1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

2010 Prius bought used missing front splash shield and more

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Dutch Courage 79, Dec 2, 2018.

  1. Dutch Courage 79

    Dutch Courage 79 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2018
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    Chicago
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Two days ago we bought our first Prius, a 2010 IV with 103k. I’m so excited about the car, and I thought I had done enough research ahead but I was wrong as I’ve only today found this site and have already learned so much. Thank you all, and thanks for reading my first post.

    We had looked at a lot of cars, and some fatigue had set in. We bought at a non-Toyota dealership outside Chicago without a prepurchase inspection, but with a clean carfax.

    Unfortunately today I noticed the splash shields over both front wheels are absent, and some connecting panels also (photos attached). The seller acknowledged damage to the ‘trim’ but I didn’t realize the missing panels until seeing a post in here (can’t link for three more posts.)

    Car is running great but I’m sad I missed this.

    My question, would anyone recommend a specific Prius mechanic in the Chicago city area? Does this seem like something a newbie and fairly non-mechanical person could possibly address? It’s clearly several compenents so I’m guessing no.

    Is it worth the extra cost to get service at a Toyota dealership versus another well rated Prius garage?

    Thank you again for your time.

    PS photos are front passenger wheel, exposed components, and then left driver wheel.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Pluggo

    Pluggo Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2016
    608
    532
    0
    Location:
    Folsom, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    It would be a good idea to replace the fender liners as they serve a valuable purpose in helping to keep things clean and corrosion-free. Shop around, buy them, and then try to install them yourself first. If you get stuck, any auto shop should be able to easily finish the job for you.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  3. Vman455

    Vman455 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2014
    534
    551
    13
    Location:
    The Middle
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Wow, yeah--you're basically missing all the panels on the front end. Somebody put that thing back together as cheaply as they could.

    You can live without them, but all those panels do serve a purpose. The wheel liners increase the ratio of wheel volume to wheel housing volume, which correlates inversely with drag coefficient. The panels under the engine both reduce drag coefficient and front lift coefficient by reducing underhood pressure, which also improves cooling efficiency by inducing a greater pressure delta across the radiators. And lastly, the wheel strakes attached to the bottom panels at each front wheel reduce wheel drag further.

    Unfortunately, to replace all those panels with new will cost quite a bit, and more with labor. If you're handy, you can install all of them yourself pretty easily. Your best bet might be finding a junkyard Prius with an intact front end and take the panels from it.
     
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,662
    38,207
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Most of what you need for the front should be in these links:

    Splash Shields for 2010 Toyota Prius | Toyota Parts

    Fender & Components for 2010 Toyota Prius | Toyota Parts

    Even if the prices are too high on this site, it's a good reference, for part numbers and info.

    Also see attachment, it details the fasteners for the engine underpanel, and their locations. Whenever you're removing the plastic fasteners, take care prying up their heads (how they release, usually), and wash them in hot/soapy water to get the grit out, before reinstalling. For the small diameter bolts/screws I would oil-soak them. Do take care when subsequently installing: the oil will make them easy to over-torque, even break off heads.

    You're only showing front panels missing. There are more panels down the sides and towards the back, hopefully more intact. If you browse around the above linked site you should be able to find what's missing. The plastic panels are only half the battle: there are many fastener types, plastic and metal.

    Here's also a picture, of a 3rd gen on a hoist:

    upload_2018-12-3_9-20-43.png

    Unfortunately the front end (at right) is a bit cut-off, but you can see the extent of plastic pieces towards the rear. Pretty much everything black is a plastic panel (except the gas tank).

    Just trying to picture why the car would be missing so much stuff. Maybe a lot of snow driving, things tearing off. It does speak to a history of neglect. I would look it over very carefully.
     

    Attached Files:

    #4 Mendel Leisk, Dec 3, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2018
  5. Dutch Courage 79

    Dutch Courage 79 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2018
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    Chicago
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Thank you for the thoughtful responses - this is supremely helpful.

    Part of the reason I felt good about the purchase was the single owner carfax seemed fastidious, and the interior is in excellent shape. The test drive also felt smooth and clean, like the 2010 we drove at a Toyota dealership. It seems that the previous owner did some major bumper damage, and it was repaired with minimal cost, as Vman speculates.

    I don't have a hoist, and only rudimentary tools. Now that I realize I'm missing so many panels I'm feeling it's unlikely I can fix myself, so I'm taking it to a mechanic I trust to get an estimate of what's missing and what the cost will be.

    Thank you again for your time and thoughts.
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,662
    38,207
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    If you can just raise and support the front with safety stands you could DIY, but yeah, depends on your "ceiling". Do as much research as you can at least, to minimize a mechanic's time.

    The ones at the wheel well have a band with 3 bolts between the lower horizontal piece and the wheel well arch piece. The sell it as one piece, and I've found after a few years on the car those 3 bolts turn into rust lumps, so it is pretty much a single piece. Lots of plastic fasteners involved, various types. I think that will rival or exceed the plastic panels in complexity/cost.

    upload_2018-12-3_14-15-49.png

    The attachment in my previous posting is one item at least, that completely lists the complete fasteners.

    Actually, @Elektroingenieur is the real parts guru here. Perhaps he will help. I've invoked his "bat signal" by quoting his user name, lol.

    The more you can clarify what's missing the better. Also, there may be a few fasteners still on the car, at the missing panel locations. Have a look, as much as you can.
     
  7. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2017
    2,515
    3,253
    9
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    I have no inside knowledge, but rather than dealer websites with re-drawn figures from RevolutionParts, I do recommend parts.toyota.com, which uses the original Electronic Parts Catalog data and illustrations from the Service Parts Engineering Administration Division at Toyota in Japan:
    Keep in mind that some of these figures have more than one image.
    For parts like these that are lightweight, non-hazardous, and identical to parts used on Prius cars built for sale in Japan, you may be able to save some by buying from one of the Japanese exporting companies, about which I’ve written previously, even after adding the cost of international shipping and insurance.

    For example, the left and right front fender liners (part numbers 53876-47071 and 53875-47031, respectively) have a U.S. list price of $92.37; and a dealer near me sells them online for about $63 each, plus shipping. The list price in Japan, however, is ¥4 540 each, or about $40 (U.S.) at current interbank exchange rates. There are also savings on clips and fasteners, but when ordering from Japan, you may need to use the original part numbers, not U.S.-market replacements; for example, screw 90159-60488 (¥60), not 90159-A0030 (US$1.06).
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.