First of all, let me say that this vehicle has frustrated me to no end. I have had a 2010 Prius for less than a month now. Haven’t even made the first payment on it. I had to get a car on very short notice when my beloved Tundra truck died. This Prius cost me everything I had saved, including money I had saved for other things. And now that I’ve had it less than a month, the “check hybrid systems” light is on, along with it crunching over any bumpfor the last few days after having to drive in snow (it’s Wisconsin). I don’t know what to do. I may not be able to fix it because i won’t be able to afford it because all of my money went into buying this thing. I also can’t afford to not go to work because of no transport. I feel like I’ve been tricked by the dealer. What do I do? Take it back to the dealer and have them look at it? Take it to a Toyota dealership to be checked out? And if I have been tricked by the dealership, then what? I am so stressed out because of this car, I don’t know what to do. Please help
We call them stealerships here, check if they have a 30-day warranty if it wasn’t purchased as-is. If no warranty, Get the CEL code(s), they refer you to where to start troubleshooting, and or what the issue is.
Start raising hell with the dealer! You have 30 days. Also, if the mileage is within the factory warranty threshold you should be ok.
In some states, cars are sold as-is so no warranty, no luck file anything with the good ole CEL w/BBB or CA.
Update: I called the dealership. They said that those along with some additional issues I discovered this morning sound like a dead battery. Said they would have service call me Monday and that they “should be able to just take care of it” since I’ve had it for such a short time. We shall see. I am very much not happy about this.
If the car was purchased in Wisconsin, see the state’s Problem used car page. There is no requirement that the seller provide a warranty, but you could still ask for their help. Take care, however, that they don’t merely clear the diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and warning lights without actually fixing the cause. The Warranty & Maintenance Guide (PDF) for 2010 Prius cars explains the original Toyota warranties, but for cars registered in Wisconsin and other states that didn’t adopt California’s requirements, these are all likely to have expired. There may still be coverage from Toyota under safety recall J0V, warranty enhancement program ZE3, and other programs, but these apply only to specific problems. If the trouble is simply that the HV battery has reached the end of its service life and must be replaced, for example, that wouldn’t be covered. Setting aside who would pay for repairs, the first step is to retrieve the DTCs that were stored in the car’s computers when the “Check Hybrid System” message appeared. This can be done using a Toyota Techstream diagnostic system or equivalent, but not with a generic OBD II scan tool intended for engine and emissions diagnosis. I understand some auto parts stores offer to read DTCs at no charge. Before you pay a diagnostic fee to a Toyota dealer or an independent repair shop, this might be worth a try, though some stores’ equipment may not be able to read hybrid system DTCs. Once you know the DTCs (such as P3110 or P0A80), you can post them here for further advice.
That's what we would need to help you. Go to any AutoZone or similar store. They will read the Check Engine Light (CEL) codes for free. Tell us what they are.
I’m between Appleton and fondy. She has 166,000 miles. Hopefully this can be fixed without costing me too much. I just can’t afford it
Used Appleton motorcars to get the new car. Had heard good things. We’ll see how this is dealt with. Tundra was a 2000 with over 200,000 miles. Frame rusted through, drive shaft rusted through, engine in bad shape. Age problem. Could have done the $4000 worth of work, but with the frame that rusted, there was no point.
Caitlyn, you have made a mistake with this car. I doubt you can do anything about it but if you can get out of it you should. I own a 2010, same as yours, and am going to probably buy another tomorrow off craigslist. I will be offering the seller 1k for it, maybe 1.5k but I doubt it. It probably needs a new engine, at least that is what I am expecting. This is the first year of the third gen and its not a good car. I can fix them, like my master cylinder failed, my inverter failed, I have had to replace a head gasket in another I sold, they are just not good cars unless you can fix them. I hope you can get another car from the same dealer and they can pawn that car off on someone else not you. I always like to provide some proof that I am not just some armchair goofball so here is what your engine looks like outside of the car.
Sorry about the road salt eating your Tundra. The Google reviews of Appleton Motorcars are somewhat mixed - looks like you have a shot at them trying to help you. I'd decide in advance what I'd prefer to do (apply the price paid to a different vehicle, cost share the repair(s), etc) - full refund would be best of course ... can't hurt to try! As borgestes has noted, if you/family/friends are not able to help fixing, you probably have an uphill battle for the life of the vehicle. As you can see from this website, the 2010 is the most problematic: Toyota Prius Problems | CarComplaints.com I'd also advise to check the oil asap - 2010's can have a really bad oil burning problem and if you seize the engine your problems will be compounded. Hopefully there's a Prius Chat member near Appleton/Fond du Lac/Milwaukee/Green Bay that could at least read the codes - Best Of Luck of course!
So here is my new 2010 that I paid 1k for. I was provided receipts from the dealer for over 4400 worth of repairs in the last 90 days. I also was provided the receipt for the 650 dollars worth of tires that were put on it in the last 90 days, and the receipt for 1750 for the hybrid battery that they recently had replaced that has a 2 year transferable warranty. Win for me, very sad for the seller. If your area is like Texas, used cars are as is, where is and even with warranty they don't honor it. I don't suggest you get ugly with your dealer cause you wont win. You bought it, and they sell cars. You need to just be nice and say you have decided your not a prius person, not enough pep. Pay a little more and get yourself into a non hybrid non kia non ford car. Like a honda or a Toyota or lexus. The reason I have added this post is so you understand that the dealer is your worst enemy and the car is a money pit unless you have an inside line. For me its just a hobby. If they didn't break I would have no use for them.
