Advice please: brake pads from shop or from dealership?

I myself wouldn't recommend any of the national chain brand shops you have listed. Find a good indy
shop and have them install Toyota pads. Maybe you should go to the dealer
and buy the pads for the job. Midas, Sears, Firestone, ETC. are all hack shops IMO!

Sears has been a rip-off for years, They've been busted on national television numerous times.
Places like Jiff-Lube, Aamco Transmissions are even worst. Indy or Dealer only.

I know someone that owns 3 Aamco chain stores and I always get the worst impression from him and
all of his employee's. It's like being in a used car lot sales meeting. They're sleazy crooks

 

If you post your location, perhaps a PC member will have a specific shop to recommend in your area. Also, what is the mileage on your Prius, and what indications do you have that it needs brake pads?

 

I wouldn't put to much emphasis on HYBRID work. Brakes are brakes and the Prius isn't some magical
setup. It's a standard disc brake system with pads. All the magic happens inside the CVT. Not at the brake
calipers. Most indy shops should have no problem doing a routine brake service.

 

Are you sure that isn't the parking brake?

 

It's probably a low fluid warning from pad wear

 

You're most welcome

 

That would be my guess, too. Your pads still might need to be replaced, but the light probably isn't for them. You can check the level yourself.

 

how to know what need to change
brake pads or caliper or rotors
i m bit confused when they tell me i need to change pads rotors n calipers to make my bill high
some advice needed in brakes , what need to change n when

 

I would be surprised if you really need new pads at only 100,000 miles. If there is a warning light or unusual sounds, then that needs to be diagnosed.

The Prius braking system is quite complex. The disks/drums are standard items, but the actual braking is switched between generating electric power and applying the friction brakes. Anyone working on Prius brakes needs to know how to prevent the hydraulic system from firing up while the system is apart.

I would have a mechanic examine the pad wear. If the pads are actually worn out, then take the car to a dealer or Prius competent mechanic for the actual service. Servicing Prius brakes is a job for a technician with training and equipment specific to Toyota hybrids.

 

Sounds like they have you convinced it's a MAGICAL system I can assure you, they're NOT.

 

Jill I doubt your pads need to be replaced too at 100K but try this first please after you get the red light sorted out. Thats just low on fluid I bet as previously stated.

If your car lives outside and I know how much rain you've been getting neighbor whats happening is the rotors get very corroded from the dampness and since the car hardly ever uses the hydraulic brakes because of its regen the brake rotors never really get cleaned.
Look through the spokes of the front wheels and see how rusted the rotor is. Then look at a regular car and see how shiny there rotor is. This rust causes quite a bit of crunching and scratching noises when the pads clamp the rusted rotors..

It makes that scraping sound when you first apply the brakes in the am right?

Its a very well known issue. The best way to fix it is to routinely place the car in neutral while driving and apply the brakes. I do it all the time and my rotors look really good. Get up to speed with no one in front of you or behind you and move the gear shift over to neutral. Then apply the brakes firmly. Do that a few times. Then put the gear shift back in d and drive away. This forcefully applies the pads to the rotors and cleans them. Or resurfaces them in a way.

By the way don't be surprised how bad the brakes are without regen assist. When you put the care in neutral it removes regen asisst and then its just the plain old Prius mechanical brakes in play and they engage completely and forcefully. Even then its not very good. You'll think the brakes aren't working! But it will be good enough to clean the rotors.
Prius brakes are pretty bad without regen assistance.

Btw, knowing how to place a car in neutral as second nature in an instant is the best defense against a stuck accelerator pedal or a run away car scenario. Very good thing to know how to do on any car you own. If all the people who died knew how to do this they would have survived there run away.

Alot of times if the hybid battery is in green and I don't want to continually force charge in regen slowing down anymore alot of times I will slap the car in neutral while coasting to the light and clean the rotors then. I clean the rotors and save some tiny mpg. Mainly its just cleaning the rotors. But you must have 100% confident control of the gearshift lever and the brakes lack of regen to do that in traffic. Braking is completely different without regen assistance. Been doing this for years and my rotors look shiny almost like a normal car and no crunching, barking, scraping ever when applying the brakes. Its easy though with practice.

Just another one of the weird things this car does.

Man ever seen so much rain down here? Its like it was back in the eighties with rain every day only now its crazy violent storms with waterspouts for us over here on the coast.

Btw, my Aunt lives in Apopka on Bear Lake. Beautiful place. She's a Caldwell Realtor.

 

No, it's not magic. But it is a lot more complex than a non-hybrid system.

I've changed pads/rotors/drums on several cars that I've owned. When it comes time, I'll do the same on my Prius. And the first thing I'll have to do is spend several hours reading Toyota's service information about the brakes. I'll read everything I can find on PriusChat, and maybe Lexus service information on their hybrid vehicles. I seem to recall that brake fluid is regularly replaced on Lexus, but not on Prius. Since they use exactly the same systems, is it necessary or just a judgement call that Lexus owners will pay for it? Or is it BMW that likes to change brake fluid?

My take on the most common brake system ripoff for Prius is servicing them too often. Just because a BMW needs brake service at 60,000 miles doesn't mean that a Prius needs the same service at even 100,000 miles. Take a look at the front wheels on BMWs. They commonly are coated with black brake dust. Now try to find even one Prius with the same brake dust. Doesn't happen, and it's not because the brake pads are made of different materials. The Prius regenerative braking charges the traction battery, instead of creating heat and rubbing material off the brake pads.

Yeah, maybe it is magic.

 

That's all wonderful, but what does any of it have to do with brake service being any different than a non hybrid ????
Before, you were making statement alluding to the hydraulic system "going off" ???
The brakes pads, calipers and rotors aren't any different than a standard car. The regeneration
happens inside the CVT. The system activates and slows the vehicle, but it's not controlled by the calipers, pads or rotors.
The brakes on a Prius are the exact same design as any non hybrid. There's nothing different
when performing pad, rotor or caliper replacement. It has ABS, but all new cars do. It's not gonna active the hydraulic system when you remove the caliper. To much urban myth crap floating around as truth. It's STANDARD brake design and it's serviced as such.

 

Here's the front brakes on a 2012 Prius C.

As you can see, it's nothing more than front disc brakes with ABS

 

Just this past week a fantastic picture tutorial was posted here on PC for pads/rotors. Anybody doing their own is well advised to read the tutorial first. It is not *so* different than a regular car, but there are a couple gotcha's you do not want to run afoul of. One I remember: disconnect the 12v before work begins.

 

More urban MYTH