We were driving toward the mall about a month ago to get a Sodastream canister exchanged when our 10 year old Prius started to slow down. We were going up an incline and I wondered why Art was decreasing the speed at first. Then we noticed the dashboard lights were all blinking red. Cars were honking. Ack! Thank goodness nobody hit us!
We happened to be near a school so we were able to slowly almost coast into the parking lot.
Art called Toyota and they said we should NOT drive the car. We needed to have the Prius towed into the dealership/shop. We called AAA next and they said they would send a tow truck over. We sat on the grass and waited for what they said would be a 45 minute wait.
Amazingly, they had a mapping app that showed us exactly where the tow truck was. Our tow truck driver arrived in about 20 minutes! He was masked and even brought us cold bottled water. Wow!
When he tried to reverse the Prius from our parking space, it refused to move. The car had to be pushed into position. Sheesh! We've never had this happen.
Because of coronavirus, he couldn't take us in the truck. Luckily, our friend, Dave came to drive us home.
On the way home, we worried about what this might all entail. The Prius is 10 years old. Perhaps the battery was old and we needed to change it. And would that cost mean it would be better to get another car? What would that cost?
We waited for the call from Toyota to tell us the BAD news. Would you believe there was an original defective car part? So there was no charge for the replacement or the diagnosis. Whoopie!
But did we get away scott free?
Of course not.
They discovered that the small battery for starting the ignition and stuff like that was getting bad. Sigh...
So they changed the battery which cost about $300. It's a lot better than the thousands we thought we'd have to pay.
What a relief!
For 10 years old, that's still a great looking car Kay--sure am glad things worked out for you guys (well, aside from the $300 smaller battery)!
ReplyDeleteWhen you expect the worst, anything less is a relief.
ReplyDeleteDave is a great friend of yours. I have known him since high school. He is my classmate and our class photographer. I look forward to seeing him in 2022!
ReplyDeleteHi David! Yes, Dave is the BEST!
DeleteWhat a relief and glad you and Art were safe.
ReplyDeleteOn another note....I see by the New York Times this morning that the Trumps have both tested positive for the coronavirus. I wouldn't wish that on anyone not even a president I have no use for. I hope he recovers alright. And I hope his family doesn't get it. Pence was tested too but he tested negative.
ReplyDeleteIt's always refreshing (and a relief) to get a lower car repair bill than expected.
ReplyDeleteI had a 2011 Prius that I traded for a plug in Ford hybrid, a very nice vehicle but I really learned to regret the loss of the space the Prius had. A car stopping on its own in the midst of traffic is a very scary thing. I am glad you were okay.
ReplyDeleteYes, so glad it was only the smaller battery. Very glad you two are ok. Glad too you took pictures. :)
ReplyDeleteI read 'close call' in my news feed and I was worried about you!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy it was only $300. Our cat's vet visit cost us $558. It's only money, though, and she is worth it.
You lucked out all the way around!
ReplyDeleteNow that was scary. So glad you had a safe place to pull over. The tow truck driver was a peach and isn't it wonderful when our worst fears don't come true?
ReplyDeletePhew! Glad it all worked out.
ReplyDeletewow, always some challenge...
ReplyDeleteGlad you're safe, and that you have AAA. They've bailed me out a couple of times as well.
ReplyDeleteInteresting break-down symptom. Wonder how long the recall / free repair has been on the books. I LOVE AAA. I even request the same company ("Almighty Tow") when they're available. Glad all of you are safe. Yep, they told me I couldn't ride in the tow truck for everyone's safety. I booked my first zTrip taxi (used to be 10-10-Taxi) to ride back to my mechanic when he was done.
ReplyDeleteI've received a bottle of water when picking up my car from the airport Parking Spot lot, but not with AAA. (My car is 23 years old; your's is almost new in my mind...) Linda in Kansas
23 years old? Wow! That is awesome, especially with all the snow and salt. Granted our van is almost that old, but the mechanic here thought we lived near the ocean because the undercarriage is badly salt damaged.
DeleteYou had, as they say, a cheap date.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it wasn't all that expensive, although $300 is not nothing, like you said, it could have been WAY worse.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are ok. Thanks for the report. I decided not to buy a car, as I like half a block from a HUI car place. I've gotten adept at using the app, and enjoy driving a prius. Then when I'm done with my errand I walk away. Done. Not for everyone, but perfect for me. (And no uber driver in th car with me)
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that everything worked out in the end.
ReplyDeletePleased it all ended well.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan