Code C1378 repair cost $5,513 or $30?

So a friend of mine has a cousin that purchased a 2006 Prius in January with 50,000 miles on it. She contacted me to help her with concern of warning lights on her dash. I checked the 12v battery but it appeared to be in good condition. I noticed the driver's side fender didn't line up to the hood correctly, however. I mentioned this to her and told her to have the codes checked at a local dealership.

Turns out the car had been in an accident and had been repaired yada yada. The dealers, two different ones, found code C1378 stored in memory. They told her the wiring harness was damaged somewhere and the cost for repair would be $5,513! I told her to go see Carolyn at Luscious Garage in San Franscisco before she does anything with either dealership.

She took the car to Carolyn who promptly read the code and checked the obvious connections for the wiring harness. Turns out a plug in the brake capacitor unit (near the 12v battery) was unplugged. Carolyn plugged it back in and the warning light turned off by itself. Carolyn cleared the code and sent my friend on her way after paying a measly $30 service fee.

I'm a bit embarrassed I didn't notice the plug when I was checking the 12v battery but it was dark when I was looking.

So the question is, would the dealer really have charged her $5,513 dollars or would they have spotted the unplugged harness and simply charged her a diagnostic fee or a 1/2hr of labor? Hmmmmmmmm

 

I didn't think of that. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I will tell her to let me know if the light comes back on and to note any weather changes. It is currently raining here and will be for the next few days.