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Toyota Prius Fuel Gauge

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Dale of St. Paul MN (12/13/04):
Toyota Prius, 2005, the manual states that the gas tank is 11.9 gallons capacity; I learned the hard way (by running out of gas on the freeway during rush hour!) that my tank only holds 10 gallons. After running out, I topped it off and the capacity is clearly 10 gallons. Also, the blinking "low fuel" indicator happens at about 9.6 gallons, which is very little warning! Toyota Service was not aware of the problem, or of any recall, so they were unwilling to do anything about it (for now).

It's hard to fill a fuel tank to capacity, because of back pressure that causes the service station fuel pump to shut off early. Pumps are set with high sensitivity to avoid fuel spills and vapor release that result from motorists "topping off" their tanks. We think Dale's problem is with the fuel gauge, not the tank capacity.

Toyota Prius • General Complaints • Acceleration • Availability • Battery • Fuel Gauge • Headlight • Insurance Costs • Service Delays • Tires • Transmission • Traction --- • Happy Hybrid Owners --- Test Drive • Three Lead Feet Meet Little Fuel Sipper --- News • Toyota Ready to Expand Safety Recall Beyond Floor Mats • U.S. Prius Sales Drop 45 Percent • Prius Tops Consumer Reports Best New-Car Value List • Toyota Parks Plans For New Prius Plant • Prius Vandalism On the Rise in California • Toyota Plans Prius Plant in Mississippi • Solar Panels to Power Prius Air Conditioning • Unexpected Problems Confront Prius Owners • NHTSA to Hear 'Silent Killer' Complaints • Reports of Prius Price Gouging Rise with Gas Prices • Prius, Porsche Models Top Most-Satisfied Lists • Should You Buy a Second-Hand Prius? • Winter Weather Warning for Prius Drivers • Prius Again Tops Owner Satisfaction Survey • Prius Helps Toyota Knock Off Ford for #2 Spot • Toyota Recalls Floor Mats, NHTSA Warns Prius Owners • Feds Probe Prius Runaway Acceleration • Prius Owners Report More Unintended Acceleration Incidents • Runaway Acceleration Plagues Prians • Toyota Delays Third-Generation Prius • Sales Top 1 Million but Some Owners Find Prius Doesn't Age Well • Prius Owners Losing Ground in Traction Battle • Prius Traction Control Complaints on the Rise • Prius Stalls in Snow; Owners Steamed • Prius Shuts Down in the Snow, Reader Complains • Prius Supplies Increase as Sales Slow • Prius Discounts Popping Up in Showrooms • EPA Finds Prius #1 in Gas Mileage • Prius Owners Question Mileage Claims • Prius Tops Consumer Satisfaction Survey • Hybrids Don't Always Deliver the Expected Fuel Economy

Andrea of Plano TX (7/8/03):
My complaints are numerous (2001 Toyota Prius):
1. Front end alignment -- cause unknown. Several alignments, still doesn't track well.
2. Gas gauge/tank problems -- went from 45.0mg to 29.5 mpg - took several trips to get the problem "solved" -- not sure that it is totally solved. Consumption screen is screwy and so is the gas gauge. Also told car loses gas mileage as they get older -- car was only a year or so old and a Prius doesn't use gas when stopped.
3. Rack and pinion steering -- several trips to service before they agreed there's a problem and fixed it.
4. 3rd set of tires -- 18,000, 36,000 and about 45,000 miles
5. Accelerator assembly quit in rush hour traffic -- fixed, took two trips. There's still a noticeable drop in power, almost daily.

Most problems "fixed" but I don't trust this car nor do I trust Toyota of Richardson Tex to fix my car. The second trip for the accelerator I was told there was nothing wrong with the car, but the "sticky" place disappeared after second trip. They didn't want to admit they were wrong.

Bruce of Baltimore (1/26/02):
Prius is one of the most troublesome cars I've ever owned. Over the year I own it I had to take it to the dealership over 10 times for major repairs. The service was dreadful. The same problem needed to be repaired over, and over and over...

The latest outrage: I can not determine how much fuel the car has. The fuel gauge gets stuck somewhere in the middle. I can drive for hours with no apparent change in the fuel level. Then, within 15 to 30 minutes the level drops sharply, to "Needs immediate fill-up" level. The Toyota states that this is a normal behavior of this car. They claim that in order for the fuel gauge to operate correctly, the car needs to be completely filled-up all time. What kind of ridiculous car have they produced?

Toyota perfectly knows that there is a problem with the fuel tank. As a matter of fact, when I first brought the car for repair they instantly stated that the fuel tank is bad and needs to be replaced. Once they realized that it is costly, the story has changed.

The service in general has been horrible. For the last repair request Toyota Santa Cruz service department has kept my car for over 3 weeks. I called many times to find the status of my car, but got no calls back. Finally, today I was able to reach their Customer Relations specialist who told me in a very rude way that she just learned that there is nothing wrong with my car. To my question of why she and the service managers have not responded to my previous calls, she said that they are too busy to call the customers.

I have to conclude that Toyota has a death wish. I now understand at least one of the sources of the horrible state of Japanese economy.

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