How to get Brake Actuator covered under warranty

I think it is likely that you heard wrong. Under "normal" braking it should never buzz.

First check with a dealer. Then find your warranty book(s) and call the warranty help number.

Good luck.

 

What is needed is for the "correct" DTC to have been logged by the skid control ECU, as specified in the extended warranty notice letter. So the first step is for you to determine what DTC (if any, since no warning lights have appeared) have been logged. Use Mini VCI or pay the dealer to read the fault codes. Good luck.

 

So, my 2007 Prius got the dashboard Christmas lights of the ABS VSC brake ((!)) yesterday on my drive home and immediately dropped it off at the dealership. Got the phone call this morning that is was the brake actuator and repair is going to cost $2700 plus taxes.

*sigh*

Quick google on prius chat and it show that no questions asked primary warranty repairs ended Dec 31, 2017. I missed it by 11 days.

*sigh* *sigh*

Reading the letter copy posted on the internet, secondary warranty covered vehicles under 10 years old and less than 150K miles. I missed that one by 7 months for the age of the vehicle.

*sigh* * sigh* *sigh*

So, over the last two years, I have gotten this set of warning lights at least twice, but they go away after I turn off the vehicle. My thought was that "why take it to the dealership if I can't replicate the condition and be charged the $110 diagnostic scan?" Likewise, I never received the ZG1 extended warranty letter because that would have definitely rang a bell in my head to get the car checked out. Yesterday was the only time the lights stayed on after restarting car and had to take it in.

So, I called the 1-800-GO-TOYOTA line and explained the situation with emphasis of never receiving the letter. Unless I can prove with a diagnostic code prior to Dec 31, 2017; then they can not help me out. I asked the dealership with the brake(?) ECU kept a history log of past codes and they said, "No, it does not." Can someone confirm this for me?

At the moment, I am just seeing if there any other avenues open to me.

Thank you in advance.

 

The ECUs do not log when a particular DTC was registered.

One possibility might be for you to have a used brake actuator installed, to reduce your repair bill significantly. See if your dealer will agree to do that for you.