Dealer claims rear shocks leaking oil - pictures - real or fake news?

Thanks all - this helps a lot. We've defiantly put some hefty loads in this car, and even drove cross country with a full load.. (at around 70k). I think I owe it to old girl to put in ~$120 worth of new shocks. Amazon is cheaper @ $60/each, but will keep shopping around. I thought TR had a $60 rebate making it the cheapest, but it requires buying the fronts as well.

I suppose the ride could be a lot harsher than normal, but I don't have much of a way to compare.

And yes, we only take it to the dealership for oil changes for the convenience and ability to have recalls / TSBs done. All other work I will either do myself or find a reputable shop (still need to find one after moving to CA).

 

Good stuff thanks. Always checking the wallet for leaky greenbacks . The $705 was comical. They also wanted $305 for the inverter coolant swap . Time to find a local shop.

 

I am in San Diego now - enjoying the coastal living and lack of snow.

100% agree, before moving to CA I was doing most of the car maintenance myself. Unfortunantely the bulk of car-repair-related items did not make the drive. Only managed to sneak the hand-tools into the car. Still need to buy a new jack, stands, oil drain pan etc.
Up until a few months ago, we were living in apartments/condos that were overly strict about any sort of car work happening within the shared garage, so we opted for convenience and took it to a dealership (luckily nothing major has been needed for 2+ years, just oil changes).

Now we are in a house, so I can slowly accumulate the tools again. Having the dealer price of $705 also helps for buy-in from the wife. $705 dealer vs. $100 parts + $300 new tools for DIY

and p.s. I always have plenty of beer on hand to pay for services rendered.

 

BTW this whole time I thought I would have to disassemble the entire rear of the car to get at those bolts (gen 2)?

But it looks as I the 2012 (maybe all gen 3), have that little pop-out panel which gives direct access to the shock mount bolt. Super easy now. Should have looked in the vehicle first. Shocks are ordered, will report back once installed, but it looks like a very easy job - thanks all.

 

Yeap, Nutzaboutbolt's videos were my introduction to DIY for the prius. They were incredibly helpful.

I remember watching his video for my first oil change. Then the videos for the brakes, and the transmission fluid flush. It also just so happens that his most popular videos (Honda Accord and Toyota Prius) line up perfectly with my two cars - 2012 Prius (91k) and 2005 accord (147k).

Many many thanks NutzAboutBolts!

I think after the rear shocks, I may look into doing the front struts + spark plugs + whatever else would be wise to do at 100K while the front end is half dis-assembled.