Hybrid System Warranty

[kitt2000]

Hi could anyone tell me whether I would have to have a full Toyota service in order to maintain the 100k warranty on a 2007 Prius?

I've got part Toyota nad not sure where the warranty stands now.

thanks

[Jan&tone]

I suspect that Kingo is the one to ask

[Terry953]

I suspect that Kingo is the one to ask

Try your nearest Toyota agent for definitive guidance.

[Parts-King]

You MUST have a full service history, it does NOT have to be with a Toyota dealer but MUST have been serviced in line with Toyota's recommendations

If you do have an independant service the car, it makes life a whole lot easier if you use genuine Toyota parts,

Lets say you fit a non genuine oil filter and the engine seizes up, it would be down to you to prove that it was not the non genuine oil filter that caused the problem, much easier in the long run to have genuine parts, the money saved on non genuine would be negligable

Kingo

[kitt2000]

Guys, thanks for your fast replies and help. The car has a full service history but some of the services were carried out by a Volvo dealer (previous owner, not sure why) so hopefully the warranty wont be invalidated. In honesty, it has 85k on the clock and is nearly 4 years old so there's not much left to run but I thought it was worth finding out.

Thanks again.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

And I'm sure that if a car has a full Toyota service history and something happens just outside the warranty period, Toyota are much more likely to help you, such as splitting the cost 50/50 for example. Whereas if you've had it serviced elsewhere they'll probably inform you that you are on your own!

[Parts-King]

And I'm sure that if a car has a full Toyota service history and something happens just outside the warranty period, Toyota are much more likely to help you, such as splitting the cost 50/50 for example. Whereas if you've had it serviced elsewhere they'll probably inform you that you are on your own!

YES That is the case, goodwill is hard to come by these days, but they do look favourably with customers who have stuck with the network and who have bought from the network

Kingo

[kitt2000]

I though that a law/condition had recently been passed which allows people to have a service carried out where they choose and that the warranty would still be valid. This was to get around the high costs of main dealers and price fixing.

I might give my local dealership a call and see what they say. Will keep you all posted.

[Parts-King]

It wasnt recent, it was years ago. It was called"Block exemption" and was a EU and Competition Commission directive. It was introduced as part of competition law. Remember the days when you could go abroad and buy a car in Europe for much less than you could in the UK? Well block exemption put an end to all that. It also made manufacturers give access to technical data to independant garages and indeed the public. The access does not have to be free, but available to purchase, hence the Toyota tech doc website. Whilst anybody can service your car, it MUST still be serviced to the standard you would get at a dealer (easy on me now!) It does not allow you to go and have an oil change for £10 INC parts labour and VAT and expect that to be a service, it MUST be serviced in accordance with the manufacturers requirements

Kingo

[kitt2000]

It wasnt recent, it was years ago. It was called"Block exemption" and was a EU and Competition Commission directive. It was introduced as part of competition law. Remember the days when you could go abroad and buy a car in Europe for much less than you could in the UK? Well block exemption put an end to all that. It also made manufacturers give access to technical data to independant garages and indeed the public. The access does not have to be free, but available to purchase, hence the Toyota tech doc website. Whilst anybody can service your car, it MUST still be serviced to the standard you would get at a dealer (easy on me now!) It does not allow you to go and have an oil change for £10 INC parts labour and VAT and expect that to be a service, it MUST be serviced in accordance with the manufacturers requirements

Kingo

Nice one, thanks for your reply. I wouldn't have a go about the dealer services, sure they're silly money sometimes but then some cheap garages are silly services! I've just spoken to the service manager at my local Benfield Toyota garage. He's said the same thing; that if a service is carried out in accordance with Toyota's standards, then this would suffice for a warranty claim. If however a warranty claim was to be made and there was a non Toyota service, this may be called in to question and investigated before Toyota would accept the claim.

Where the Hybrid system is involved, he said that it is unlikely that any standard service would affect the parts or running of this and therefore if a warranty claim were to be made on this, the standard service history would be somewhat less of a concern (I guess it would depend on Toyota and how pedantic they chose to be).

[kithmo]

Is a full service history relevant for the 100K Hybrid system warranty, it has no serviceable items ?

[cootuk]

100k is the big service where the hybrid coolant is changed, but I believe there is an inspect instruction in other services.

Would non-Toyota garages know what to look for?

What if the inverter failed and Toyota claimed someone had topped the coolant up with generic antifreeze?

What if they messed with the HV Battery side ?

Until hybrids become mainstream I would be wary of who touches the internals.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Or the old favourite Prius/hybrid ***** up often performed by garages unfamiliar with hybrids - leaving the car in Ready mode when they change the oil. Because the engine isn't running they assume the car is switched off - they then put the car up on the ramp, let the oil out, the car notices the engine has got cold and starts the engine with no oil in it - one expensive bang.

[Jan&tone]

Or the old favourite Prius/hybrid ***** up often performed by garages unfamiliar with hybrids - leaving the car in Ready mode when they change the oil. Because the engine isn't running they assume the car is switched off - they then put the car up on the ramp, let the oil out, the car notices the engine has got cold and starts the engine with no oil in it - one expensive bang.

ouch!!!

[Ancient Nerd]

I have to agree with all comments about using Toyota dealers to service the Prius. Routine servicing costs are not excessive, while the risk of losing warranty (even the early Gen III weasel warranty), losing goodwill or suffering damage through ignorance are potentially so much higher.

[Chris Dance]

The dealer where I bought my Prius advised me to only get the car serviced by a Toyota dealer. He told me of a case where a customer had his car serviced by another garage and the whole electric system was damaged. I have also heard of the case that Grumpy Cabbie outlined about the Prius engine start with no oil in the sump. Toyota service is a reasonable cost. (A friends Audi costs a fortune to service and repair.) I think it would be hard to prove a Prius has been serviced correctly by any non Toyota dealer. I agree a non Toyota service should not affect the Hybrid main Battery warranty.

[Parts-King]

It's all about trust and confidence. Your dealer will have access to all the data for your car and will be well used to servicing them. There are good independant garages around, but how much do you actually save?

Our callcentre carry out DAILY price comparisons will all major manufacturers and independants, you would be shocked at how much a lot of independants charge, especially at the Audi, BMW end of the market. All I would ask anybody thinking of taking a car to an independant is, what oil do you use and do you use genuine parts? Then compare the prices with your dealer, you will often find there is very little difference. Is it worth all the hassle in the event of trying to make a claim?

Another point to consider is your P/EX value. A car with a full dealer history is worth more than a car with independant history or vague history. Your dealer is far more confident of selling your old P/EX car with FSH, because that is what prospective customers are looking for, you cannot command a full retail price with little or no history

Kingo

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Or look at it another way. The money saved on petrol should more than pay the extra cost getting the car serviced at a main dealer.

eg, Toyota service - £200, Service by indepedent agent £120, service by back street garage £80.

You get the car serviced once a year you 'save' £120 going to the back street garage using non standard and usually cheap oil and filters etc. Go to the main agent and you get the proper stuff, software updates, easy warranty claims or goodwill in the event you are over the warranty period. I could go on but you get the picture. If you service the car twice a year then the savings are £240 maximum going back street, but you will save that in fuel.

It just isn't worth the hassle going 'back street' on a car like the Prius, especially when your mileage is getting on the high side.

[cootuk]

fwiw when I had a Volvo, the main dealer charged £100ph labour, a decent independant was £50ph.

It's the vat that I find an insult...

[Parts-King]

fwiw when I had a Volvo, the main dealer charged £100ph labour, a decent independant was £50ph.

It's the vat that I find an insult...

We are £75, a local £45-£55, most services are 1 to 2 hours on average, so maybe £50 saving on a big service. NOT having a dealer stamp in your service book could cost you £300-£500 in P/EX terms

Don't even start on VAT