New Prius Owner Uh Ohs

It'd be nice to allay your fears, but unfortunately it sounds like one or more issues going on. Disconnecting the 12 volt to reset is not going to get you anywhere. I would stop doing that (so codes are not lost), and get it into the dealership asap.

 

Just a small correction that contains an ample warning. In the above comment the helpful poster, Mendel, misspelled a word. It is STEALERSHIP not dealership. When spelled correctly this word conveys the widely known reality that you must be very cautious when having your car serviced or diagnosed. You may want to find an independent hybrid repair expert instead. There seem to be a few in the Phoenix area according to Mr. G.

 

For most routine maintenance, Dealership prices will be near and in some cases, lower than Indy shops. Major repairs are often where significant prices differences lie and how Dealerships can earn the title of a Stealership.

It is important to ferret out QUALITY repair shops, be they at a Dealer or an Independent garage, people get HOSED by both and from me experience, lose more money at Indy shops than dealers on unnecessary or over priced services.

My advice: Find a shop that is VERY familiar with hybrids, get and CHECK their references, then evaluate your symptoms.

 

welcome! before going to too much trouble, learn how to test your 12v battery. if that isn't the problem, you're going to have to have the codes read. best to take it to a dealership, at least for the code reading, unless you find a really good prius shop. all the best!

 

+1 ^^ to Bisco. That little 12V is often the root of seemingly more complex problems. And a very easy and not too expensive solution.

 

Check you state and local Lemon Laws or an attorney QUICKLY. This may fall under 'safety issues'.

 

Lemon laws apply to the sale of new cars. There is no law that protects the buyer of a used car, to my knowledge. And that goes for used cars purchased from stealerships. Any warranty that might be in place related even to safety and "fit for use" is typically removed by the dealer in their contract. The consumer is left with either nothing or an often questionable "extended service plan," which in reality is an insurance policy with very clear limitations and exclusions. That's why, whenever possible, I buy a new car.

Learned my lessons and have the scars to prove it with respect to used cars. And I am not ignorant with respect to mechanics and working on vehicles.

 

WR, you are correct. There are some *very limited* exceptions, in a *very few states* that offer protection for purchasers of used vehicles, but the burden of proof is quite high for the consumer in those cases. Basically, as I understand it, the selling DEALER had to KNOW there was a defect and hide it from the purchaser. I am not offering legal advice, only my very limited experience.

 

in any event, it's hard to act 'quickly' when a post is 5 months old.