Some of you may be aware, but you can chat online with a toyota prius rep. They can answer most of your questions. The site is prius.toyota.com Then click on the ? icon on the top right of the page. Hope this helps a few of you out.

I tried the live chat on Sunday I think, and she was very helpful. Didn't have any inside info re: where/when cars are hitting, but had answers to all my trim questions.<br><br>I didn't ask about cruise control, though. I thought it was included in the cars coming now. If it's not in the car we see, we'll have a real hard time driving it off the lot.

Ok, Bob. Can you remember the name of the rep? I haven't had any luck with GO Toyota or the online help with my questions. I always get run arounds or told to call the dealer. I asked for a clearer meaning of the "3 year prepaid maintenance incentive" as in exactly what that meant and I was given the URL for the warranty page. After getting several non answers by several reps I have given up on the Live Help service. I don't blame the reps, I used to be in Customer Service myself. They can only provide the info that they are given and can only do as good of a job relating to the training that they receive.<br><br>I've pretty much given up on learning anything else. When the car comes, the car comes. When I see one drive down the street and my wife isn't driving it, I'll call the dealer.

Kevin Kuran Internet Department Manager Toyota of Kirkland <br>hope this helps

We appreciate the feedback on the live chat support program/product knowledge.....Training for those reps was a two day session. We'll address it.<br>Toyota provides five complimentary maintenance services for our Prius to be performed at the first five 7,500 mile/6 month intervals. If you drive your Prius under special operating conditions, you are responsible for the cost of additional required maintenance.<br><br>The maintenance includes oil and filter changes, tire rotations, air conditioning filter change, air filter change, coolant replacement, etc at the appropriate intervals. Hope that this helps..PM

PM,<br><br>Thanks for the info on the maintenance issues.<br><br>I do have one question though. I've been very interested in the Prius for the last six months and been trying to get all kinds of info and order one. Every turn I was told "orders" were only being taken online. In your response, you stated that people have been "ordering" the vehicles from dealers for the last year and leaving a deposit. I would have LOVED the opportunity to have placed the order but was always told I had to wait for the online ordering process. <br><br>I know I'm being petty, but it doesn't seem fair to all the other consumers who had to wait for the online system for the dealers to be able to enter orders a day earlier for "special" consumers.

I understand your frustration. 6/29-30 were the first two days for dealers to begin submitting purchase request. There was no formal program or formal waiting list prior to these dates. Dealers do this on their own. Many customers (regardless of the type of product)will place deposits with retailers so when the first ones come in they are at the front of the line. Take the recent Harry Potter book release as an example or the latest software or music CD. Any consumer could search out a store who would accept a deposit and many did so....it wasn't until 6/29-30 until those intentions were formally recognized by Toyota. Keep in mind also that while we are all in conversation regarding the purchase request process and the status of your orders that the site is not accessible to the general public until 7/14. We wanted to give you our interested and and very patient consumers and our dealers an early two week period to convert those intentions. Priusman

Toyota is outsourcing their "chat" support to PeopleSupport. As such, I've found them about as useful and informative as the brochure.