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Help with IMP replacement question

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Meredith Carpenter, Feb 17, 2016.

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  1. Meredith Carpenter

    Meredith Carpenter New Member

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    Hello,
    I am a new is on this forum and have learned so much from everyone here- thank you!
    I just purchased my second Prius, a 2010 III with 17K miles. After purchasing, I saw the Warranty Enhancement for the IMP in the owners manual. It is my understanding (from talking to Toyota) that not all cars that had the software recall for IMP issues are eligible for the Warranty Enhancement. Therefore I have to assume my vehicle is more prone to IMP failure than those that don't have Warranty Enhancement.
    I am not willing to take this risk especially given the IMP can fail without warning when the car is at high speeds. If it was just me in the car I might be ok with it, but I have an 8-month old baby!
    So I am considering having the IMP replaced proactively which the dealer quoted me $860. Does this sound right? I thought the repair was more like 3-4K, and involved replacing the entire inverter. Will replacing the IMP alone fix the vulnerability?
    Thank you for your thoughts!
     
    #1 Meredith Carpenter, Feb 17, 2016
  2. Meredith Carpenter

    Meredith Carpenter New Member

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    Oh also - the dealer did allow me to return the vehicle for now. But if the repair is only $860 I will probably go back and purchase it.
     
    #2 Meredith Carpenter, Feb 17, 2016
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Any ideas what they meant by "IMP"? I'm thinking it's something else, something got lost in translation.
     
    #3 Mendel Leisk, Feb 17, 2016
  4. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    #4 CR94, Feb 17, 2016
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  5. Meredith Carpenter

    Meredith Carpenter New Member

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    Haha oops! Yes it is IPM the intelligent power module.
     
    #5 Meredith Carpenter, Feb 17, 2016
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  6. m.wynn

    m.wynn Senior Member

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    Meredith,

    It sounds as you're saying that the car has had the E0E software re-flash for the IPM?.. If so I would say that, especially given the low miles, you have little to nothing to worry about regarding IPM failure. Likewise, there should be no worries if the car has not had the E0E if the VIN doesn't fall under the eligable range. The only IPM failures we've seen around Priuschat have been to affected VIN's. Also, I don't believe we've seen a case where Toyota did not warranty in full, even if a given IPM failure happens to an eligible VIN which had not had the E0E performed prior. Basically, if you're VIN is covered by the warranty extension, you're safe.

    I believe your interpretation that not all VIN's that are eligible for the the re-flash are eligible for warranty is incorrect. The wording essentially says that an eligible VIN which has had the re-flash is eligible for warranty repair for 15 years/unlimited miles. You are correct in that, early on it was thought the entire inverter needed replacement but they are indeed just replacing the IPM at this time.

    If you like the car, go get it!!
     
    #6 m.wynn, Feb 17, 2016
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2016
  7. Meredith Carpenter

    Meredith Carpenter New Member

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    Thank you for the info. Good to know that they can replace only the IPM without replacing the entire inverter! That makes it significantly cheaper! It was a Toyota rep who informed me that not all cars with the recall are eligible for the Warranty Enhancement. I gathered that certain cars within a manufacture date more prone to failure were given the Warranty Enhancement. I just didn't want to be driving a car more known to be more prone to failure than the average Prius!
     
    #7 Meredith Carpenter, Feb 17, 2016
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    also, if you don't exceed the speed limit, i don't think you'll have a problem.
     
    #8 bisco, Feb 17, 2016
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I think what was blowing inverters was a sudden, hard acceleration. Shouldn't be that way, but that's when they were failing, anyway.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Feb 17, 2016
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yep, stay away from that too. especially with a baby in the car.
     
    #10 bisco, Feb 17, 2016
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