TT stole my response. A dealer and/or manufacturer can deny a warranty claim for just about anything or almost nothing. You then have to either work your heiny off to try to get the coverage denial waived, take them to small claims court and hope the judge got screwed by his dealer recently, or hire a lawyer and pay whatever it takes to (hopefully) win.
Sadly, the annals of warranty repair stories are bursting with countless warranty denials not backed by any evidence. Most victims aren’t knowledgeable or well-heeled enough to fight, so they simply lose and go away angry… and buy another make the next time. I’ll save my own story for another day.
The only thing that really keeps the warranty system intact is that it’s far more profitable to honor the warranties than to absorb the lost sales and bad publicity… and in some cases undergo an investigation by authorities… I have a story involving a dealer and the AG’s office too that I’ll save for another day. Those trying to get warranty coverage from a manufacturer or dealer going bankrupt have their work cut out for them.
They couldn’t void the warranty based on a tow hitch only, but if your car has a problem that can be caused by towing, having that hitch sure isn’t going to help you get a repair under warranty.
Joe Guy: They can and will void the warranty for a tow hitch only. Otherwise you are 100% correct. Have you ever served jury duty or been to small claims court? A vehicle prohibited from towing per the owners manual (documentation) with an aftermarket towing hitch installed will be presumed (rightfully so) the purpose of installing the hitch was to tow something. If damage to vehicle (powertrain/suspension. Not a piece of interior trim falling off.) is consistent with prohibited towing. Fat chance of proving you were only carrying a bicycle.
But I have seen plenty of Priuses with a Bike mounted . . . on a tow hitch receiver
They wouldn’t choose ME for that jury because I refuse to see things your way
And if they somehow DID choose me, then it would be deadlocked, because NOBODY would change my mind. Or they’d have to throw me out and choose an alternate juror, if there’s a provision for doing that
db4690: I am not seeing things my way. I am seeing things the way they would be determined by the dealer/manufacturer. My point is that if you installed an aftermarket tow hitch on your Prius which was stated in the owner manual as being incapable of towing and only carried a bicycle. It would be highly unlikely to be able to prove you did not tow anything with it especially if damage consistent with towing occurred. It has nothing to do with being right/innocent. It is the way legal matters work in the real world. What is wrong with you people today???
db4690: I had no intention of insulting or demeaning you. A couple others and now yourself have been uncharacteristically sensitive/confrontational concerning advice/opinions posted by others concerning things that are not really that important. I sincerely apologize.
Exactly how much can u put in a “motorcycle” trailer? Since weight of trailer and contents must be deducted from gvw, than that means u cannot have any passengers? And have to go on a diet?
First off the Prius has proven to be extremely reliable. I’d bet there have been less then a few dozen drivetrain failures while under warranty. Now how many of them had a hitch??? We’re talking extremely low numbers.
Towing with FWD is a dicey proposition at best.
Relying on the front wheels to do acceleration, braking and steering, plus complex weight transfer (with a third axle and pendulated second mass) leaves a narrow window of safe control.
Add reduced traction on non-dry roads, hills and a driver with mediocre skills and it’s no wonder that manufacturers refuse to endorse towing with most FWD.
My brother’s FWD Highlander is occasionally used for towing a small trailer
I installed the factory wiring harness and tow hitch myself . . . when he bought it NO HIghlander was built at the factory with the tow package, only the tow “prep package” which included an upgraded alternator, radiator and coolers. The wiring harness which I installed was plug and play, as was the actual hitch itself
The owner’s manual clearly states exactly how much is allowed
I had a leased Prius V and I towed a harbor freight utility trailer which weighed 150 lbs, and carried a riding mower on it. I never had any issues, I never went over 55mph with it and never had an issue.
I fail to see how a 170lb motorcycle trailer with say 50lbs of stuff in it would hurt anything so long as you didn’t go over the GVWR of the car.
I frequently tow 2000lbs+ ( Total, including trailer weight) with a sienna. No issues.
I am somewhat surprised how many here suggest to just go ahead and pull a trailer (with some cautions), despite of what the manual says. In other situations, i.e. maintenance of a vehicle, everyone points to the user manual and recommends following it. Why the exception here?
I would NEVER suggest to hook up a tow hitch to a FWD car if the owner’s manual blatantly stated towing is not recommended
So it’s not me you’re talking about
Let me amend that . . . I would NOT advise towing with a FWD car if the owner’s manual blatantly stated towing is not recommended
But hooking up a tow hitch on such a car for the SOLE purpose of mounting a bicycle carrier should theoretically not doom the car
But it will kill rearview visibility, with the bikes on the carrier
yes, I know darn well some will say “But who’s to guarantee the customer will only use the tow hitch for that bicycle carrier.”
I installed a tow hitch on my mom’s car for the sole purpose of installing that bicycle carrier. LONG after ALL of the warranties . . . new car, rust-through, emissions, etc. had expired. And I know she never actually towed anything.
True enough . . . nobody can guarantee that
But we can’t even guarantee all of us will still be around tomorrow
Because its a conspiracy by the auto manufactures to sell is high profit margin pickup trucks and also they are afraid to condone towing because of our sue happy lawyers these days.
well, the article makes for leisure reading, but it’s not an expert opinion for me. Happy lawyers are always around, whether you legally pull a trailer or illegally.
I have no opinion about the stability of a Prius or if it is build strong enough to pull a Red Flyer Wagon. It still does not explain why at times we should follow the manufacturers recommendation and at other times throw them out the window.
Probably with a little common sense you could tote around 800-1000# ,courtesy of the hitch ,you would use a class 1 with a small ball and preferably a small aluminum or light steel trailer,my brother used to tote around his 24 hp riding mower on a rather heavy Leonard single axle trailer ,without ill effect,(on a later model Taurus sedan)I think U Haul installed the hitch, the advantages of the hitch include a bit of reinforcement in a rear ender and a convenient hook up point if you get stuck ,just dont overload and do it frequently a couple of sheets of OSB and the weekly garbage shouldnt hurt anything,use common sense and dont try to over power the little man .
