the wipers but it was on the part of the windshield not covered by the sweep of the blade. In a panic I drove back to the service depot.

    A Toyota tech took out a rag and was just about to wipe it off when the service manager walked up and told him not to because it looked like the droppings of an endangered Foo bird. The service tech just laughed at him and wiped the goop from the windshield. Immediately all four plastic hubcaps popped off the car and went rolling around the service bays.

    Moral: When the Foo shits wear it.
     
    1 person likes this.
  16. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2009
    1,821
    255
    0
    Location:
    Cleveland, OH
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    This is dead on, so true, perfect!!!!