NHTSA Complaint #10442546 — 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS

THE MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY REGISTERED THE ERROR CODE: CHECK CONNECTION OF AIR CONDITIONER. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AT PAPPAS TOYOTA ON 12/2/11 SHOWED A DEFECTIVE MFD. A NEW REPLACEMENT WOULD COST $4300. A REFURBISHED ONE WAS TO BE LOCATED BUT A CALL WAS NOT RECEIVED AS TO THIS HAVING HAPPENED. TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THIS POSSIBILITY AT LEAST BY 1/10/2005 WHEN A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED. SINCE THE DEFECT IN THE PART WAS KNOWN TO TOYOTA AND INVOLVES A SAFETY ISSUE A REQUEST FOR WARRANTY REPLACEMENT WAS MADE. THIS REQUEST WAS DENIED. ON 12/23/11, AFTER HAVING BEEN TOLD A WEEK WOULD BE NEEDED TO FIND THE PART, I E-MAILED PAPPAS AND ASKED THAT ONE BE LOCATED. I MADE AN APPT. AT THAT TIME TO HAVE IT INSTALLED ON 1/3/12. I HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION BY 1/2/12 SO I CALLED AGAIN AND LEARNED THE PART WAS TO BE ORDERED ON 1/2/12 AS TOYOTA WAS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY PERIOD. THE MFD ACTIVATES THE FRONT AND REAR DEFROSTERS. THIS IS CRITICAL AS THE INABILITY TO DO SO IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN MISSOURI WITH SNOW AND ICE BEING A POSSIBILITY. ON 1/4/12 A MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THE ESSENCE OF WHICH WAS: THOSE DISPLAYS ARE ON BACK ORDER STATUS AT THIS TIME; THE MFD HOLDS THE MEMORY FOR THE MILEAGE ODOMETER SO WHEN IT IS ORDERED THE VEHICLE CAN NOT BE DRIVEN SO THAT THE ACTUAL ODOMETER MILEAGE REMAINS THE SAME; AND UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOU I HAVE PLACED YOUR ORDER ON HOLD; THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO ORDERS AHEAD OF YOURS AND THEY WILL BE FILLED FIRST; THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO GIVE US A TIMETABLE WHEN THEY WILL BE RELEASED; AND ONCE THEY ARE AVAILABLE IT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 7-10 BUSINESS DAYS TO RECEIVE. TOYOTA IS NOT MAKING THE NECESSARY PART AVAILABLE; EXPECTING THE CONSUMER TO BE DEPRIVED OF USE OF THE PRIUS FOR AN UNDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME; AND OF BEARING THE COST OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED. UPDATED IVOQ 03/09/12 *TR