How much should I pay to repair the brake system?

New member here, in the NC Triad area.

I have all the brake-related warning lights: the red BRAKE, the ABS, the VSC, and the (!) lights. When I took it into a mechanic, they scanned the OBD codes, and told me it was reporting C1256 and C1391. I have a 2008 Prius (touring edition), with 93,000 miles on it. I bought it new, so all of it’s miles come from me. When I asked for a repair quote, they told me the brake actuator and master cylinder needed to be replaced. The actuator replacement will cost $2500, and the master cylinder replacement will cost $1000. This is not the local Toyota dealer, but a repair shop that specializes in Toyotas. They say they do this repair about once a week, and they will guarantee it for 36 months.

Is this a reasonable price, or should I look elsewhere?

I read a lot of the posts in here and other Prius forums (PriusOnline, Reddit, etc.) and I’ve seen different prices for this. I’ve ruled out threads before 2018, because the extended warranty (ZG1?) which Toyota offered on Gen 2 models expired Dec 31 2017. From what I read in a thread on Reddit, people with a Gen 2 Prius with the error codes I listed need to have both the accumulator/actuator replaced, as well as the master cylinder. Should I replace both?

I’m mainly trying to figure out if they are overcharging me.

 

Additional Info:

I was at this Toyota repair shop (Autotrends in Greensboro, NC) because Rice Toyota in Greensboro could not fix the problem when it first occurred. On Dec 29, 2022, the red BRAKE , the (!), the ABS, and the VSC lights turned on as I was driving home. I scheduled an appointment for Saturday afternoon, Dec 31, 2022, and paid them about $200 to run a diagnostic. They didn't know what the codes meant, and wanted their shop foreman to look at it on Monday. I let them keep it, and got a ride home. On Monday, the foreman suggested it was a weak 12V battery, which had been installed June 2020. I had them replace it, and since the brake pad were thin, I had them repair those, too. All the brake-related warning lights were off when I got the car back, but a week later, they came back on. This experience made me think the mechanics at Rice Toyota didn't know what was wrong. Unfortunately, I didn't get the error codes from Rice, as I did not think to ask for them. I learned about the codes when I read through the threads here on PriusChat, and knew to ask for them at Autotrends.

 

Sam, the 12V battery is band new, Toyota branded, installed on Jan 2, 2023 by my local Toyota dealer. From that I have read on this forum and other Prius forums, a weak car battery can cause this problem (or throw weird error codes in general), and I understand the need to do it.

Kasra, I agree. It makes more sense to install a new OEM one instead of a used one, as this part has worn out sooner than expected in Gen 2 Prius cars. I found the warranty extension Toyota posted for Gen 2 models on this forum, too. It's Warranty Enhancement ZG1, but that warranty expired on me at the 10 year ownership mark, which was in Jan 2018.

I stopped by a AAA repair center to ask for a price comparison on a brake actuator replacement, and they said they don't do them, so they can't make an official quote. So, I asked for an estimate of what it would cost, and they suggested $2800. In this case, I think they were telling me the estimate on just the actuator, not the actuator and master cylinder. The Autotrends quote on just the actuator is $2500, with an additional $120 on a brake fluid flush, so the $2800 verbal estimate from AAA seems to match that.

As for not going to the dealer in Greensboro, I explained in another post why I don't trust them--when I showed up a month earlier with the same dashboard symptoms, they put in a brand new battery, which only "fixed" it for a week.

However, I may stop by Rice Toyota with my error codes and ask for an estimate on the repair just to be safe.

 

Thanks, SFO! I see from those two diagnostic PDFs, C1256 and C1391 point to the brake actuator assembly.

I just checked the brake fluid reservoir (after the car had been parked for over an hour) and the liquid level is much closer to MAX than MIN--I'd say 80-90%. The temperature outside is about 40F, so the car cold, but not frozen.

I did verify that Autotrends would put an OEM part in there, and that's one of the reasons they'll guarantee it for 36 months.

I guess I'd better call the other dealers in neighboring counties to see what they say.

 

Update 1: I took it to another mechanic, Autologic, to get a diagnostic and estimate of the repair. They said the actuator/accumulator needed replacing, and estimated it would cost $2712. They didn't recommend replacing the master cylinder. I also asked what it would cost to replace the master cylinder, and they said $600 to $700.