OEM number part unicity

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Anton Moukharski, Jan 22, 2026 at 6:49 PM.

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  1. Anton Moukharski

    Anton Moukharski Junior Member

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    Hi!
    My mechanic is OK for me to buy the part myself, however I'm a little at a loss when it comes to which part exactly is compatible.

    I'm looking for the steering rack (I'm translating so bear with me, the axle+movement transformer that steers the wheels.. just an example however).

    I identify the OEM number thanks to websites that specialize in that : https://partsouq.com/en/search/all?q=4551047020&qty=1 (2nd result)

    I get 2 OEM numbers. OK, I guess either are good.

    But then, when I look at my dealer sites (ebay, and French stuff like Oscaro.fr and many others), I find slightly different parts for the same OEM number. In my case, there are electrically assisted or purely mechanical steering racks, AND some have a synchro bar, some don't. I noticed my car has one and I read somewhere (can't recall) that it's eletrically assisted (are some cars really still mechanically assisted for turning??).

    Any idea on how to procede?



    (Hopefully I'm not doubling a post, the Search doesn't work right now)


    COPY OF OEM number part unicity | PriusChat
    (since it's a general question but maybe there are specific answers for Gen2 and/or the part I'm talking about itself.
     
    #1 Anton Moukharski, Jan 22, 2026 at 6:49 PM
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Most conventional cars are still hydraulic steering but your gen2 Prius is electric.

    I believe the only replacement that includes the electric assist will be Toyota. To get a reduced oem price you would have to order it online from a Toyota dealer.

    Any Toyota dealer will use your vin to supply the exact part which in some cases could vary over a production run, sometimes in the middle of the year.

    Often the variance is an upgrade from the original which means casual googling can provide more than one part number. Again a Toyota dealer can tell when a part supercedes original or intermediate parts.

    A shop gets a discount from local dealers so parts which require shipping to get a better price sometimes are not a great deal.

    With that said it often pays to check with an online Toyota dealer.
    IMG_0302.jpeg
     
    #2 rjparker, Jan 22, 2026 at 7:29 PM
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    The part that generally wears out is the manual rack assembly .tie rod ends etc . literal slip in the rack and slide assembly . The electric assist is above your knees sitting in car
     
    #3 Tombukt2, Jan 22, 2026 at 8:05 PM
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