The problem with hybrid batteries is that they have only been around for 10 years-11 if you consider Japan’s first Prius.  No one really knows for sure how long hybrid batteries will last, but we do know that so far they are holding up very well.  The first Prius was developed in 2000-2001 model year and so far the hybrid systems are NOT failing.

Here in the U.S. the warranty on the hybrid battery covers 8 years or 100,000 miles. In a California-emission state, the hybrid battery pack in a 2004-current Prius is further covered under the CA emissions warranty for 10 years/150,000 miles. If for some reason you do need to replace the hybrid battery out of warranty, your Toyota dealer should offer you a $200 rebate on it, to ensure that it gets properly recycled.

Used Prius hybrid battery packs (from wrecked vehicles) have been selling for less than $1000 on eBay.

The price for new Prius hybrid batteries has recently come down. They used to be priced at $2985, but now for the 2001-2003 model year it is $2299 and the 2004-current model year is $2588.

The Prius battery has been designed to maximize battery life by keeping the battery at an optimum charge level – never fully draining it and never fully recharging it. There is lab data showing longevity of the battery with the equivalent of 180,000 miles having no deterioration. Since the car went on sale in 2000, Toyota has not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.

When you are ready to purchase your Toyota hybrid, visit your local Toyota Dealer, Spirit Toyota in St. Louis.

It is easy to get caught up in a car for aesthetic reasons; the way the car looks, the way the seats feel, how everything seems to perfectly fit to you. The price may even be right on the money as well. But not having a clear idea of exactly what you need out of a car may catch up to you further down the line, leaving you wishing you had made a different decision.

If you are buying a new car or trading in your old one, every new car you meet will feel light-years beyond what you’re driving. There’s something about a brand new car that can easily make you believe it is perfect for you. By purchasing a vehicle without the seating you need or the towing capacity that is imperative to your lifestyle or job can really end up leaving high and dry.

It is easiest to, before ever stepping foot onto the lot, do your homework via the internet and narrow down a list of cars that may work for you. Determine what qualities you absolutely must have, next make a list of features you would like. You could even take your list with you when you visit the Missouri Toyota dealer and ask a salesperson their opinion. They may be able to quickly give you a handful of options to consider that meet your requirements.

Obviously, know what you can afford. This will also narrow down the pool even more precisely for your decision. If you have any doubts on what a best fit for you would be, I would recommend doing a test drive, making notes of the pros and cons of the cars in the running, then waiting to make a final decision. Give it a few days, and then revisit the dealer to make your purchase.

In selecting which type of device is right for you, you must first have a cell phone that has Bluetooth capacity, this seems like common sense, but it may be overlooked if you are one of those people (like me) who are not very technologically savvy.  Bluetooth is featured on most phones today, but some of the low cost or free phones that come with your calling plan will not have the Bluetooth feature.  Check with your cell phone company to see what options you have for purchasing a phone that is compatible with a Bluetooth device.

You can buy aftermarket Bluetooth car kits to wire into your stereo, there are several companies like Motorola and Parrot that have several models to choose from.The Parrot 3200LS-COLOR, for instance, not only adds Bluetooth calling from your cell phone over the car’s audio system, but will also mute your music when you have an incoming call, just like the integrated factory Bluetooth systems. This type of integrated system will cost few hundred bucks, plus installation charges.

Motorola and Parrot also make Bluetooth speakerphone devices that you can plug into the cigarette lighter or that are powered with rechargeable batteries, these devices do not require wiring, nor do they automatically mute the music when a call comes in.

In the end, your options are to get an integrated factory installed Bluetooth system from your new Toyota  St. Louis dealer, or to install a device with great factory-like features that is permanently wired to your car for about $400.

Equipment Needed
·    New Oil
·    New Oil Filter
·    Ratchet or Open End Wrench
·    Funnel
·    Clean Rags
·    Oil Filter Wrench
·    Oil Catch/Recycle Container

Step one is to drain the old oil out. It drains from the oil pan underneath the engine. Oil is held in the pan by a drain plug that looks like a big bolt at the bottom. Before removing the plug make sure that you have a container ready to capture the old oil.  Replace the drain plug and tighten to vehicle specifications. Next remove the old oil filter with the filter wrench. Be careful it’s still full of old oil which can spill out and make a mess. Lubricate the rubber gasket on the end of the new filter with some of the new oil. Next, fill it about 2/3 full of new oil. Screw on the filter hand tight only. Check the owner’s manual to see how much oil your vehicle holds. Screw off the oil cap, stick in a funnel, and add ¾ of that amount to the engine. Next check the level and add more until the proper level is achieved. Finally, put your oil cap back on and it’s cleanup time. Make sure to dispose of old engine oil in an environmentally friendly manner.

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When bugs die the hard way on the windshield of your certified Toyota, they can leave quite a bit of a mess. Sometimes there are smears, sometimes there are lumps, and they can be hard to remove. While you can immediately use your windshield wipers and some fluid on them to remove the carcasses, sometimes that just makes the problem worse. For whatever reason, bugs stick to windshields, they smear, and they are far too hard to remove.

If you are having a problem with bugs on your pre-owned certified Toyota, you may need to soak them off. On a warm day outside, or in the comfort of your garage, try wetting your windshield and letting the liquid soak into the dried bugs. Yes, this is a little gross, but soaking them off may be the best way to remove them. If you have a particularly difficult bug to remove, you can lay a wet cloth over it and give it extra time to soak. When this is done, simply clean your windshield as you normally do, and the bugs should clean up pretty easily.

While cleaning bugs off of the windshield of your certified Toyota may not be very glamorous, sometimes you just need to take care of business. So, take the time to soak them off and give your windshield a good cleaning. You’ll be able to see better on the St Louis roads, which will make driving all the more fun.

Just because UV light is out there doesn’t mean you have to let much of it into your hybrid Toyota. One great option is to invest in window tinting. Not only will it cut the glare as you travel from Kirkwood to O’Fallon, but it will help keep UV radiation out of your car. This means your skin will stay safer, and your interior will receive less sun damage over time. Leather can crack and plastics can fade, after all, so why not keep them looking fresh and new?

If your hybrid Toyota will be receiving a lot of Ballwin or St Louis, MO sun, you may want to find a product to help. There are many interior cleaning products with UV protectors in them. You can think of them as a type of sunscreen for your car. If the UV rays can’t hit your dashboard, it can’t show the effects of sun damage over the years. There are also waxes you can use on the exterior of your hybrid Toyota that will help keep the paint job looking fresh with no sun fading.

No matter what you do, take it from your St Louis Toyota dealer. Wearing sunscreen is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Sure, your car is worth the effort, but your health is the most important thing of all.

Windshield wiper fluid is, of course, the fluid you put in your car that squirts out on your windshield when you need to wash it. It’s usually blue, and it does a great job of taking care of mud, grime, and all of the dirt of the St Louis roads. It needs a bit of soap, the ability to dry quickly, and to not freeze in the winter. While this sounds pretty simple, your Toyota dealer knows there is some debate about just what chemicals should be used in it. Most fluids contain an alcohol to help keep them from freezing. The problem is that all of this is let out into the air and it splashes on the ground. Since millions of liters are used each year, this can really add up.

Your Toyota dealer has learned that not only can these chemicals harm the environment, but some of them can damage your car. The solvents may eat away at the rubber and plastic parts of your vehicle, for example. They can also cause concrete to degrade, making Missouri roads less safe, and possibly costing more to keep them in good shape. It’s hard to believe something as simple as windshield wiper fluid could be doing this, isn’t it?

The next time you need to fill your windshield wiper fluid, take it from your Toyota dealer—it’s worth doing some research. There are homemade fluid options that are cheaper and easier on the environment, and they may be better for your car, too. There’s a long road ahead of you, and we want you to make sure that you’re using safe chemicals as you keep that windshield clear.

Some items you need to haul in your new or used hybrid Toyota are so long that they will stick out of the back of your trunk. When this happens, it’s important to make sure that they are properly tied down. You can use string or rope to ensure that they don’t move and that they won’t fall out the back of your vehicle. Another option is elastic cords with hooks at the end. These cables are easy to wrap around the item and, since they stretch, to get a snug fit. With hooks on each end you can easily attach them to your trunk to keep the items secure as well as the lid of your trunk down.

When you have items in your hybrid Toyota that stick out past the end of your vehicle, you may need to attach a red flag to them to be sure that other drivers are aware that they are sticking out further than they may appear. If any item extends more than three feet past the end of your vehicle, you should attach a red flag to the end of the item. This flag can be as simple as a piece of cloth, but it is important to attach it. Some loads, however, are just too long. If the item extends more than six feet past the end of your vehicle, you’ll need to find a new way of hauling it, as it’s not longer safe for other drivers if you have it in your car.

Your hybrid Toyota is powerful enough to haul more than people, but be sure to use common sense with your cargo. Make sure all items that are outside of the vehicle are properly tied down and marked for other drivers, and you’ll keep everyone safer on the road.

Different violations have different point values in Missouri. Speeding in your certified Toyota, for example, is three points. Leaving the scene of an accident, on the other hand, is 12 points. What really matters is how many points you accumulate in a given time period. If you get eight or more points in an 18 month period, your license will be suspended for 30 days. If this is your second suspension, it will be 60 days. Any further suspensions will be an automatic 90 days.

Sometimes, however, your points accumulate too high for a short term suspension. If you accumulate 12 or more points in 12 months, 18 or more points in 24 months, or 24 points or more in a 36 month time period, your Missouri license will be suspended for a full calendar year.

Once the suspension is over, you’ll need to fill out some paperwork to get your Missouri license reinstated. You’ll need proof of insurance and to pay a $20 fee to have it reinstated. If your license was suspended because of an alcohol related offense in your certified Toyota, the fee is $45 and you’ll have to complete a qualified substance abuse program in addition to providing proof of insurance.

As you can see, getting a speeding ticket in your certified Toyota probably won’t cost you your license. This type of driving can be very dangerous, however, and repeat offenses can really add up. We recommend you follow the law and avoid adding points at all. After all, it’s better to be safe and legal than to have your license suspended!

If a police officer wants to know how fast you are driving, he or she pulls out a radar gun. While it’s a complicated machine, there is a simple answer to the question of how it works. The device sends out a radio signal that bounces off of the vehicle and returns to the gun. More signals go out and return, and the gun calculates how fast the car is going based on how much longer it takes the waves to return to the gun after they are sent. All of this happens in a split second, much more quickly than you could brake in your hybrid Toyota.

A radar detector tells you when a signal is directed at your car, which in theory means it is time to hit the brakes if you are speeding. The problem? By the time the detector in your hybrid Toyota is aware of the signal, it’s too late. Your speed has already been recorded, and you just have an expensive, worthless device in your car letting you know.

Speeding is illegal and dangerous, and we recommend that you avoid doing it. Your life is far more important than a bit of speed. No matter how you choose to drive your hybrid Toyota, however, you should know that radar detectors are legal in Missouri—but really, they don’t do a whole lot.