Don't Buy A Toyota Auris Excel Hybrid.

[FROSTYBALLS]

In addition to the above, a salesperson isn't going to admit easily to possible failures/faults as their main interest is in selling a vehicle..

[Whitewagon]

Had a test drive in an Auris Hybrid Excel just last week. I asked the sales guy about the battery problem, he stated that he was unaware of this and that they had not had a car with a problem. If he is to be believed then Toyota are clearly not hilighting this problem with their dealers.

TBH at a dealer level a Sales person is rarely ever going to know about things like this, Toyota have published an advisory that they are aware and investigating the issue but at a dealer the workshop, service department and warranty dept are the people that need to know not a sales person.

In addition to the above, a salesperson isn't going to admit easily to possible failures/faults as their main interest is in selling a vehicle..

I accept and understand what you both say but as a private punter who has done just a little homework before attending the dealership only to get this answer does not leave me with any confidence in the integrity of either Toyota or the salesman. However having said that, to date I am personally more than happy with the service I have received from the dealership so far.

[cviclark]

I got this yesterday from the Toyota Blog:

Author: David Crouch

Comment:

Thnaks for your post and feedback Ian.

We can confirm that we have reached a solution regarding the Battery issue (it involves a software update). We are now in the process of organising the necessary equipment for our UK network. We will keep you posted.

I had pointed out that a quick solution was to link the deadlock function to Battery shutdown so if left for three weeks or so at an airport it should start ok.

hAs anybody had this update done yet??

[FROSTYBALLS]

"I got this yesterday from the Toyota Blog:

We can confirm that we have reached a solution regarding the Battery issue (it involves a software update). We are now in the process of organising the necessary equipment for our UK network. We will keep you posted."

From the Toyota Blog response, the solution hasn't reached the dealer network yet, so it appears doubtful that any owner has had the update.

[Cowdenite]

Its a month since we bought our Yaris Hybrid and we got a call from the dealership making sure we were happy and had no problems. Out of curiosity I ask what was the current position on the Auris Hybrid 12v Battery problem and was told the sales team were unaware of it. As an earlier member said in a post if I was buying a new car and done some homework I'd have been disappointed to find the sales team were unaware of the problem.

[hoylakegrumpy]

I called in to my local main Toyota dealer yesterday. The salesperson said he had never heard of any Battery problems with the Auris hybrid. I can't believe this. I had a great deal offered but just can't go ahead with a deal with a garage which is either utterly incompetent or completely dishonest. I'm really saddened but how can I trust such a dealer?

Goodbye Toyota.

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Battery issue isn't affecting all Auris Hybrids.

At the end of the day, if you feel you cannot trust the Toyota dealer you've had the offer from, try another dealer.

[Devon Aygo]

I called in to my local main Toyota dealer yesterday. The salesperson said he had never heard of any battery problems with the Auris hybrid. I can't believe this. I had a great deal offered but just can't go ahead with a deal with a garage which is either utterly incompetent or completely dishonest. I'm really saddened but how can I trust such a dealer?

Goodbye Toyota.

As has been posted previously, A sales person is not the person to ask, they do not involve themselves in the day to day after sales operations and unless there was a product stop in place preventing the sale of the cars involved a sale person would not need to know. Pick any franchise, look on their forums and find an issue then pop into the dealer and ask a sales person to list or acknowledge the faults, you are never going to get an answer that puts the product they are employed to sell down

In fairness to the dealership, I cover the warranty for four Toyota dealerships, I know of the fault because it is my job to do so along with the aftersales team & technicians. As yet I have not yet seen a NG Auris with a Battery issue so the dealership you contacted may be in the same boat. and have not seen a faulty car and unless you own a new Auris and actually have an issue you will get little in response to your questions.

[geo13647]

I called in to my local main Toyota dealer yesterday. The salesperson said he had never heard of any battery problems with the Auris hybrid. I can't believe this. I had a great deal offered but just can't go ahead with a deal with a garage which is either utterly incompetent or completely dishonest. I'm really saddened but how can I trust such a dealer?

Goodbye Toyota.

As has been posted previously, A sales person is not the person to ask, they do not involve themselves in the day to day after sales operations and unless there was a product stop in place preventing the sale of the cars involved a sale person would not need to know. Pick any franchise, look on their forums and find an issue then pop into the dealer and ask a sales person to list or acknowledge the faults, you are never going to get an answer that puts the product they are employed to sell down

In fairness to the dealership, I cover the warranty for four Toyota dealerships, I know of the fault because it is my job to do so along with the aftersales team & technicians. As yet I have not yet seen a NG Auris with a Battery issue so the dealership you contacted may be in the same boat. and have not seen a faulty car and unless you own a new Auris and actually have an issue you will get little in response to your questions.

Even if you do own a faulty Auris, there's no guarantee of a response. (Satisfactory or otherwise)

[RunningInPleasePass]

I think Toyota found a solution to the flat Battery problem a few months ago and any new cars produced from then will be okay, so I assume this fault effects only about a years worth of production.

Only a small percentage of cars from the first years production have been effected, so in all, this problem only effects a few hundred owners, so I assume it is only very low on Toyota's list of priorities.

I have been effected twice with this problem, and I have to remember perform the 'short term fix' every time I stop the car to try and make sure it will start when I return to it, this is a daily reminder to me, to never buy a car until it has been in production for at least a year, so some other unsuspecting buyer has found any faults and they have been ironed out.

[Guest]

I had that issue on my 62plate auris hybrid

The AA can start the car in your garage, the key opens the door irrespective of double tap to lock,

They pop the bonnet jump pack onto the positive connecting point on the engine

Start up drive out pop boot open and check Battery in the boot, I parked at an airport for two weeks no probs starting on return, but was very miffed with the two day not using it and the flat Battery saga prior to trading in for diesel

Getting average 58 mpg on 9 mile run to work and 65 on longer journey at 75mph

Sent from my iPad using Toyota OC

[RunningInPleasePass]

I had the flat Battery problem and the car let me down twice, the ECU has now been re-programmed and, fingers crossed, it's been fine.

I think one of the main things I learnt from having this problem, is not to be an early adopter, wait a year or so when a new model comes out to make sure all the problems have been sorted out.

[Fecn]

I've just received a letter in the post from Toyota Customer Satisfaction Campaign. It reads...

"We
are writing to advise you that Toyota has launched a Customer
Satisfaction Campaign to address a potential issue with the hazard light
switch button. We wish to inform you that your vehicle is within the
affected vehicle range and wil be subject ot a free of charge
modification.

Through our continuous assessment and
quality monitoring we have found that should the hazard warning light
button be slightly depressed, for example during the cleaning of the
vehicle, the combination meter ECU incorrectly detects this signal and
activates a further internal communication. If the vehicle is left
unused for several days this may cause the 12 volt auxillary Battery
to go flat.

We would ask you to contact your local Official Toyota Centre or
Official Toyota Outlet as soon as convenient to have this free of charge
modification completed which will only take about half an hour to
complete."

Looks like Toyota is finally on the case with this.

[Parts-King]

I hope that was not a copy and paste? The spelling is somewhat err..........pants

[Fecn]

I hope that was not a copy and paste? The spelling is somewhat err..........pants

Yeah... I wasn't looking at either the screen or the keyboard when I typed all of that lot in. Perhaps I should have just taken a photo of the letter instead :D

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I hope that was not a copy and paste? The spelling is somewhat err..........pants

As is the grammar and punctuation. Hope it's not the same person who did the programming!?! :)

[Fecn]

I take no blame for the grammar or punctuation.... but maybe Toyota will put out a fix for the grammar and spelling from this letter in a future Customer Satisfaction Campaign.

[Raistlin]

I hope that was not a copy and paste? The spelling is somewhat err..........pants

It's not like you too bad mouth folk... :)

[cviclark]

I too have received the customer satisfaction recall letter which coincides with the annual service. Maybe next year they will sort out the other sources of Dissatisfaction: No digital readout for SPEED/useless analogue speedo. No heat vents for rear passengers and stupid wheel/tire selection.

[RunningInPleasePass]

I think everyone with a new shape Auris Hybrid who bought their car in the first year or so of production will receive one of these letters, I've got mine this morning, even though I've already had the work carried out.

By the way, why is the letter headed 'Customer Satisfaction Campaign' when all it is is a recall letter detailing instructions of how to have the work carried out, and nothing to do with customer satisfaction?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Official recalls are safety related and handled jointly by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (formerly VOSA) and the manufacturer.

As this particular 'fix' isn't safety related, it is handled by the manufacturer - and in Toyota's case, they refer to such work as a Customer Satisfaction Campaign.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Out of interest are they being sent recorded delivery? The one I had for the PiP with a supplement to the handbook about pace makers was.

[Fecn]

Out of interest are they being sent recorded delivery? The one I had for the PiP with a supplement to the handbook about pace makers was.

My letter was just a standard 1st class through the letterbox.

[cviclark]

I have been trying all year to find a contact in the Toyota Customer satisfaction team who can make things happen,,without any success. UK customer services do not appear to have ever seen, driven, or owned a Hybrid, they do not know the details of the car I own and just "trot out" the company line or read the spec sheet. There is not any logical reason for the speedo to have such small increments that it can not be seen. A car barely capable of reaching 100mph does not need a 160mph speedo. There is not any reason for the digital screen to give a clear reading of useless averages (duplicated on the "big screen") but not road speed. It is stupid to tell customers the information is not available from the ODB when all is required is someone to recognise it is a problem and issue as simple download.

48mpg is no better than my son gets from a similar size Honda and about 3mpg down on my Gen 3 Prius. This is because it is on 17" wheels and LP tyres that I had no choice but to accept.

If Toyota cared about Customer Satisfaction they would welcome criticism from customers and listen to it. At the very least make it easy to give feedback and follow up complaints. All criticism is not negative This is my fourth Toyota, Third hybrid but I think my last.

[PeteB]

I couldn't agree more.

I bought my first Prius in 2002, and only left it that long because I hated the idea of going without heated mirrors and a rear wiper.

But frankly, to think Toyota came up with such a radical system and launched it (in Japan) in 1997, and here in 2000, is still something I marvel at. If Hybrids had not existed before today, and the Mk1 Prius arrived tomorrow, I'd still be blown away (especially if they brought the equipment up to 1990s standards - sorry 2014 standards!).

I've said it before, and I'm afraid I'll probably say it a few times more: how can a firm that can be this good on the engineering side, be such a compete waste of space on the marketing side - have they been bought by Ford or something?

It's certainly no surprise they haven't driven some of their cars - it goes some way to explain these shortcomings - but surely, the people who make these equipment level and type decisions have looked at the competition? Again, sadly, probably not.