letter to Toyota re: MFD failures

Another letter (much like Evan Fusco's) from Priuschat to Toyota regarding the design flaw in the 2004-05 MFD unit. Toyota may be monitoring Priuschat; if not, they should.
My unit hasn't failed yet, but I checked with my dealership about what to do if and when it does. I was assured that my dealership has seen the problem and is mediating with Toyota; don't know if that means covering the whole cost, or negotiating some compromise. My service guy suggested writing a pre-emptive letter to Toyota and sending a copy to my dealer. I think Priuschat is a good place to find out how widespread the problem is.

Dear Toyota:

I’m an active member, of Priuschat.com, an international forum of Prius owners. There is growing concern among our membership regarding premature failure of the MFD on the 2004-2005 model year Prius. A number of our members have been hit with huge replacement costs when their MFD’s failed shortly after the expiration of the 3/36 warranty. It is my belief that Toyota is aware of this problem, and has informed its dealerships of the problem in TSB EL002-05.

This problem arises from a known design flaw in the MFD and is not mileage related, nor would it arise from normal use of the car. Those of us who purchased 2004 model year Prii were voting for Toyota’s amazing HSD technology and were willing to put themselves at some risk in order to support this necessary technological advance.

I have read “The Prius that Changed the Worldâ€, a brief history of the development of the Prius and the hybrid technology that powers it. I was impressed by the thoroughness of the engineering and the commitment to quality demonstrated by those who designed this car. I have been equally impressed by the actual Prius I now drive, considering it the most amazing car I have ever owned.

That said, it is with some anxiety that I deal with the possible failure of the MFD in my car, which has performed well up to this point (@38,000 miles). This same anxiety no doubt hangs over other 2004-2005 Prius owners who are aware of the potential for failure and the enormous expense of a retail-purchased replacement.

To reassure those of us who have invested in the Prius, and to uphold Toyota’s deserved reputation for both quality and customer service, I think Toyota Motor Sales USA should offer to replace failed MFD units whenever they fail so that owners have the confidence that they will be protected from the cost of replacement for the normal life of the car. If my previous experience with Toyota automobiles is any guide, I expect to get 200,000 miles from my Prius.

I would be very interested in knowing if Toyota Motor Sales USA has any plans to deal with this problem, either on a case by case scenario, or with some sort of notification to owners and dealers.

Sincerely,


Bob Allen
Seattle, WA


cc: Toyota of Lake City