Dealership Maintenance Questions

Art's Automotive has a 30K recommended services page for Prius, but it's Gen II. They recommend brake fluid and transaxle at 30K. Of course, you are at about 44K and if those things were done a couple of years ago, which was probably around 30K, you probably answered your own question.

Art's also says something about pads on Prius' brakes lasting into the 100,000 mile range....

 

Stealerships prey on the weak. Unless you notice an issue with your car, why would you throw $1500 at a perfectly running car? Your owners manual will list what you need to do and there's nothing but oil changes that's needed.

 

There's a fair amount of truth in what they're saying. I'll deal with a few of the points:

1. Your stock lug nuts will look kinda silly on steel rims, oversized and with loose washers. They're primarily meant to grip with the washer along their length. They have the correct tapered seat at the end, but primarily so it can be used with the temporary spare. I'd splurge for the $20~30 for utilitarian galvanized nuts for the snows, keeps the stock nuts off the car during winter.

2. Toyota Canada now recommends a brake fluid change every 3 years or 48,000 kilometers. This is inline with other manufacturers that have recommended similar, for decades. You say all the fluids were changed two years back: did that include the brake fluid? If so you're ok for some time, but I'd verify that: they've just recently changed policy.

3. There may well be an issue with the rear brakes. They're a design with incorporated parking brake, and if anyone has previously opened them up, there's a good chance they were put back together wrong, you're getting uneven pad pressure, brake drag, scored rotors. It's imperative to ensure proper alignment of the rear brake piston and the pin on the inner pad. That the pin falls between the cross ridges on the piston, and stays there.

Regarding the alignment, front rotor machining and injector flush, that is likely just a wallet flush.

 

Sounds suspicious.
But I'm not necessarily going to default to the easy idea that the dealership is wrong.

Sounds like you have a 2010 that you bought used, and it hasn't really been checked out in 2 years.
We really have no idea how it was used or maintained before you bought it.

It is possible it needs the work.

It is possible the dealership wants you to keep you arms and hands in the cart at all times, and you are about to be taken on a MAJOR ride.

Since we are talking about some real tangible (and important) things here such as brake rotors and pads, what I'd want is a second opinion.
I'd try another repair venue or dealership and see what they say. I might even request to see the rear pads and front rotors.

You'll either get the same diagnosis, OR find out that indeed you were about to go on "Space Mountain".

2nd opinion is I think the best way to proceed.

 

I just changed to my steelie winter wheels, and was recommended by the supplier (TireRack.com) to use the lug-nuts supplied (free) with the steelies, for exactly the reasons Mendel Leisk mentioned.

 

I would be very surprised if they changed the fluids when/right before you purchased it... With that said, one could argue that you now have all new fluids, and the car is properly maintained. However, I am sure you paid at least double what you should've. It is my belief that when you show up at a dealer every two years, they are going to try and sell you every possible service they can, because you are considered one and done. On the other hand, someone who comes to the dealership for regular maintenance are most likely treated differently.

 

Uneven wear and scoring on the rear rotors is exactly what I had. I was responsible for the mess up, had removed and re-installed calipers/pads, without paying attention to the inner pad pin having to land between the piston spokes. This will screw up the rear brakes. What happens is when you apply the parking brake the piston rotates, if it's allowed to, due to the that pin not locking in between the spokes. From then on the piston is pushing on the pad on one edge, and the pin. This grossly skews the pad, creates terrific wheel drag, and causes rotor scoring. If they remove the inner pad and find it has only 50% contact area worn, and the inside face of the rotor has a corresponding rusty/unused zone, and the pin on the pad looks all chewed up: that's your culprit.

I wouldn't be too quick to change dealerships. Just tell them what you do and do not want? Jumping to a new dealership is not without it's downsides.


(Note in the above, less than 50% of the pad is actually making contact with the rotor, the top half. The pin on back of pad is just behind my thumb in this pic. You can also see chunks of the pad breaking loose in at least a couple of spots.)

(This is the rotor surface corresponding to the above pad. Again, the rusty area is not getting any decent pad contact.)

Pin on back of inner pad, chewed up:



Piston spokes:



BTW, all I did with the above, was remove the rotors, and clean them with steel wool. Then install brand new pads and shims, properly. When I first test drove it, it sounded terrible. A few blocks, a bit better. A month later, no evidence anything had happened, even the rotor grooves healed themselves.