Hello my Toyota Family been a longtime, Here is the update

So its been sometime since my last post. The 2010 Prius is still out of commission. After trying to recondition the 24 batteries in series using a Tenergy reconditioning system and was able to get some pretty good voltage numbers. I put the pack back into the car and did some other maintenance on the combustion engine. I cleaned the fuel injectors which were very bad when I pulled them all 4 dipped in brake cleaner and even ran the electric through each one and got them spraying out clean. Put 4 new spark plugs as the other 4 were pretty rough after 12 years of service. The engine runs smooth now and sounds strong and solid. The hybrid battery pack is still showing a fault though and has disabled itself yet again. I ran the Dr. Prius app and have 4 cells suspected failures. Can 4 cells disable the entire pack? Not sure how that can be but I understand they are all in series and cant provide the proper current along the row so I will be ordering 4 cells to swap them out. My space ship has been sitting for about 4 months as I try and sort out the time. I just pulled the HV pack today as the sun was out and the weather was permitting. I got some files to attach for anyone who likes to see the end of a 12 year original owner run of a great car after 12 years in the NYC streets and 65000 miles and about 2 months of living out of the girl in the cold winters of Massachusetts. This is the end of the line. The only things I did before said maintenance was new rotors and brakes. So I am not mad but determined to get this girl back on the road especially during this season of gas hikes and apocalyptic weather. Anybody got any advise always appreciate hope I am bringing some insight for you all. Love the car and love discussing one of the strangest and best cars in the world right now.

 

I had some extended deep cold winter nights in Massachusetts sleeping with the heater on to survive the below zero nights and extreme downpours. She's a deep space ship. I'm sure the HV pack has more like 125,000 miles worth of charging and discharging cycles to boot.

 

So one bad cell can disable the vehicle from going into gear. Cause I can't get her into drive and the engine starts then turns off and the hybrid warning light just on. Just ordered 4 cells to replace the other 4. Planning to use the old cells for a solar project I have in mind.

 

So it's been forever and I give up sending a letter to toyota begging for after warranty help. No resolve of hybrid traction battery and the world's is financial screwed 2010 was a much better financial year 2022 is a nightmare.

 

I have not considered the 12 V battery as being a culprit since I recharge the 12V the car was starting up but the traction battery fault keeps appearing on the dash. I sent another letter to Toyota today asking for any help they can provide as I have heard many that are a year outside or more from the vehicle warranty provided with some repair cost relief or what I like to call one shot deals. I have found some really low priced traction batteries with core return discounts which have brought a replacement around $1500 and a 12V battery around $200. So If I can get a certified replacement from the dealer close to that I trust it more than some reconditioned stuff online any day. I plan on keeping the car since it only has 65000 miles on the OD and honestly the mileage even in 2022 is still trumping many other vehicles driving around NYC today. I will let you know the response from TOYOTAS Customer care handle once I get a response for anyone wondering what its like to own an out of Warranty Prius Model 2 as an original owner. Wish me luck.

 

Okay so as promised the follow up. So I went on the Toyota.com repairs link and found a contact link to message the customer brand engagement team. After sending the information to them I generated a reference number which I used to call them today and speak with a live agent. I spoke with Natasha out in Tennessee she was amazingly receptive to my PRIUS brain after months of information and practically an engineering degree in hybrid technology worth of information told me they need to have it inspected at the dealership before they can work on pricing. But to know they are willing to assist and at the least look at the problem has given me renewed hope that Toyota like Ford understands the importance of an out of warranty original title owner. This has made me more of a finance to own advocate in NYC. Lets see how far it goes. Stay tuned my Toyota Family.

 

So today 8/19/2022 The 2010 Prius still sitting at the Toyota Dealer of Manhattan been about 3 weeks since she was drop off in the care of the parent company. They did call me to inform me that the car seemed to be to some degree in distress. I did inform them that the car was being occupied by a local homeless gentleman who was also keeping the traffic PD off my back. But that we can leave for another story time. I have yet to hear back after the gentleman told me they needed sometime to reassemble everything I took apart during my adventure trying to replace the traction battery myself on the ole girl. I am concerned that they are going to ask a bunch of money of me but I am still hopeful that Toyota will at the least discount the cost of replacing the battery since the battery failure occurred just a few months after the expiration of the warranty. We Shall see again very hopeful. They have been courteous the entire time but again I have had Ford do a very similar service for me a few months back and I am calling any bluff they try but they have not discussed pricing nor have I engaged with the Toyota care team as of yet awaiting the diagnostic information on what the root cause of the issues are which I already have stated above was a Traction battery curious to know what else it could be other than the traction battery. I will let you all my know soon my wonderful Toyota family. I hope to be driving the ole girl soon back on these NYC streets delivering Instacart food to my customers.

 

Well the story is after unsuccessfully repairing the car outside in the Harlem area. I was approached by a gentleman who is currently and for many years now been in distress. I noticed he was living out of a local gentlemans car for sometime and well I decided after speaking with him to offer the same verbal agreement having him sleep out of the car to help me avoid the traffic violations I would no doubt face for having the car stationed in the same spot for weeks at a time. Repairing a car in NYC is probably the single most nightmarish experience and well you can imagine I am dreading everyday I don't hear back from Toyota. I agree they can just cross there arms and walk away but owning a Toyota is about the experience I would say. What does it benefit them or I if they do nothing to engage me as a driver. Nothing promotes a brand more than active ownership. Right now my ownership experience is suspended till further notice.

 

Not a distraction here in NYC during an alternate side parking event if someone is inside the vehicle they typically just walk away and don't usually ticket the vehicle. I was doing this to avoid the tickets but came on here again to just give another update. So yeah Toyota threw the arms up and said it plain and simple we have lived up to the obligation and do not offer out of warranty we love you service so nope they do not function like FORD which actually do offer services like that after the warranty and I have experienced this myself on a repair that was similar in cost. I have to say after this experience I feel much closer to the FORD brand much more than Toyota. I had to pay TOYOTA $850+ to have them diagnose it then complain about having to reassemble a few things whatever lazy and poor ownership experience points after years of enjoying the benefits of a working hybrid engine vehicle after 11 years of peace of mind and a few simple one of issues that were easily repairable I am hoping to get this car back to giving me another 10 years of happy happy joy joy. I am in distress because when I bought this car I said I would fight through the pains that would eventually come and boy it has come to a head. The hood is broken on both sides that attach to the car so the hood is just an ornament and the windshield cracked. The car was lived in by a homeless man and that will be detailed away once I get the traction battery swapped and the car running again. I will try and post some after pictures of a nice clean Prius. Ironically the photo above was taken at the detailing shop I intend to take the car to again. Again for any of my long standing owners if your car is about 11 years old and shows the the service traction battery dont let the fake Toyota Customer Experience team pushing you to have it diagnosed cause they don't do jack they aren't going to help you with repair cost and better yet they will most likely just push you into the dealership to pay something you could have avoided by having Green BEAN LLC or one of those hybrid battery swap companies reach out and do the work. I would have saved at least $1000 or more had I just skipped to the swap instead of all the nonsense and parking tickets. Make that $2000 saved if I just had them swap the battery. I could have done a few weeks of Insta Cart groceries and that would have sealed that problem over now make that 2 months or better of instacart to cover the whole I created. The ownership experience continues but just understand you want to start finding partnerships with places that will work on your car for a good cost this car needs little maintenance and just a few good places.

 

So just had Green Bean come out and swap my hybrid battery out and a new 12V battery for good measure. $2020 later. Still not running and throwing codes not allowing to go into gear. The prius that saves money has become a money pit of epic proportion that might be a Toyota only scam machine. I'm starting to slowly become anti prius. But I'm in this for the long haul will let you all know what the codes are. Nyc hybrid out.