THE TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY SAYS MY CAR IS PERFORMING JUST AS IT SHOULD .I CONTACTED THE NCDS AND WENT TO ARBITRATION BECAUSE I FEEL THE CAR IS A LEMON THEY AGREED WITH TOYOTA THE CAR IS DOING AS IT SHOULD . DOES ANYONE THINK THAT A CAR THAT SOUNDS AS IF THE MOTOR IS SELF DESTRUCTING WHEN YOU PUSH THE START BUTTON IS DOING WHAT IT SHOULD. ? NOW THE CAR HAS A JERK WHEN IT SHIFTS INTO GEAR AND ON ONE START IT SOUNDED AS IF THE RODS WERE KNOCKING FOR A MINUTE THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE CAR HAD 8000 MILES ON IT AND HAPPENED AGAIN EVERY 5000 TO 7000 MILES FOR 5 TIMES MORE NOW THE OTHER NOISES AND JERKS ARE HAPPENING I AM NOT HAPPY WITH TOYOTA'S RESPONCE THAT THE CAR IS DOING AS IT SHOULD ON THE INTERNET CHJATS I FIND MOR PESOPLE WITH THE PROBLEM OF THE NOISE BUT THEY CAN'T GET TOYOTA TO FIX THE PROBLEM EITHER IT NEVER HAPPENS AT THE DEALERSHIP TOYOTA'S RESPONCE IS THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM TECH' S STICK THEIR GAUGES AND LISTEN TO THE PROBLEM WITH SALES PEOPLE AND OTHERS TRYING TO FIND THE CAUSE I DESCRIBE BUT TAKE ABSOLUTELY NO OTHER ACTION TO REPAIR THE CAR--- KNOWING THE PRKOBLEM XLISTS WHY WOULD THEY NOT JUST REPAIR THE CAR ? BUT THE CAR IS DIONG JUST AS IT WAS DESIGNED BY TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY TO DO!!!!!

12-2-13 (my post on priuschat.com) - I had the intake manifold replaced on 4/16/13 under t-sb-0010-12. I looked at the one that was removed and the part number ended in 37052. The new one ends in 37054. The service tech stated he doesn't know what the difference is or whether or not that will solve my problem as I am the first one they have done. But, spring is here, birds are chirping, flowers are blooming and sinuses are roaring. As soon as winter gets here I'll be able to breathe again and we'll see if the problem is gone.

OK, here we are on 12/1/13 and on 11/2813 and 11/29/13, the car is back to making the same engine noise as it was before they replaced the IM. Anyone else with the 37054 IM have the problem returning?

12-9-13 - My '12 had IM 37052 and the problem developed as it got colder in Nov. 2012. When Toyota replaced it they installed 37054. That IM now has the same problem. Ironically, a neighbor moved in across the street last summer. She has a '12 and came over last week very concerned as hers did it for the first time. I looked and hers has 37052. She takes hers to the dealership tomorrow for "testing" to recreate the problem.

According to Toyota USA, with the newest problems my status is being upgraded somewhere and some Toyota engineer is supposed to contact me and the dealer.

12-11-13 -

Latest update: 12-11-13, Toyota USA called and said the engineer is "...awfully busy..." and may not be able to come and check the problem. They want me to take the car back to dealer so they can try to replicate the noise. They already have replicated the noise. I have the invoices that state same. Another two or three days without my car OR a loaner, and they might or might not say it happened and here goes the run around all over again. Same story, a year later. Surely someone in the Toyota system knows what is causing the problem and what needs to be done to fix it for good. Obviously new IM's don't solve the problem. If quick gas pedal depression was meant to be the desired method of starting the car, the manual should say so. I don't believe that I, or anyone else, should have to accept a work-around. Perhaps they should just sell the Prius in hot weather environments where the owner will know no difference. I've had Toyota's since 1979 and NEVER had an issue until this. I'm running out of patience.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: I did deal with Toyota USA in 11/12 through 4/13 before the IM was changed. I have reopened my case with them since it wasn't fixed. There are 27 pages of similar complaints about this same problem on priuschat.com. When I discussed this issue with the Service Dept. Manager @ Jeff Wyler Toyota, she told me "we can't get into chat groups." I told her it is a web site and she later looked at it and the YouTube vids. Only then did I gain some credibility.

Update from Jan 17, 2014: After having the car for two days the dealership indicated Toyota's response is, according to the invoice, the dealership was told to verify the engine has the latest version of the IM, which it does. Then they also state on the invoice "PER TOYOTA NO FURTHER ACTION TO BE TAKEN". According to the service advisor, the "engineers" supposedly said "that's just the way they (the Prii) are." Here it is.

http://youtu.be/RKhCdVRbmGA

Update from Apr 18, 2014: On 1-21-14 I spoke with the rep @ Toyota USA and relayed all the info from the dealership and engineering stating nothing else could be done. During the conversation, I mentioned that if they (Toyota) would warrant the engine for as long as I own the car, I would be satisfied. The rep stated she couldn't do that but that she could give me the longest extended warranty offered by Toyota (at no charge), which I accepted. My cases are still open and I am to contact them with any further information concerning the engine problems. It seems to me that they (Toyota) are going to handle these issues on a case by case basis until the next generation comes out, hopefully with a new METAL intake manifold, which should solve the problem. That is a lot less expensive than anything else they can do.