Brake Accumulator Question.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Whodamans, Jun 14, 2026 at 12:29 PM.

  1. Whodamans

    Whodamans New Member

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    SO ive had the "goose honk" when pressing/holding the brake since i bought the car 6+ months

    The "buzz" was every 4trh-5th press of the pedal, now it is every press. I'm getting worried ill lose braking suddenly.

    Been looking into replacements and its a crap chute...
    Ebay has 250$ used no description used take off. (line cut, wiring harness still attached and cut, ect)
    Ebay 600$ "refurb" (lies, imo you cant refurb this part) slightly cleaner and more pictures
    Internet/Ebay "new" This is the most sketchy to me... same price as the "refurbs" 650$ claims to be new (looks like a AI or touched up photo)
    And ofc new Toyota, $1200-1800

    Ok so, i have no problem spending good money 500$, maybe 700$ on this part, i just want to get what i pay for. I would have no problem buying a used part if i knew it was operating properly beforehand, i cant just smell it with the HUGE amount of listing's on ebay 90% of these have to be a hustle and to be honest any junk yard that pulls these off probably isn't going to know its condition.

    SO TLDR any suggestion on just how i can get what i pay for? I don't want to spend a day swapping it to be out the money and in the same situation im already in. I really don't think the car is worth a brand new 1k part.

    Thanks in advance for any advice.
     
    #1 Whodamans, Jun 14, 2026 at 12:29 PM
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    It is worthwhile to buy new for something that takes a long time to replace. And a new part will last easily 10 more years
     
    #2 JC91006, Jun 14, 2026 at 3:07 PM
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  3. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    For $700 it will be used and a big gamble with lost labor and frustration if it fails immediately and almost as bad if it fails in a year.

    If I am buying used because I have no choice or credit, I would buy cheap and install it myself so I only had myself to blame or congratulate.
     
    #3 rjparker, Jun 14, 2026 at 3:30 PM
    fragglestickcar likes this.
  4. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I haven't bought a new one yet personally. Haven't had a worthy car yet. Looks like I may never . 250 is about going rate from a worth a crap seller .. most sellers aren't going to want the part back if they very smart . By right in the USA we should be running out of used stock . By the time we realized this was a problem we were well into the car and things were already being thrown out . the Prius was kind of all by itself thelexus es 300 and a few others using almost same part had almost no issues and one third the new prices of the Prius parts .
     
    #4 Tombukt2, Jun 14, 2026 at 5:10 PM
  5. Whodamans

    Whodamans New Member

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    I share the sentiment..... I should have mentioned ill be doing the work myself... if that changes anything?

    The biggest thing is def the labor, spending a day or two to force that thing out/in. Its why i would like a "quality" used product. Ill gladly pay 300-500 more just to not have to do the job twice

    I don't see any ability to get my moneys worth and may as well gamble on the 250$ as it seems like the same odds at anything that costs more. Was hoping for suggestions like "this website/seller only deals with quality products" but i dont think that exsists IRL.

    The Car is maybe worth 2k at the moment, the Green Bean battery is 2..5 years old according to the sticker reading about 65-70% on DR Prius. I don't imagine ill be getting much more than this summer out of it.

    Its a tough spot. Gonna get that parking brake working tip top, that's for sure.
     
    #5 Whodamans, Jun 14, 2026 at 7:32 PM
  6. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    It's about a 2.2 hour job with Walmart tools . The car don't care who's doing the work . You might. I've done this swap back to back on one car in lane at once . 2st actuator bad . The second one was in by after lunch . So not too too bad .
     
    #6 Tombukt2, Jun 15, 2026 at 12:24 PM
  7. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    There is no way to test a used actuator and verified mileage is still not useful on a 20 year old part which was marginally designed for lifespan in the first place.

    Occasionally new parts from an online Toyota dealer, bought during a nationwide Toyota parts sale, can be as low as 50% msrp. Most likely new old stock at this discount. Usually the discount is closer to 35% during those sale periods.

    It various widely among online Toyota dealers and most owners with an issue don't have the patience or flexibility to wait and then shop with the proper knowledge.

    A guy with knowledge would already be posting the part number in this thread and would know the maximum discounts show up during checkout. He would also know some dealers provide free shipping or even ship to store if he is extremely lucky. A guy with a sales tax exemption or a friend with same can do even better.

    For maximum used part reliability, I would find an independent hybrid shop who would install their salvaged parts with a year guarantee. However this is likely more overall since the shop provides the install and has to factor in a warranty.
     
    #7 rjparker, Jun 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2026 at 1:11 PM
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