Feedback: Is this true ?

My wife bought her car a few years back. Sure enough, every time we had a problem we had to take it to the dealer.

We tried independent mechanics, including several times we were stuck in small towns, but they usually couldn't fix anything more complex than a leaky hose or a flat tire. Anything wrong with the high-tech parts of the car and it was straight to the dealer.

In fact, the non-dealer mechanics couldn't even read all of the codes the car's computer produced. You had to take it to the dealer just to have a blinking light reset.

Now that the car's a few years old we regularly use a non-dealer mechanic, but in the early days it was very hard to find one who could handle this unusual car. And even now our mechanic has to buy expensive proprietary parts from the dealer to fix it sometimes.

Oh -- the car I'm talking about was a 2000 Volkswagen Beetle. Not a Prius.

Want a car any mechanic can handle? Get a '78 Chevy. Otherwise, you take your chances...

 

OK. You say that you only want "Yes or No" answers, so I'll give them to you:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moomber @ Jun 17 2007, 02:19 PM) [snapback]463518[/snapback]</div>

No.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moomber @ Jun 17 2007, 02:19 PM) [snapback]463518[/snapback]</div>

No.

If you want details, you can read the other posts here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moomber @ Jun 18 2007, 06:24 AM) [snapback]463915[/snapback]</div>

In case you missed it, I answered 'no'; you do not have to take your car to a dealer for service or repair; there is at least one independent repair shop in the Bay Area which specializes in repairing hybrid vehicles.

http://www.artsautomotive.com/Hybrid.htm

 

Moomber: did you see the post which points out that a tow to the nearest Toyota dealer is free under warranty?

 

If your brand new PC dies, would you really even want your local turd chaser (plumber) trying to replace the RAM? Similarly, if one of the computers died on the Prius, the fact that the local shlowmoe doesn't know the ECU from shinola ought not bother you. Like the post above says ... the car has a nice warranty. Remember, the nature of things is greater complexity. If you REALLY want a simpler car to work on? Maybe you ought to get a model 'T' ... so your local machanic can always fix it. But don't forget ... the trade off is it's more likely to break down more frequently.

 

I've had 6 cars since I turned 16. My husband has had 8. In that time there's only been one highway breakdown (knock on wood) once and it was my 1988 Ford Mustang that I rarely had serviced (reason #101 not to give a 16 year old without a job a car), and it was in 1994 when it was 6 years old.

Get a cell phone & don't worry so much.

 

Sure, but one thing that needs to be FIRMLY pointed out is that any
clueful independent auto tech can diagnose and fix these cars --
they just need the right training. The essentials don't take that
long to get across -- many of the topics are things that auto techs
need to learn anyways to be able to work on ANY car nowadays. And
of course they'll have to get parts from Toyota, if necessary. But
if it's something simple and diagnose-able like a dirty throttle body
or loose connector or weak 12V, anyone familiar with generic "car
stuff" can find and fix it. If your local trusted long-time tech
isn't up to speed on hybrids yet, drop the hint! By now they all
know they need to start paying attention; they just tend to hold off
until it becomes really, really necessary. Make it necessary for
them, and the world will be a better place.
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moomber @ Jun 17 2007, 07:09 PM) [snapback]463621[/snapback]</div>

You're missing the complete point.

The fact of the matter is, if ANY modern car breaks down on the side of the road, it will have to be towed to the nearest dealer to be repaired. Its just that simple. Little country gas stations are incapable of affording the high tech diagnostic equipment neccesary to work on most cars built after, oh 1998 or so, when it comes to diagnosing a failure serious enough to render the car undrivable.

The Prius is no different from any other car in that regard.

Now remember, thats just if a computer or hybrid component fails. If the battery dies, or the wipers stop working, or the headlights go out, or the starter fails (does it even have a starter?) then any mechanic can work on it...same as any other modern car.

However, I don't believe you're interested in information like this. I think the other members are right when they said that you're here to stir up trouble, otherwise you wouldn't be responding the way you are.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mmoncur @ Jun 18 2007, 06:51 AM) [snapback]463871[/snapback]</div>

Oh man, VWs are a NIGHTMARE! Harder and more expensive to get serviced than a BMW by far

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jbarnhart @ Jun 18 2007, 05:42 AM) [snapback]463864[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, this smells trollish. I have a feeling he and his buddies at FordTaurusChat.com were poking fun of hybrids and he decided to come here and stir the pot and see if we would squirm. That would also explain why he thinks stalling out on the highway and getting towed to Joe's GasNGo Garage is a common occurrence and just part of owning a car. B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Jun 18 2007, 06:12 PM) [snapback]464342[/snapback]</div>

If the Prius' starter fails have the car towed to the nearest pet shop--the hamster died. The wheel will also accomodate an upgrade to a gerbil.

 

It's pretty clear: Moomber would rather have a car that has to be repaired half a dozen times a year, but the corner gas station can fix anything that goes wrong with it, than have a car that might have to be repaired once in a decade, but there are some things on it that only Toyota can fix (and will do free for the first 150,000 miles.)

Moomber: Don't buy a Prius. It's not the car for you. You might have to take it to a dealer once during the time you own it, assuming you drive it 200,000 miles.

(As for me, I wouldn't trust anybody but a Toyota authorized service person to work on my car!)