Added FCTA and Lane Change Assist to HEV Prius Limited

After almost a year, I finally got it all to work. Had to go to plan B, but it now works flawlessly.

tldr: I got a pair of used sensors from a wrecked Prius Prime

Full story:
To recap from my old thread, I found out that Limited trim Priuses with the Advanced Tech option package have the wiring for the front side radar sensors that all PHEV Prius Primes/Plug-Ins have. These sensors are required for Front Cross Traffic Alert(FCTA), Lane Change Assist(LCA), and Traffic Jam Assist(TJA). (TJA also needs the IR cameras on the steering column as well as a Driver Monitor Computer, and I'm not interested in installing all of that.)

I was very confident that the Main Body ECU in the HEV Prius was already programmed to be able to handle the sensors. The confidence came from already installing a Prius Prime steering wheel with its capacitive touch sensors into my car with no problems. Totally plug and play.

I ordered a pair of new sensors from Japan(exact same part number but much cheaper than buying from a US dealer) plus all the mounting hardware. I installed them in a couple hours. Just needed to pull the front wheels, black wheel trim, and front bumper cover. I'd rate the difficulty as medium or medium-easy.


But I got an error once I was all done. It turns out the sensors have ECUs on board that need to be programmed by a dealer. But my car didn't have these sensors originally, so the Techstream software couldn't find the correct configuration file. All I needed was the config file for a Prius Prime, but Toyota USA wasn't willing to help, so the dealership's hands were tied. I was sure the project was still possible because FCTA and LCA were now appearing in the car's option menu, but they wouldn't work properly until the sensors were programmed to know they were in a Prius. That's where I've been stuck since early last fall.

As a last resort, I thought maybe I could get a pair of sensors from a wrecked Prius Prime that were already programmed. I was a little worried the sensors might be VIN coded to a particular car, but I figured I'd give it a shot. Turns out they're not, so they'll work just fine in any Prius HEV or PHEV(though only Limiteds with the Adv Tech package have the wiring preinstalled).



If anyone wants to follow suit, I think the best source is Car-Part. They only recently added the correct drop down menu option for these sensors, so pickings are a bit slim. But more sensors should be added by different salvage yards over time. I was able to get both sensors from the same car and they were labeled which side they came from. I don't know for certain if they're programmed for a particular side, but I'd play it safe if you actually try this. Look for a car that was rear-ended if possible.

To find the sensors on Car-Part,
1. Select your year. (anything from 2023-2026 should work)
2. Select "Toyota Prius"
3. Select "Camera Projector"
4. Enter your zip code and search
5. On the next screen, select "radar unit, front, bumper mounted(lane keep assist, bumper sides)"

I was able to get a pair for a total of $300. Mine also came with the mounting brackets, but that's dependent on the salvage yard that picked them.

If they come with brackets, you will also need:
90467-09232 (2) Clip
90189-06238 (4) Grommet
90159-60621 (4) Screw

If they don't come with brackets, you will need:
88215-47050 (1) Bracket, RH (includes one clip)
88215-47060 (1) Bracket, LH (includes one clip)
90189-06238 (4) Grommet
90159-60621 (4) Screw

 

Parts in Japan are just much cheaper overall, but the shipping often makes it not worth it. Small, high-value components like these sensors are perfect for importing. (The comparison is parts from Toyota Japan vs. identical parts through a US dealership.)

I believe I ordered mine just before the tariffs kicked in last year. And the total value was below duty thresholds at the time.

In this case:
882B1-48032 - Sensor, Front Side Radar
$624.74 - US MSRP
$323.95 - best price I could find from a US dealer(includes 25%-off sale)
$172.83 - price from Impex Japan before shipping/tariffs/duties/etc.

Since I needed two, it was a no-brainer.

 

Even today, it would still be noticeably cheaper to order these types of parts from Japan. Here's the current complete prices for two of those sensors through the different methods:

$462 - Impex Japan ($345 sensors + $40 shipping + $43 duties* + $34 merchandise processing fee**)
$648 - Lewis Toyota (25% Black Friday sale)
$864 - Lewis Toyota (regular price)
$1,343 - Generic local dealership (includes an average 7.5% sales tax)

Even if the 15% tariffs are eventually reinstated somehow, ordering from Japan will still be cheaper in cases like this(low size/weight, high value).


Of course used parts are probably the best deal in this particular case(especially since they're pre-programmed). Should be able to find them for $300-$450 depending on salvage yard, shipping, and tax. Mine were $325($300 sensors + $25 tax + free shipping). YMMV


*Duty code: 8543.70.4500
**MPF is a US Customs fee; $34 minimum or 0.3464% of the cargo value.