Splash Guard Problem 2010 model

Do you have pictures to show how the cut look like, to prove that it is not cut by a tool rather than torn up when dragging on the ground?

 

Welcome! Sorry about the issue. Someone else just recently had this problem too. I will look for the thread.
Meantime, if you have to get the part, order it online and save a few bucks. Get the part # from the dealer and search for it like at parts.com.

 

Hello,

I thought I'd try to get information that might have come up from this thread, before starting a new one.

I had an oil change done a few months ago (dealership) and all my work has been at dealerships (not the same one). The car is an early-build 2010 w/ ~ 25k mi on it. I noticed after hearing a scrape backing out of a garage that the rear portion of this plastic shield/access door/splash guard/whatever you call it is flapping in the breeze. As I was 80 mi from home when I discovered this, I had no choice but to drive it home. Now as I look at it, it seems to be coming looser. I am quite sure I haven't run over anything that would have done this damage--my guess is that one or more plastic clips may have come loose, were not put in correctly, or just broke (looking at pics of them they look pretty cheap). Also, fwiw, I've seen several other 2010s driving around with the thing hanging down... So, some questions:

- VirginiaGirl, did you ever get satisfaction from your dealership?
- Spiderman, did you ever find the thread you mentioned? (I seem unable to find it but maybe I just don't know what to call the part).
- Have others had this problem? If so, has the dealership been cooperative?

Any info greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Tim

 

I have had this problem.

When I did my first oil change I noticed that the front underside panel, which should be held up by 6 bolts in front and some push pins toward the back, was loose. 5 of its 6 bolts were missing and the last one was finger tight. They didn't come loose by themselves and no one had been under the car since it left the factory. They had simply neglected to tighten them or left them out completely on the assembly line.

I suspect this may be what happened to you also and the front of the panel dropped down on the highway and broke. Just because it broke in a straight line across the panel doesn't mean it was cut. That kind of excuse is typical of some dealers when something goes wrong, blame someone else first and if that doesn't work blame the owner.

 

Yo Tim, here is one of the related posts. I believe there was another.

 

I just did my 2nd oil change over the weekend, and noticed that the large part of the splash guard was flopping around. After going "hmm, that doesn't seem right", I noticed that about 4 or 5 of the cheap, plastic rivet things were missing. Since I was going to the dealership yesterday anyway, I decided to have them replace them. This is where it gets interesting from what they told me (among other things, they didn't know what they were talking about).

1 - The rivets are designed to break, so that the oil pan doesn't get damaged. Really? Really? I find this to smell a little of BS to me. Can anyone explain to me why/how this actually makes sense? Designing the rivets to break, seems like a great way to cause damage to the car!

2 - To make it better, the rivet pieces aren't covered under warranty??? They charge $2 EACH to replace them. Seriously, a 10 cent piece, and you are charging $2 for each one??? Anyway, I have the part # at home for these cheap things. I plan to look online and see what the price is for them.

3 - I plan to measure the diameter of the hole openings, anywhere that the guard is connected to a piece of metal. Heck, maybe I won't even take that into consideration. I MIGHT go find some screws/bolts with a coarse thread and screw it into place. Has anyone else done this yet? Any info on the size/type of screw or bolt used?

 

^ Screws sound like a good plan. Man those service guys will just come up with the stupidest stories... good grief. Use a lock washer and you will probably just need two (screws).

 

I was just going to get a coarse thread screw and firm it down. I don't want to go overboard, but I may convert them all over, just in case somehow I lose one. Then I can just remove one and move it over.

They also told me that the brake software update was because the brakes weren't engaging. I tried to explain to her what it was really doing, but "her understanding was...." I didn't argue, wasn't worth my breath. Just makes me feel better that I'm doing the routine maintenance and not them!

 

Amen brother!

 

Hi
This is my first time posting on this forum.
I just had a similar problem with the splash shield. After I had the 1st maintenance check up at the dealership, I drove from ny to toronto. On my way back on the highway, the splash shield came loose and hit the ground, scrapping the front and there was a crack in the middle of the splash shield. The service personnel blamed me for hitting something on the road, (when in my opinion, there was nothing to hit in the highway.) They also claimed that warranty doesn't cover this. They were only willing to change the screws and the clips for free.
I am wondering is your problem, since it is similar to mine, successfully resolved with your dealer's service department? If so, how did you do it? if not, will another service department from another dealer will do this, since my car is only 1 year old. is it true that warranty won't cover this problem?

Many thanks.

 

In my case, I was lucky enough that the rear clips were the ones that failed, so there was only minor scraping (e.g., backing out of a garage). But, yes, the service-tron intimated that 'when I ran over something the clips must have come loose..." They charged me $3.50 or so per clip with no labor, and I was really not in the mood to argue that day (sometimes I am), so I just paid the $7 or so and left as soon as I could.

I believe you are correct that the warranty won't cover it, since it is 'maintenance' and they have plausible deniability on their side. In any case, it is really a cheap set-up, unbecoming of Toyota, especially in their quest to restore their reliability reputation.

It can't hurt to b*tch up the chain of command (politely but firmly) and hopefully get another splash guard. The things are made out of cheap plastic, yet cost hundreds, so there's definitely an untoward profit margin. Good luck and stick to your guns. And, to answer your last question, it also cannot hurt to go to another dealer, try with them (telling them you'll give them your business long-term if they treat you right) and also telling the first one you are shopping around for someone who treats you better, who will get your service from then on. May make them change their minds. This does seem to be a common problem and I expect they'll 'upgrade' the set-up when they do a mid-cycle re-vamp of the Gen III. Keep receipts in case that happens...

~T

 

I just had my shield break this am. It did look like it was cut but the mechanic at Toyota said it probably ripped when I backed up. He said it serves no purpose and not to worry about it. We then tossed the broken piece in the garbage. He siad it's a flimsy piece of s----. He said the Corrolla has the same engine and no shield. Do you think they put it on the Prius to try to make it more aerodynamic?

 

I had my splash guard fall off while on the freeway in January of 2010. Although I purchased a bumper to bumper warranty (a stupid decision) the dealer told me the same bs I'm reading here - that these typically come off due to "hitting something" and damage is assumed to be due to road hazards, and is not covered.

I let them know I wasn't happy, and I had not so much as scraped a parking spot curb that I knew of. The service manager replaced it for free (the entire plastic panel had to be replaced since it fell off when I was on the freeway and the short driving it took to get to the side of the freeway tore it up). He replaced it as a one time, "courtesy" goodwill fix.

Now here it is, six months later, and my 21 year old daughter is on her way from So. California to Arizona. Lo and behold, the darn thing fell down again. It sounds like you're driving while dragging a plastic garbage can when this happens! She's on the side of the road, near Blythe, waiting for AAA.

This is BS. Toyota uses some plastic clips to hold this piece in place. It's flimsy and poorly secured, which makes no sense for something that sits less than a foot from the road! I called the dealer, and the service advisor said to just tear it off - the car drives fine without it.

Now the issue is, do I fight to get it replaced AGAIN? I know it affects aerodynamics, and supposedly protects the oil pan. But how often is the darn thing going to fall off?

I'm completely exasperated by this extremely poor design flaw by Toyota. Has anyone removed theirs and driven without it for any length of time?

 

Looks like I am not alone with the splash shield dropping off issue on my 2010 Prius. The dealership says it is not covered under warranty even though I bought extended warranty from Toyota. They insisted that I must have run over a speed bump resulting in the damage so the cost to me to replace that splash shield is C$400. The service advisor did say the splash shield does not serve any functions but reading from this site, I can see how this might have some small impact on gas consumption.

So I wrote to Toyota Canada for a second opinion on not having the splash shield and just received a non-committal reply from them. This is my 6th Toyota (my other car is a Camry Hybrid) and makes me want to switch brand after this episode.

 

There is a TSB on this... your car might fit the profile.

 

If I was refastening the plastic shield back into place onto the metal frame, I would *not* use sturdy bolts/screws in place of the plastic clips. If the shield snagged on something in the road, the plastic clips are designed to pop when subjected to a certain amount of force, without damage to the shield or frame. If you snug down the shield with a metal bolt, then if snagged the shield would tear or the frame would bend. More costly than just replacing the plastic clip.

My advice? Buy a big bag of assorted clips in bulk.

 

The shield under the engine probably makes a significant contribution to improving fuel efficiency. This is based on an article in Car & Driver from many moons ago in which they were trying ways to improve the mpg of a full-sized van. The only thing that worked was to cover up the underside as much as possible to make a smooth surface.

 

My dealer's service advisor said not covered, but a polite chat with the customer relations mgr, got it done, no charge, as goodwill.

 

This thread would naturally tie into the ones regards the plastic door for access to the oil drain plug, & oil filter, as I'm sure this door is in the afore mentioned panel. All of this panel is a rather cheap plastic material, held in place mostly by plastic "push-pins". They are readily bought at a NAPA car parts store, there are two sizes which are used, at least for the oil change door, and probably, (at least it looks like) the same ones hold the whole panel in place. These come in packages of 6, or 7 depending on size. They are much cheaper at NAPA than at the dealership, or online. This oil change door has only a "crease" in the plastic for a "hinge point", so it doesn't take much thought to realize how long that is going to last, (until the 3/36 warrantee is over, if your lucky)! Then add to that having someone else service the vehicle who could care less about your vehicle, and you have the potential of that whole panel, or at least that door dropping. Those are things which to some people, are out of their control. But how and where you drive this CAR is in the domain of owners responsibility. It has low ground clearance.....It's built like most all passenger cars these days, LITE. Even more so, as weight is a negative regards F.E. It is not a pickup truck, and even smooth gravel roads are going to take a heavy toll on these cars. In MHO these cars really need TLC! If you aren't prepared to give them such, you probably are not a good candidate for driving one......
That being said building a vehicle with nothing but a crease in the plastic for a hinge point is going a little too far to me! I've been under mine several times. Put it on a neighbors rack when I brought it home and took pictures of the underside,.....just because I wanted to. Now they may serve as proof of something Toyota neglected to do, if the bottom falls off! All that being said I do my own service, and I have just gotten home from a 4300 mile odyssey, when the car was already out of warrantee, (miles). No problems, but no back roads either, that is left for my Z-71 not the Prius!
I had two "free" services from the dealership when I bought the car, and the first one they overfilled the crankcase, a common problem you will read in this forum. The second time all seemed fine until I changed the oil myself at the next interval to find one of the push-pins missing, + a second one about to fall out! Such things are why I care for my own vehicle and always have. And I soon will have to address the oil "door", as the hinge point is fatigued and about to fail! Someone used the term "Plausible Deniability" in one of the earlier posts here, an excellent legal term which any company, in this day & age, will at least try to use at any turn to keep from laying out any money. Bad attitude, but guess where I got it......