Tomorrow I'm taking my 2017 Prime (base model) to the dealership for a fourth time in two months for "check engine" light issues. The last time it required the assistance of Toyota's field engineer. They found an "active grille shutter assembly not operating properly." They replaced that along with a thermistor and the radiator grille assembly. The car was in their shop for two weeks. Prior to this, they replaced the thermostat. Before that, a water temperature sensor was replaced. I don't qualify for my state's "lemon law because the car is more than a year old and has more than 12,000 miles (37k to be precise). But I did ask Toyota to start a review process to see if they would buy it back out of the goodness of their heart. I've lost confidence in the vehicle, needless to say. So far all these issues seem to be covered under a warranty but at some point that comes to an end. Anybody had similar problems with their Prime?
This car sounds like a lemon. If I was you and I decided to keep the car I would buy toyotacare on it for sure. Check my post history to see the best pricing I got from the dealers I contacted nationwide. The better decision once it’s fixed is to sell it or trade it in, if Toyota refuses to buy back. You can also ask Toyota for an incentive towards a new one. Then you can get the federal tax credit twice.
The Prime was a nice gate-way car for me, convincing me my next new car would be an EV. I had hoped the Prime would carry me until either Tesla's Model Y or Rivian's pick-up was available next year. That's still a long 18 months away. The other bone I've had to pick with my Prime has been its seating. Namely, how low the car is to the ground. With a bad back (I'm 65) it's made driving with a back brace along with (literally) falling into the seat when I get in the car mandatory. That's why a car that's actually got some elevation, something I have to step up into, appeals to me tremendously now.
Agree with all your sentiments. My next car will likely be more utilitarian, not less, and probably a bev. But at 64, I may be running out of time.
This sounds like one issue that they haven't solved yet, not multiple issues. I would call the regional office of Toyota and tell them that you want some regional engineering attention to solve this issue. The dealership mechanics aren't very skilled at fixing these cars, so the technical solution needs to come from higher up. I assume this issue has not made the car undriveable?
The car's performance doesn't seem to be affected. The dealership's been calling the engineers constantly because they're the first to admit, this is way over their head.
As has happened three times in the past, the day of my appt. or thereabouts, the light mysteriously switches off. Then I have to cancel my appt. until the next time it happens. (Because a loaner car isn't immediately available, I have to wait a few days.) But another three times we've "caught" it in time to have the aforementioned attempts at repairing done. Frustrating! I'm not sure if the problem's centered around the ICE or whether it's something to do with the temperature management system for the battery or what. Perhaps the "codes" are limited in what they reveal. Maybe they're only picking up data further down the line, so to speak. Who knows?
Perhaps you should google "check engine light." I believe you'll find that it has nothing to do with the "engine." It's triggered by emission system faults. They make the warning light seem ominous so you'll have it looked at. At worst, you are spewing additional contaminants into the environment. That's no reason to ignore it, and I'd let the process play out with Toyota. But don't freak out and think your engine is going to blow up every time the light comes on.
Thank you. That's helpful to know. I was even thinking of getting one of those devices that reads codes and sends interpreted messages to a smartphone. (FIXD was one I looked at.) Maybe I can breathe a bit easier.
