Dealer wants $4500 for brake repair.... WHAT?

There is a nitrogen filled pressure accumulator on many cars. It saves brake pressure for later use. The nitrogen gets compressed like a spring when pressure is stored. The nitrogen leaked out and filled the brake fluid with bubbles on some 2010's.

I think you could get it fixed free if you complain loud enough. It is a known issue. You not in the production range they earmarked for the recall. They probably installed the bad part on your car at the factory on a date not know to be subject to the defective part use in assembly. There is a way to tell if you have the new or old part in your car by looking at the orientation of the sticker on the accumulator.


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I wouldn't give in just yet. Go around the dealer and get hold of Toyota. Who knows, the recall may have to extend past the original recall build dates.

 

See that little light?

It's called the "change dealer" light.
I would immediately get a second opinion from a independent shop.

$4500 for brakes is beyond stupid.

 

can you provide a link or more details on this recall? i had a 2010 Prius (build date april 2009) that rear ended a car.

 

Try your VIN here and see if anything comes up.
Toyota Safety Recall and Car Service Information

 

Unfortunately this is a complex braking system and only Toyota is going to have these parts.

 

The case manager will most likely grant a one time exception and give you the parts for free and you will have to pay labor.

Be patient. That is why they assigned a case manager who will contact you and make arrangements to comp this repair after inspection

 

This is bad news. It means that the brake problems are beyond the initial recall limits.

HeinzCatSoup, you need to report the incident to NHTSA: File a Vehicle Safety Complaint Form | Safercar.gov | NHTSA
This will help you and other people when Toyota extends the recall on brakes.

 

Don't file a case until you hear from Toyota. They will most likely compensate your parts. Wait to hear from them before you file a complaint.

 

He needs to file with NHTSA regardless what Toyota does. This is a major safety issue and he or someone else could have been killed. Feds need to know about it and it should be fixed in all 2010 Prius ASAP.

 

That sounds scarey. Especially given the traffic in SoCal. How did you get stopped?

 

I'm not saying don't file. Just file after Toyota replaces your brakes which will happen if it is assigned to the field. Once you file Toyota will not give you brakes and lawyer up.

 

I lost my brake master cylinder earlier this year (see my thread, "The $3000 Brake Job") at 50K miles. I drove it a few days with all the alarms screaming until I could get it into a dealership for diagnosis.

After about two months' effort, I got half the cost back from Toyota. The dealer service manager did a lot to get that amount. I was an original owner, and I had quite a bit of hassle proving that the car had been well-maintained. I've lost almost all of the faith I had in Toyota products - I certainly don't suggest it to others any more as I once did. I reported mine to the NTHSA.

My experience suggests that it will be some time for Toyota to come up with some reimbursement for your repairs, and it probably won't be the whole amount if you're lucky enough to get anything.

 

If you have not called Toyota Customer Relations to open a file with them- do that first. This is absolutely unwarranted for a call only three years old with less than 100K miles on it. I do not care how the car was driven, how do you wear out a brake booster, etc. My '05 had 190K miles on it when I sold it and was still on the original brakes with out a single issue.

 

Sorry, but you have no clue how NHTSA works and should not give advices when you don't know what you are talking about.

Public NHTSA database doesn't include any personal information. The name, VIN, etc is for internal NHTSA use.

 

I've had a similar experience in past, with Honda. There seems to be an abysmal shift in the corporate culture: nobody gives a damn about keeping customers. Guess it's "get my golden handshake and get out" that rules.

 

I don't blame you. It's one thing to have tons of cosmetic issues (like the squeaks, noises, rattles, cracks I'm having in mine) and another thing to have a life threatening failure. It's disappointing to hear about these problems, even if they are rare, especially since gen 2 didn't have them. Another thing that keeps me concerned are the battery issues in taxi service overseas. I'm driving almost 100% city and thus similar to taxis in Europe.

Prius is my 3rd Toyota. The previous ones were not as trouble free like as I would like. So far, my Prius is a reliable car, but if battery, inverter, or brakes fail on it, my opinion will change 180 degrees.

 

Mine has the same squeaks, rattles and creaks that my 2010 Prius had. It's as if I it had the same interior transplanted into the PIP. I do a lot of city driving and hope the Li-on battery is a step up in that department, but only time will tell.

Years ago I had a '76 Celica GT 5-spd manual that was absolutely free of any defects or problems after 60k miles. Since then I haven't had one car that hasn't had issues of some sort. Nothing dangerous or life threatening, but issues none the less. I guess we're supposed to accept that as fact and move along.