[saneesh81]

Hi All,

I bought a certified 2014 Avalon Touring with 35k on it. Was a private owned car (single owner).

The certified warranty, it covers the hybrid battery also right? I took additional platinum warranty for $1383. Is that really needed? I was mainly worried about the hybrid battery.

Did a highway trip. Average speed was >80. Got 35.03 mpg. Is this ok? This is my first hybrid.

Coming from the family of VW, Honda and BMW, it is lot different.

Thanks
Saneesh

 

[Wnboaz]

Welcome!

My story is similar. Bought a used '13 Hybrid-Limited with 32,000 miles. No warranty beyond the factory. No need for one: It's a Toyota! Previous vehicle was a Prius, so I am not at all worried about the battery. Hybrid batteries have been around long enough now, that there is a track-record - - and it is a good one. In talking with the service manager at the local dealership, he said that batteries of today should be thought of as transmissions of yesteryear -- they may start to fail in the 200,000 mile range, and the cost to replace/repair is similar.

Your MPG is fine for 80MPH. Slow down a bit, and you will see your mileage increase. While I am not getting the 40/39 that is advertised, I am getting close. I miss the 50 MPG of the Prius, but the Avalon is a much more comfortable car.

 

[ukrkoz]

Hybrid warranty is 8 yrs 100 000 miles whatever comes first. From time vehicle was sold.
Should you live in CARB state AND vehicle was originally licensed in CARB state, you have 10 yrs 150 000 miles hybrid system warranty, whatever comes first.

50 is a magic number for hybrids.
1. any ambient temperatures below 50 will start lowering your mpg.
2. any speeds above 50-55 will do same. The faster you go, the lower it is. Your best mpg is cruising somewhere on a backroad, flat, no traffic, at 38 mph.

You can NOT judge about your mpg based on any instantaneous or tank average data. They fluctuate widely as traffic conditions and driving fluctuates. You will always stay within a 10% variable on short term data and only come to wrong conclusions. So never reset any mpg data and get yourself Fuelly account. Then, in about a year from that, you can judge you REAL average mpg. Like this:

http://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/camry/2007/ukrkoz/90562/fuelchart

http://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/camry/2007/ukrkoz/90562

 

[saneesh81]

Thank you all

Tomorrow, i am going to call and cancel the warranty. Seems i dont need it. Car is almost 2 weeks old (bought it on 14th of this month).

The car is 2014 model. So eventhough it is certified and i am the second owner, it is warrantied till 2022 / 100k. I guess the same warranty applies for certified and second owner also? I live in Texas and so it is 8yrs/100k.

I will update with more on mpg. Typically it is city drive only on 40-45 mph with stop lights. I guess i will get more than 35 with this kind of driving.

Planning to give it to my wife. She drives 40 miles a day in 3 trips and the Honda Odyssey averages 15-16 mpg. I guess i will get more than double that mpg. bmw averages 21mpg (it is a z3) with regular fuel and i drive it 30 miles a day. So i guess, my wife's drive is a better choice for it.

The engine start and stop, it shakes little bit. It is ok? First luxury car i ever owned. Do i need to talk to the dealer? one yr full coverage is there.

Lastly on insurance, it is more than Odyssey and Z3. They says it is because of Hybrid system. I think like ~$70 per month for full coverage with $500 deductible. Is this normal for this car? Odyssey which i bought new, it is like ~$45 per month.

 

[KenSoren]

Hybrid warranty is 8 yrs 100 000 miles whatever comes first. From time vehicle was sold.
Should you live in CARB state AND vehicle was originally licensed in CARB state, you have 10 yrs 150 000 miles hybrid system warranty, whatever comes first.

I bought a new '16 Avalon Hybrid in June in California and found it has the 8 year 100,000 warranty on the traction battery and other hybrid components, including the electric water pump. Really surprised me since I thought CA got the extended warranty for the traction battery but I found this on the sticker and the warranty booklet that came with the car.
I wonder if this true for other carb states?

 

[ukrkoz]

Most of the failed hybrid batteries have been replaced free-of-charge under the standard Toyota warranty (8-yr 100k miles) or CARB-extended warranty (10-yr 150k miles). Furthermore, Toyota has reportedly been generous in sharing battery repair costs with many owners who were just outside of the warranty limits.

Summary of Toyota’s CARB Warranty Rules (with DC Metro Area Examples)

• Vehicle must be registered in a CARB state at the time of repair.

Vehicle must be CA-Certified.

The vehicle must be registered in a CARB state at the time of purchase.

The vehicle must have been sold in a CARB state.

Toyota CARB Warranty is disqualified if your Prius is registered in a non-CARB state.



https://priuschat.com/threads/carb-warranty-ins-and-outs-and-in-out-ins.142131/

 

[KenSoren]

ukrkoz, I hear what you are saying but I bought my '16 Avalon in California six months ago and it only came with a 8 year 100,000 mile warranty but the warranty was expanded to the "hybrid components" which is something I didn't see in our '09 TCH. The statement at the bottom of the window sticker says that some components may have longer coverage under California emmisions warranty and we should check the Warranty and Maintenance Guide. I did check my Avalon's and it says 8 years 100,000 miles. This surprised me too.
Maybe some other CARB State owners of the newer models can comment here in what they see in their owners warranty handbook. I have a feeling something has changed here. RB

 

[Wnboaz]

I understand that the CARB State rules were changed a few years ago to the 8-year, 100,000 mile standard. My 2013 is 8 / 100,000.

 

[KenSoren]

ukrkoz gave an interesting link that kind of explains what happened.
I remember our '09 TCH being a PZEV certified vehicle but our '16 Avalon is not listed as one. Sounds like a cheap shot on Toyota's part in not having to cover the 10 year 150,000 mile warranty.
Here is part of what is mentioned in the link to the Prius site:

"Vehicle must be CA-Certified.
CA-certification means that your California emissions sticker under the hood needs to show AT-PZEV classification. In one sense, CA-certification is not a problem because it appears almost all US-sold Prii are fully CA-certified. But actually, that’s the whole problem. Rather than use emission sticker differentiation, Toyota chooses to use policy rules to say that some CA-certified Prius are nevertheless disqualified from the CARB warranty, even in CARB states."

This mentions Prius but probably applies to all Toyota hybrids.

 

[Whitecars]

"The engine start and stop, it shakes little bit. It is ok? First luxury car i ever owned. Do i need to talk to the dealer? "
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Did you purchase it from the owner or the dealer? I ask because you may want to know why it was traded so soon, or was it a lease turn-in? Did the previous owner have a problem with it? Are you using Tier 1 gasoline?
Yes, I discuss it with the dealer, It should not shake when stopping or starting. From a stop, the electric works until about 20 mph and then the gas engine kicks in, it should be un-noticable. When stopping, you shouldn't notice anything but quiet...

 

[KenSoren]

Whitecars, you must have something really different from what I have. Of all three hybrids we own none start on electric power only unless you do an exceptionally slow start on a really level surface. All use the ICE to get going then if you let up on the accelerator the all electric mode will kick in but only up to between 40 and 50 mph and then the ICE starts spinning.
The electric motors in a hybrid are more or less there to assist the ICE when required and under some circumstances it will allow the ICE to shut off and power the car for a couple of miles max.
As far as the start stop function shaking the car a little, there will be a very short delay from when you hit the accelerator from a stop but there shouldn't be any shaking. Same for when cruising in electric power and applying the accelerator. Our three hybrids have a slight hesitation but very little noticeable shaking when the ICE kicks in.

 

[saneesh81]

It seems the shake is very normal now.

I checked the car fax and it seems the previous owner went to the dealership more than once to fix creaking noises. I guess it is fixed now. I dont hear any creaking noises. It was not lease and i think it was trade. I used Shell gas last time. May be time to put a bottle of Techron.

One more thing, the hybrid battery, it never charges completely. Always leave the top 2 bars in the display not charged. Is this the way how it works? Tried highway trips, local, but always stops charging leaving the last 2 bars.

 

[Whitecars]

Whitecars, you must have something really different from what I have.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yes, there probably is a difference between our cars. When I met the salesman he told me about the TAHL electric motor during stops and when starting. That was why we purchased it. Per my Avalon Hybrid owners manual pg. 70 I'll quote " The gasoline engine stops when the vehicle is stopped. During startoff the electric motor drives the vehicle. At slow speeds or when traveling down a gentle slope the engine is stopped and the electric motor is used." NOTE: I never paid much attention to drive modes but did notice that our came with "ECO" button engaged and have never changed it... or maybe in "sport mode" the engine responds quicker. Ours is a 2014.

 

[Whitecars]

One more thing, the hybrid battery, it never charges completely. Always leave the top 2 bars in the display not charged. Is this the way how it works?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Somewhere in this forum the hybrid battery charging bar question has come up before. Our car (2+ years old) always leaves the top two battery bars open.
There was a long discussion but the bottom line was that this is normal & I forgot why. Shell regular gas is Tier 1 & should be fine for this car...

 

[saneesh81]

Thanks Whitecars..

I have the same car. 2014 Avalon touring as yours. 36K now. First 2 yr, complementary oil changes. I guess oil change is every 10K. Is there a OLM meter on our cars?

 

[Whitecars]

saneesh81Thanks Whitecars..

I have the same car. 2014 Avalon touring as yours. 36K now. First 2 yr, complementary oil changes. I guess oil change is every 10K. Is there a OLM meter on our cars?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\
Yes complementary oil change every10K miles for two years, but if you do severe driving as defined in the maintenance manual the extra oil & filter changes are not free. I do not know what an OLM meter is. If it isn't listed in your owner manual we probably don't have it. Hope all the info has been helpful - & you enjoy yours as much as we like ours. My only complaint is the lumpy/hard drivers seat but a seat cushion solves that problem. good luck. Mike

 

[saneesh81]

Latest mpg - 31.5 . All city. I was expecting little bit more. Did a Techron treatment. Most of the drive was with "Eco" mode.

Same for you guys also? Winter gas?

 

[ukrkoz]

I keep saying that all city driving is not good for hybrids. I been arguing this for years at Camry Hybrid forum. It depends on so many factors though... Really, terrain, ambient temperature, how often engine starts after red light, how fast driver wants to move forward.... Many many factors. All I know that the very moment I get into Seattle proper OR drive in Seattle ONLY - my mpg clearly drops down.

 

[pianewman]

I keep saying that all city driving is not good for hybrids. I been arguing this for years at Camry Hybrid forum. It depends on so many factors though... Really, terrain, ambient temperature, how often engine starts after red light, how fast driver wants to move forward.... Many many factors. All I know that the very moment I get into Seattle proper OR drive in Seattle ONLY - my mpg clearly drops down.

I'm not sure the gazillion Prius taxis around the world would agree with you:grin:

 

[saneesh81]

Wife drives it most of the time. Our Odyssey is getting 16 (2010 with 64k on it). Compared to that, it is lot better.