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Are my rotors as bad as the dealership says?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by bigjt_2, Sep 4, 2017.

  1. bigjt_2

    bigjt_2 Junior Member

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    On my last service appointment at my dealership, they told me my front rotors are "extremely rusted." Then they suggested I completely replace the brakes AND rotors for about $500. I asked if they could just replace rotors and "I wouldn't recommend it." I did a lot of researching on here and realized a lot of people had come up with this issue, but then it turned out to not be an issue. Either the person who told them to replace rotors didn't know what they were doing (the iron rotors on Priuses are always rusting, but the brackes scrape it off) or were just trying to make a quick buck.

    I looked at and felt the rotors through the tires and they looked fine to me. The edges are very rusted, but the places where the brakes make contact are smooth and mostly shiny. There are small streaks of rust where the brake pads usually make contact but it's not like the whole surface is covered with rust. I have not tried the trick yet where I get up to 55mph+, switch to neutral, then brake to scrape off rust.

    I just wanted to post pictures here to ask your folks' opinions, because this dealership has tried to milk me before. Do my rotors look like they need replaced to you? Or is this another of those cases I mentioned above? I was trying to avoid taking the wheels off. But if I certainly can if anyone wants clearer pictures of the rotors. IMG_20170829_174444919.jpg IMG_20170829_174520831.jpg IMG_20170829_174528201.jpg
     
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  2. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    Yes, your dealer is trying to fund his next vacation. The only corrosion that should concern you are the rotor surfaces (cleaned by periodically switching to neutral at ~ 30 MPH and lightly applying the brakes. Repeat until the brakes operate quietly and smoothly) and the caliper slide pins (if they stick, the inner and outer pads will wear unevenly. Get them lubricated once every few years).

    JeffD
     
  3. MilkyWay

    MilkyWay Active Member

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    Get 2nd opinion. The brakes can be measured. New is 10MM...Any less than 5mm should prob be replaced.

    $500 is about $200 too high imo.

    The rotors can also be measured.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    they look like brand new! how many miles on them?

    if original, it's worth having a professional look and measure.
     
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    That would be making far too much of a production of it. All it takes is a couple normal stops on a residential street, say 20 to 30 mph, just like your normal approach to a stop sign, but in neutral. Not something your passenger would ever notice unless watching you shift.

    No big production needed. It just becomes second nature, any time you drive the Prius away from a place it's been damp-parked, if you notice a bit of scraping noise or extra grabbiness from the brakes, you just do that at the next couple stop signs without really thinking about it, all fixed.

    The rotor pictures look fine to me, though the real criteria for replacement are loss of thickness or warpage, neither of which I can judge from a pic.

    -Chap
     
  6. stockdaddy

    stockdaddy Member

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    A common trick is to sell rotors with a brake change since they get a markup for the rotors + can double bill for the labor. Basically it take no more labor add on installing new rotors but they bill you as if you were only installing rotors.
     
  7. bigjt_2

    bigjt_2 Junior Member

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    Thank you all for your kind guidance and assistance. Happy Labor Day!
     
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Anybody got the second gen specs. These are third gen specs, might be similar

    New/min thickness: 25.0/22.0 (mm)
    Max runout: 0.05 (mm)

    upload_2017-9-4_10-16-24.png

    DIY check of both values is failr easy, you just need to remove a wheel, and have a dial indicator (with magnetic base) and a 0-25 mm micrometer.

    Still, I suspect nothing is wrong with the rotors, per the other responders.
     

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  9. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    Tell them your opinion of them just went down the drain. Tell them you'd like to do business with someone that is not a con artist, then find another dealer. The new rotors would look like that in a week anyway. Come to think of it, you'd could probably find a new car on their lot that looks just like that or worse if it sat for more than a day or 2.
     
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Before you completely burn your bridges, check 'em yourself, or get an independent professional check. They could, for example, look great but be down to minimum thickness.

    Who knows. As long you're not empowered, don't "knowledge up" yourself, you're at their mercy.
     
  11. bigjt_2

    bigjt_2 Junior Member

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    Thanks for you helpful info in the above post, too. I'll see about getting that inspection done.
     
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