I’m guessing the engineers had good intentions when they made this bleeping beeping noise the default setting from the factory. Probably the easiest way to imagine what it sounds like is to compare it to the noise you hear when a garbage disposal truck (or similarly equipped large vehicle) backs up. The difference is, nobody outside of the vehicle hears the noise. It’s not like it is there to tell everyone…”Hey you, look out now, I’m backing up my Prius here!”. What it tells you (the driver, passengers, and other occupants) is, “Hurry up and back this hybrid up…nobody can stand this noise any longer!”.

The good news is that it is possible to turn off this annoying beep…well, sort of. If you take your ‘10 Prius back to a Toyota dealer (preferably the one you purchased it from), some of them have the necessary laptop, software, and knowledge to change it from a constant beeping sound to just one (uno) reminder beep. That would solve a lot of headaches and complaints. Better yet, if you’ve ordered a Gen III and you are waiting for the boat (from Japan) to arrive, ask you salesperson or manager to program this before you take delivery. That way you might not get charged for the change, and you’ll avoid the issue all together.

In addition to getting this changed, there are several other settings and customization options. Most of them have to be changed by your dealer (including how the fob unlocks the doors, time elapsed before automatic door lock, buzzer volume, how doors lock when you shift out of park, light sensor sensitivity, time for headlights to automatically turn off, etc.). In case you want to read about them all, here are the six pages of the 2010 Prius Owner’s Manual Customizations in pdf.

From what I’ve read, there is no other way to turn off the beeping noise you hear when backing up. Don’t waste your time…call your dealer and make an appointment (unless you actually like it…and then, enjoy!).

Update 8/26/2009: Just wanted to let everyone know that I got my backup beep issue resolved today. I was due for my first oil change at 5,000 miles (all synthetic by the way, and $55) so I emailed the service department and salesperson in advance, telling both that I wanted to have the beeps switched from constant to just one beep. Not much of a reply from them except that it shouldn’t be an issue. When I arrived for the appointment, I let the assigned technician know that I wanted this changed. He said he’d take care of it.

45 minutes later, the tech met me in the waiting area with bad news. He said the options were to leave the beeps as they were, or change them to one constant, nonstop beeping noise. I told him that I’d researched this and emailed everything I could find about how to fix it. The tech agreed to print my email and try again. 5 minutes later he returned with good news. The issue was resolved.

Bottom line…this can be done and it appears to be quite easy, but you’d be wise to send the above link or printed version of the .pdf to your service tech in advance. In the end, mine didn’t charge me for the work, and even though I know it took less than five minutes, you might not be so lucky. Good luck…my beeping nightmare has ended!

The 2010 Prius warranty can be broken down into several areas of coverage. Like most vehicles on the road today, it starts with the popular 3 year or 36,000 mile “basic warranty”. Most likely in an effort to instill trust, Toyota adds additional warranties to cover the hybrid system and other systems.

Basic Warranty: 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Covers repairs and adjustments to correct defects in materials or workmanship of parts supplied by Toyota. Wheel alignment and wheel balancing are an exception to the rule, only getting covered for 12 months or 12,000 miles.

Hybrid System Warranty: 96 months or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. This warranty includes the Battery Control Module, Hybrid Battery, Hybrid Control Module, and the Inverter (with converter).

Powertrain Warranty: 60 months or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. This includes the Engine (cylinder block, head, internal parts, timing gears & gaskets, the timing chain/belt, valve covers, oil pan, oil pump, engine mounts, engine control computer, water pump, fuel pump, seals and gaskets). It also covers the Transaxle, Motor, and Generator (case, all internal parts, transaxle mounts, seals and gaskets). It covers the Front-Wheel Drive System (drive house and internal parts, axle shafts, drive shafts, CVJ, front hub and bearings, seals and gaskets).

Restraint System Warranty: 60 months or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. This covers the vehicle for any repairs needed to correct defects in materials or workmanship on seatbelts and/or air bag systems.

Corrosion Perforation Warranty: 60 months regardless of mileage. This one is for repair or replacement of any body panel that develops perforation from corrosion (aka rust through).

Towing: No time line or mileage limitation noted. If your Prius is inoperable due to failure of a warranteed part, Toyota Motors will pay for towing service to the nearest authorized Toyota dealership.

Tires: Tires are warranteed by the tire manufacturer, not Toyota.

In addition to the new vehicle limited warrantees outlined above, Toyota also meets or exceeds Federal Emission Control Warranty requirements.

If you purchase a 2010 Toyota Prius in California or any other state that has adopted their warranty provisions (currently there are 12), several other warrantees and warranty periods are offered by Toyota. I’ll pass on going into the details, since they don’t apply to every state.

Lastly, please use this as a reference only. I would encourage you to double check these warrantees with an authorized Toyota dealer before making any decisions based on my interpretation of the owner’s manual.