Road Tax 120 Pounds For 2001 Prius

[Tereza]

Here is a crazy story: Just yesterday i bought a Toyota Prius 2001 with 48.000 miles -- the car is lovely, and the seller stressed the 15 pound UK road tax which made it all the more attractive. BUT, when i went today to register the car at the DVLA I paid 120 pounds

Apparently, the law allows cars registred AFTER March 1 2001 to pay the low 15 pound road tax fee. My car was registered on Jan 31 2001 -- and it is taxed on engine size, like all cars registered before March 2001, which brings the cost to 120..

This is unfair of course since the Jan 2001 Prius is the SAME car as the March 2001 Prius, but in the eyes of the law, they are different.

Does anyone have the same problem? Is there a legal route that I could follow? I was going to write to the DVLA and request that my car is taxed on emissions, like cars after March 01, but I do not know whether they will consider or whether this will change anything.

Any thoughts / suggestions ?

[Chris Dance]

That is a stupid law. It should be on emmissions not engine size.

I would contact your MP about it. All MPs like to be involved in "green" issues.

This just does not make sense. I hope this so called law does not apply to the congestion charge which is £10 a year for a Prius; this is because the Prius has very low emmissions and has nothing to do with engine size.

I do not know what else you can do except tell press including the "which" magazine. (Below is what I would do in your situation:)

The Three Counties Radio has a consumer programme on every week day from 11am till 2pm. Stephen Rhodes is the presenter he could help you in this matter. Go to the Three Counties Radio web site and you will get the contact number. Ring them on a week day morning. They will ring you back and you need go on the radio and tell Stephen your problem. He and his team will advise and help you. He sorts consumer problems out and has great success. It is a good programme and as you live in London you should get the programme if not you can get it on the internet.

Let us know what you decide to do about it. This is an unjust law.

Regards Chris.

[Tereza]

Many thanks for the tips Chris. I will certainly follow up on this. :)

Yesterday I spent a great portion of the day making phonecalls to DVLA and consumer agencies, and I got lots of don't knows, but also one potential solution that might be useful to anyone else with the same problem:

My local DVLA office confirmed that the law that applies after March 2001 requires all vehicles to be taxed on emissions, and those registered before March 1 taxed on engine size. I asked them whether I can request that my vehicle is taxed on emissions (instead of engine size) although it is a Jan 2001 registered vehicle. This seemed like a reasonable request and certainly more doable than asking them to make excemptions to the law, which is always impossible).

They said that most people do not request this because emissions tax is higher than engine size tax (but of course not for our Prius) and that they do not have the CO emissions for the Jan 2001 Prius in file. They said that if i can send them a manufacturer letter (Toyota) with an official statement of the CO emissions, they would forward it to DVLA Swanzee, with my request, and that should change the tax from engize size to emissions.

I have already contacted the customer service of Toyota in the UK and they will send me a letter reporting the CO emissions of the Jan 2001 Prius within next week. Then I will go to DVLA and file my request, and we will see from there.

No matter what the outcome, I will also follow up with the radio program you recommend because I suspect that at least a few other Prius owners have the same problem and they are probably told, like I was for most of the time yesterday, that this is the law and there is nothing we can do about it! Most DVLA officers refuse to see the obvious, and keep repeating that the law can not be changed, bla bla bla, and I was glad that I asked whether I have the right to request emissions-based taxation. This might be the solution to the problem -- we will see.

Regarding the congestion charge, no, no problem there. I spoke to the congestion charge office yesterday and they said that they actually do go on emissions only, and that all I have to do is send the application in along with 10 pounds and that should get the process going for the congestion charge pass -- GO PRIUS!

Again many thanks, and I will keep you posted. :) :)

[Chris Dance]

Tereza,

You seem to have made some progress. Dealing with government departments is always difficult I sometimes ask myself do they have anything between their ears!!! Common sense is sadly lacking in most cases.

I am sure the Stephen Rhodes consumer programme on Three Counties Radio will help you. They do not have the programme on during bank holidays. The next programme will be on Tuesday 25th March. Then every working day. You can ring them any time in the morning and they will ring you back when it is time for you to put your case on the radio. DO NOT mention company names or Stephen Rhodes cannot help you and he has to cut you off. They explain that when you ring.

I had a problem and I got nowhere trying to solve it myself over several months. Stephen Rhodes sorted it in under one week.

I am sure you will eventually get a £15 a year road tax but you may have to persevere with your case. Good Luck.

Chris.

[Zak442]

Here is a crazy story: Just yesterday i bought a Toyota Prius 2001 with 48.000 miles -- the car is lovely, and the seller stressed the 15 pound UK road tax which made it all the more attractive. BUT, when i went today to register the car at the DVLA I paid 120 pounds

Apparently, the law allows cars registred AFTER March 1 2001 to pay the low 15 pound road tax fee. My car was registered on Jan 31 2001 -- and it is taxed on engine size, like all cars registered before March 2001, which brings the cost to 120..

This is unfair of course since the Jan 2001 Prius is the SAME car as the March 2001 Prius, but in the eyes of the law, they are different.

Does anyone have the same problem? Is there a legal route that I could follow? I was going to write to the DVLA and request that my car is taxed on emissions, like cars after March 01, but I do not know whether they will consider or whether this will change anything.

Any thoughts / suggestions ?

Hello Tereza

Did you get anywhere with your problem with DVLA? I am having the same problem of having my car being taxed at £120. I have imported my car (2005 T spirit) from Japan. Somewhere in the Japanese logbook they have shown the emissions to be 144g/km (i.e. I think without the Hybrid element taken into account). It is turning out to be a battle. I wonder if you or anyone else succeeded in turning their decision. From what they tell me now is that their decision is sacrosanct!

Thanks