Toyota Dealer in SoCal wants $7600 to replace the short block!!!

[CappsPrius]

2005 with 86k could have sworn we had the entended warranty... apparently we don't... we had last major service at 58k.... niether of us can remember having the oil changed since then (yeah i know, get a rope!)
If we did it was only once and well over 5k ago.....
we live in the SoCal mountains and hubby drives the Prius approximately 200 miles a day.... a few days ago
he said it just "sounds wrong" and it flashed me a red excalamation point with the banner "problem" on the screen..... this was on his way home.... I took the car down the hill the next morning and had it at the dealer at 7am..... signed up for the 30k major service and we both noted an occasional engine knock..... I was left with and estimate of $525.....
The service guy called later to say it would be $3500 to tear down the gas engine to see what's up.....
we felt we had no choice because we knew we couldn't drive it sounding like it did..... they had found that the oil was (in his words) slightly low but almost black....
well today they have said per my husband ......"They said the bearings at the base of the pistons are worn and the pistons can actually be moved side to side in the bore. he said that there is scoring on the pistons and the rings are quite worn. Bottom line: needs a new short block, $7600 (including labor)."
....so am I too understand that we will pay over $8,000 for them to rplace basically half the engine?
Hubby says that this would have nothing to do with the "valve tightening" they did last time... right?
Good Lord! we will be paying out over $9,000 by the time we get it back..... maybe more they still say they can't be sure........ does this sound like the best we can do to anyone else?
Just trying to get un-biased feedback..... and still trying to figure out where I'm gonna get my hands on more than $9,000 cash to get a car back that I still owe the bank over $20,000.....*sigh*

[Ari]

Don't let them do it.

My wife had an 87 Honda Civic that had the same problem - she never, ever changed the oil in it and as a result the level finally went low enough that the engine burned itself out. (She is no longer involved in vehicle maintenance in any way.) But, rather than replace the car or do an expensive repair we found a place that had used Civic engines and we had them put in a used replacement engine. Got a new clutch, timing belt, the works. Total cost = $1000. (Engine was $500, labor was the rest.) Ok that's still expensive, but it's a pretty good deal in my opinion. We put an engine with ~40k miles in a car with ~150k miles and everything was fine.

The gas engine in the Prius is just that. You should be able to find a salvage engine that they can bolt on and be done with it. For the kind of money your shop is talking about you should be able to get a brand new engine!

In fact, here's an engine on ebay for $650:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyota-priu...sspagenameZWD1V

[ceric]

If I were you, here is what I would be doing
- get a second opinion: however, it sounds like they charge you $$$$$$$ for looking into it. It may not make sense to have another dealership take a look again.
- call Toyota USA: there is lot of $$$$$$ involved here. Usually, Toyota USA may be able to help you locate some refurbished parts to reduce the costs. It happens if you run into a helpful person on the other end of the line.
- get part from eBay (parts from a lot of totally Prius) and pay for the labor only (some independent shop). The downside is that you don't get warranty.

The bottom line is that your 2005 is so new, it make sense to fix it even at $10K!

My friend had tried successfully (per my suggestion) to trade a Sienna for a Honda Odyssey sine his Sienna is developing transmission issue that required a new tranny.
(he didn't remember when was the last time he changed the transmission fluid?!?!?!). The Honda dealer gave him
a good deal for it, and didn't even care about the condition of the Sienna. I wonder if any dealer will do the same to a 2005 Prius.
Don't ask, don't tell. It is within their calculated risk and profit margin.

[richard schumacher]

Another sad example of what can happen when people ignore the maintenance schedule.

[CappsPrius]

Ari & Ceric.... thanks for the ideas.... unfortunately we will have to pay them $3500 right this second, even if they threw it all in a box and we towed it away....


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Oct 11 2007, 05:30 PM) [snapback]524266[/snapback]</div>

Another sad example of what can happen when people ignore the maintenance schedule.
[/b]

Richard..... you are absolutely correct...maybe my posting will save even one other owner a similar fate!

BTW....we still love our Prius...wouldn't want any other car to take it's place.... plus it has it's HOV stickers
and we know we couldn't get new ones for another one....

Anyone want to buy a 2004 RX-8 with 38k on it? ;-)

I'll stick to my 2000 Maxima for now since its paid for!

[Godiva]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CappsPrius @ Oct 11 2007, 06:01 PM) [snapback]524275[/snapback]</div>

Ari & Ceric.... thanks for the ideas.... unfortunately we will have to pay them $3500 right this second, even if they threw it all in a box and we towed it away....
[/b]

Then tell them to find a used ICE and put it in and "how much will that cost". Should be a lot less than the $7,600+ they quoted. Even better if you can locate the engine yourself.

[drifty1955]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ari @ Oct 11 2007, 06:23 PM) [snapback]524255[/snapback]</div>

Don't let them do it.

My wife had an 87 Honda Civic that had the same problem - she never, ever changed the oil in it and as a result the level finally went low enough that the engine burned itself out. (She is no longer involved in vehicle maintenance in any way.) But, rather than replace the car or do an expensive repair we found a place that had used Civic engines and we had them put in a used replacement engine. Got a new clutch, timing belt, the works. Total cost = $1000. (Engine was $500, labor was the rest.) Ok that's still expensive, but it's a pretty good deal in my opinion. We put an engine with ~40k miles in a car with ~150k miles and everything was fine.

The gas engine in the Prius is just that. You should be able to find a salvage engine that they can bolt on and be done with it. For the kind of money your shop is talking about you should be able to get a brand new engine!

In fact, here's an engine on ebay for $650:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyota-priu...sspagenameZWD1V
[/b]

Brother my brother...you didn't actually allow your wife to maintain her car did you? Most women I know drive there car's till the oil lights come on! Then they keep on driving it while mentioning once and in a while to there husbands there's a light on....which is why my wife and I swap cars every few days.

[msirach]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CappsPrius @ Oct 11 2007, 05:08 PM) [snapback]524249[/snapback]</div>

2005 with 86k could have sworn we had the entended warranty... apparently we don't... we had last major service at 58k.... niether of us can remember having the oil changed since then (yeah i know, get a rope!)
If we did it was only once and well over 5k ago.....
we live in the SoCal mountains and hubby drives the Prius approximately 200 miles a day.... a few days ago
he said it just "sounds wrong" and it flashed me a red excalamation point with the banner "problem" on the screen..... this was on his way home.... I took the car down the hill the next morning and had it at the dealer at 7am..... signed up for the 30k major service and we both noted an occasional engine knock..... I was left with and estimate of $525.....
The service guy called later to say it would be $3500 to tear down the gas engine to see what's up.....
we felt we had no choice because we knew we couldn't drive it sounding like it did..... they had found that the oil was (in his words) slightly low but almost black....
well today they have said per my husband ......"They said the bearings at the base of the pistons are worn and the pistons can actually be moved side to side in the bore. he said that there is scoring on the pistons and the rings are quite worn. Bottom line: needs a new short block, $7600 (including labor)."
....so am I too understand that we will pay over $8,000 for them to rplace basically half the engine?
Hubby says that this would have nothing to do with the "valve tightening" they did last time... right?
Good Lord! we will be paying out over $9,000 by the time we get it back..... maybe more they still say they can't be sure........ does this sound like the best we can do to anyone else?
Just trying to get un-biased feedback..... and still trying to figure out where I'm gonna get my hands on more than $9,000 cash to get a car back that I still owe the bank over $20,000.....*sigh*
[/b]

What kind of oil and filter was it changed with last time? Petroleum or synthetic? Filter brand/model
I use Amsoil synthetic and Amsoil filters and change at 36000 miles. I just rolled over 160,000 and it still doesn't use oil between changes.

Not enough details. Tell them you want detailed report with:

cylinder bore for each cylinder including runout.

piston measurements for each.

crankshaft measurements.

You had to pay $3500 to dissassemble??????

Galaxee: Does your DH know the flat rate for the this job?????

You can find a used motor and get it installed for a LOT less.

Good Luck

[galaxee]

dunno the flat rate for the job, every time DH had to tear one down either the toyota warranty or the extended warranty paid it... or the customer abandoned the car. and if i said warranty pays s*** for it that would be the understatement of the year.

i will say we did a short block for a friend's camry back last spring, it ate a wrist pin clip, scored the cylinders, etc just as above. got a used block from a scrap yard, had it machined, new pistons, rings, complete reassembly DH's style (that is, super perfectionista-style) complete with gasket set and everything. yes, we cut the guy a deal on labor but in the end it cost him under $2k.

if i recall correctly we made $600 in labor, and i'm reaching here but i think it was 30% of what he would have been charged at the dealer. don't ask me how many hours it actually took, i really don't remember.

overall i'm gonna agree with the others, yank the engine. it's not worth it for a short block.

[galaxee]

double post