DEAR TOM AND RAY: My wife and I bought a 2013 Prius in July 2013. We were parked at a mall when we had an unusual problem: I started the car and the "check hybrid system" light came on. We called Toyota's 800 number to have our car towed to the nearest dealership. The people at the dealership "powered down" the system, then "booted it up" again, and we drove home. About a week later, the same thing happened. We had it towed to the nearest Toyota dealership, and we got our car back about a week later. I was told that the electronics in the car may have "a loose connection." When I went to start the car, the problem recurred. Another week passed and I got a call that my car was ready. The mechanic told me they replaced one defective computer cell, and the computer was "talking to itself." I went into the parking lot to start the car, and the XM radio was knocked out. After 2 1/2 hours of waiting (again) for them to repair the XM, I was told by the mechanic that the car got stuck in reverse when it came off the lift and that the rear camera was not functioning. To make a long story short, Toyota replaced our Toyota 2013 Prius with a 2014 Prius. My question is (you were wondering when I'd ask it): How complicated are the electronics in a hybrid like the Prius? Can one thing going wrong cause a whole series of problems?
-- Joseph
RAY: They're very complicated.
TOM: Most people know that engine management has become computerized over the past couple of decades, with the computer figuring out how much air and fuel to send into the cylinders and controlling for emissions.
RAY: But not everyone realizes that almost everything else is now computerized, too: shifting, braking, handling, safety systems, lighting, even steering and accelerator inputs are now being done "by wire."
TOM: So cars now have not just one, but many computers. And while that has a huge number of benefits, it also increases the complexity.
RAY: To all of that, the Prius adds a computer to manage its hybrid propulsion system. It decides when to use the electric motor to power the wheels, when to switch to the gasoline engine, and when to combine the two. It manages the regenerative braking system and the level of charge in the hybrid battery.
TOM: So the Prius is the poster child for electronic complexity in cars. But I'm not sure any of that explains why your car was so unreliable. I'm guessing your car was suffering from a fatal case of F.O.T.: fell off truck.
RAY: I think someone forgot to secure it to a car carrier or a lift, and ... kersplat. Hey, my brother's done it!
TOM: When there are electrical gremlins on a new car and even replacing the computers doesn't make them go away, you have to suspect an accident, where some unseen wiring got partially severed or pinched.
RAY: The problem could be hidden inside the wiring sheath, which makes it very hard to find, especially when the problem shows up only intermittently.
TOM: Toyota finally did the right thing for you by raising the white flag and giving you a brand-new car. Good for them.
RAY: We've never seen problems like this on a Prius, so I'm guessing you had a one-of-a-kind. You lucky devil!
TOM: So as long as the 2014 didn't fall off the delivery truck, you shouldn't have to worry about this again, Joseph -- complexity or not. Good luck.
DEAR TOM AND RAY: I drive Lincoln Navigators. I like as good a ride as possible for this size vehicle. If I remember correctly, the one I bought in 2008 had 16-inch wheels. I think my 2010 also had 16-inch wheels, but you could get optional 18s. By 2012 year, they still offered 18-inch wheels, but no one had them, so I had to get 20-inch wheels. Lincoln Navigators have not changed much over the years, but there was supposed to be a major change in 2015, so I thought I would wait. The big change: 22-inch wheels. When the wheel size goes up and the sidewall of the tire gets smaller, doesn't the ride get worse? My thinking is that the smaller wheel with more sidewall will get a better ride -- right or wrong?
-- Arlon
RAY: Right. Generally speaking, you are correct. With more sidewall to absorb bumps, the ride will feel softer.
TOM: But the handling will be sloppier. That's what they're trying to combat with larger wheels and shorter sidewalls.
RAY: Usually, the total diameter of the wheel/tire combination stays the same, regardless of which wheel size you choose. The larger the wheel, the shorter the sidewall. This is so that they all fit in the same wheel well. They wouldn't want to redesign the wheel well, because that costs what? Money.
TOM: But the shorter the sidewall, the less "flex" there is in the tire when you change direction. So shortening up the sidewall is a cheap way of improving the handling without modifying the truck's suspension -- which costs what? Money.
RAY: And if Lincoln believes that most potential buyers would prefer crisper handing to that living-room-sofa feel, that's an easy way to accomplish it.
TOM: On a vehicle like a Lincoln Navigator, where the ride already is designed to be Barcalounger-esque, you often can "afford" the ride penalty of larger wheels and lower-profile tires. But on a car that is already tuned for handling rather than a cushy ride, like a BMW 3-series, for instance, we encourage people to avoid the larger wheels, because they may turn what had been an acceptable ride into an unacceptably harsh one.
RAY: But lots of people are going for the larger wheels these days anyway, for styling reasons. Wheel aesthetics have changed in the past 10 years, as your history of Navigator wheel sizes illustrates. These days, if you see 16-inch wheels on a Navigator, they'll probably look tiny and out of scale.
TOM: But if you prioritize a pillowy ride over crisp handling, then you're right to opt for the smallest wheels that the manufacturer makes available -- if you can find 'em, because even the dealers rarely order them.
Click & Clack (Tom and Ray Magliozzi) dispense advice about cars in Car Talk every Saturday. Email them by visiting
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HomeStyle on 07/12/2014