2007 Prius repair - second opinion

Ugh---service departments sure are good at putting scary bills together.

Did they say what the "transmission service" includes? The only thing the transaxle could benefit from is a fluid change (not flush), which I didn't think Toyota service departments usually offered to do (Toyota claims this is "lifetime" fluid). Shop around for this and specifically ask about a "transaxle fluid change".

If the engine and inverter coolant has not yet been changed, it is something that should probably be done, but that sounds too expensive for that service. I would ask around some more. Do you have any other hybrid shops in your area? Call a different Toyota service department and ask for a quote on just the coolant changes.

The serpentine belt should probably be replaced. How handy are you? The belt is not all that difficult to change yourself, bringing that charge from $140 to about $10.

I'd have a look at the brake pads yourself, but 35% is still quite a bit remaining. Not an immediate concern, IMO.

The EFI tuneup could include any number of things (or hardly any of them). I would have this one broken down into specific items. Chances are, you'd be fine completely avoiding this service but it may include a helpful item or two. Is it a good value?--probably not.

The magic of the cheap oil change service is to get customers' vehicles into the shop for more expensive services that are actually profitable (and often overpriced and unnecessary).

 

^What tanglefoot says. Any dealership or private garage for that matter makes the most out of every opportunity to "go shopping" on every vehicle they see. Depending upon your mechanical abilities there are great How-To's for all those things from their shopping list on PC or Youtube.

 

That is one of the better, more realistic one's I've seen. It wouldn't hurt anything to have any of those services done. If money is tight you can prioritize. I would recommend the following priorities

1. Belt - Drive belt has badly cracked - approx $140
2. Transmission Service - approx $175
3. Engine and Inverter coolant flush - approx $440
4. Brake System - Rear - Clean and Adjust - approx $70
5. EFI and Induction Service Tune up - approx $300

I would highly recommend you have your belt changed asap. The belt drives the water pump and that would cause an overheating event which could be catastrophic to your ICE. #'s 4 and 5 shouldn't be necessary if your car is running fine. The rear brakes are "self adjusting" to an extent and are probably fine. If they're worn to the point of needing adjustment, the shoes should be replaced. The EFI and Induction service may prevent future problems but $300 sounds like a lot of money for that service.

 

Yes, the drive belt needs to be replaced. The engine and inverter coolants are supposed to be replaced at 100K miles, then at 50K mile intervals subsequently, so that is also due. The transmission ATF needs to be drained and replaced.

I would skip #2 and #5 from your list above, unless there are signs of problems in either area.

If the front brake pads have 35% life remaining then there is no need to replace those at this time. Consider doing that after you've logged another 50K miles or so.

The quoted prices are high but what do you expect from a dealer service department. If you can DIY you could do services 1, 3 and 4 for around $120 in fluids and the replacement belt.

Also check the engine coolant pump for fluid weeping at the bearing. This is evident by pinkish or whitish deposits at the pump pulley interior and/or deposited on the AC compressor housing. If you see that, replace the pump.

 

have any of these been done previously?

 

With that in mind, I would have the belt replaced, the transmission service and the coolant service asap.

 

yes, drive is serpentine. with nothing done previously, i think you need to step back and look at the recommended maint. in the manual, plus some things added by knowledgable members here.
start with galaxee's 'what service you need and what you don't'.

 

pleasure.

 

I just had the "transmission service" done which consisted of drain and fill. The price was $75. Different part of the country but I have seen other posts of it done for $100. The labor on mine was just $36.

 

good price! agreed, it shouldn't be more than 100, but i have seen people pay 120.

 

If you can DIY, those are all pretty easy to do. 5 is probably a bottle of injector cleaner in the fuel tank and cleaning the throttle body.

 

It's NOT a flush you want, you only want a "Drain and Refill" on the transaxle. Parts required 4 quarts Toyota WS Fluid, Two Crush Washers. NO FLUSH NEEDED. Had our old Gen II 2009 Prius done by Toyota, cost was $86 two years ago. (Parts and labor)

 

Are you sure your service records are complete? You can check the service records of the car by logging onto the owners portal at toyota.com. Put in the car's vin number and access all the records.

If this car is at 150k miles and the previous owner did all services at the dealer, surely he would have done some of those maintenance items. I can't see how the sharks at the dealer's service department would not be able to push more services than just oil changes and recalls.

 

agree.^^^

 

It was $75 total, $80.09 I think with tax.