Possible harness-damage problem for 04-06 Prius

I haven't been able to get Toyota's attention about this; I hope that your dealer can. The next step is to write the NTSB.

 

Why is Toyota being so bone headed about this? All they have to do is look. Excuse me but sometimes they (Toyota bureaucracy) make me angry.

Mine is backward also and has started to wear into the cable, I'll fix it next oil change. Thanks Scotty and Hobbit.

 

the only way for them to get a tsb out on it is for them to get a whole bunch of prius owners going into the shop and saying "hey this is a problem, let's fix it"

they release these bulletins based on how many instances they get, basically.

 

So it seems we're in a Catch-22: They only way Toyota will do a TSB is if enough people bring it in, but most people won't bring it in (because they won't know about it until the harness actually has a problem) without a TSB. Is that about it?

TMS USA was active and quite helpful in the thread about SSC 60C. Where are they now??

Jim

 

This is crazy. Does anybody have an 04,05, or 06 Prius where the plate hasn't been installed backwards? I'm hesitant to get down there and check my own.

 

Just want to collect threads about this alarming issue into one place:

My 7k miles Prius has broken down on me !

Question for those who have had the Starthole Cover Plate Fixed, How did you get Toyota to recognize the problem?

I am yet to read a post where someone checked this problem and found it was OK; that means everyone on this forum either:

A) Has this problem
B) Has fixed this problem
C) Has this problem and doesn't know it

We need to make Toyota aware of this problem, which means we need to establish a single step-by-step set of instructions we can all follow that will minimize the amount of time at the dealership and maximize the chances that it will be fixed. Hobbit's pictures are a great start; does anyone have any recommendations for further things we could do/say that should make very clear to Toyota that this is a problem, that it's widespread, and that there's a clear way it should be assembled?

For example if we were to produce 2 8.5"x11" images, one showing the wrong way, clearly labeled, and one showing the right way, clearly labeled, perhaps it would make very clear to a dealer worried about performing the wrong fix what's wrong, and what to do about it.

Thoughts? Let's get this ball rolling.

 

Well, I am unable to crawl under my car and fix this problem myself as some have.

And after reading this thread it's obvious this is not something my dealership is going to fix without a TSB or word from Toyota.

So I've printed out the webpage and will be keeping it in the car. So if the wiring harness ever goes or there is an electrical problem with the car I will pull this out of the glove compartment and say "check this first". And it better be covered under warranty because it's not like Toyota doesn't know AND they put the part in wrong at the factory. With luck, it *will* be a TSB before my wiring harness goes.

 

That's just the issue; what if it doesn't fail until after your warranty is up? If we all take this approach it will not be a TSB.

And what if the damage it causes harms more than the obvious parts? Damage to electrical wiring has the opportunity to screw every electrical system in that Prius up, and we all know that's more critical in the Prius than any car before it.

I want mine fixed before the damage happens. I'm just looking for the best strategy to get a dealer to listen. Hopefully others will do so as well so we can get this to be a TSB - if we all take a sit and wait attitude, we're all in for car trouble.

 

Okay.

Then you print it out and give it to the service department. They refuse to do anything. You tell them that you've given it to them and it is date and time stamped. You have another copy. When it goes, they better fix it for free under warranty because you've warned them in a timely manner of the potential problem and they refused to take any preventative measures.

Then show them the second copy and put it in the glove compartment.

If enough of them start going, it won't matter if it's after the warranty is up if it can be proven the problem was brought to their attention and they did nothing.

 

I guess the trouble I have is from a technical standpoint, it's easy to see this causing a lot more trouble than you'd notice at a glance. It could mess up a ton of electrical stuff in say, 1% of people with this problem (so... 1% of Prius owners since 2004). Enough to make that stuff hard to track back to this problem.

It all seems like a lot of unnecessary headache when we have the problem clearly mapped out now, and can prevent it rather than react after the damage is done.

 

The cover was backwards on my 2006:


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However, it really doesn't look like this would cause damage even in 1% of the cars. The easiest fix would be to put a piece of garden hose around the wiring harness at that point and clamp it in place. I chose to cut off the tab with a dremel tool and be done with it forever. It's not worth my while to go to a dealer to get this kind of thing fixed but I realize more people aren't DIY types.

 

DH can bring it up next time he's on the phone with southeast tech. of course, that'll only be southeast, not national.

some dealers will indeed fix the plate, for example if anyone in central nc needs the job done, the dealer in durham won't have a problem doing it.

the key here is actually getting the problem noted and fixed, and if the number of incidents reaches a certain point, there will be a tsb for everyone else.

 

As I have mentioned in the other post, I am hoping that the plate will be installed correctly in the 2007 model, which I should be getting in November. May have to take a look once it comes in to check for myself.

 

What should those of us do who can't tell if there is a defect in the installation of the part?

I'm in VA - if I took it to the dealer suggested in NC, how long would it take for the problem to be addressed? A few minutes, a few hours?

We just got a 2006 Prius last month - before I heard of this potential problem. Now, I don't know what to do.

 

This design error is the kind of thing Toyota usually fanatically avoids.

Part of their design philosphy is to mistake-proof parts (they call it "poka-yoke"), for example making parts asymmetric so they can't be installed incorrectly.

This plate violates this rule badly.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumbleweed @ Sep 13 2006, 04:03 PM) [snapback]319093[/snapback]</div>

TSB's liek recalls, cost money. They are not going to spend money on it unless absolutely necessary. ANY car company will do it. It's the way business works. Get used to it. If they determine it is a problem, then rest sssured that Toyota will eventually do something.

If you are in such a hurry. then just fix it yourself like Ari did.