Rear Brakes Replacement

how many miles on her?
it is unusual for the rear to wear before the front, but not unheard of. the brakes have a special warning feature that makes noise before you shouldn't drive the car.
are you savvy enough to see what he was talking about? anyone can do the brakes, but they should have some prius experience, or be careful and follow the service manual.

 

no need. but the mech must be aware that prius brakes are electric. for instance, opening the drivers door after removing the old pads while the 12v is still connected will blow the pistons out and cost someone a lot of money.

 

Or something might do that. Opening the driver's door causes a pump to run, forcing fluid into a bottle under the hood, not into any brake cylinders. At least in Gen 3, where this thread is. Maybe Gen 2 was different?

The Gen 3 automated self test would probably force pistons out, but it runs a couple minutes after shutdown—not when the door is opened.

 

ya, something like that

 

Have the rear calipers been pulled off (say for inspection) in the past? Was the pad wear even/uniform, or severely beveled?

It is very easy, especially for a shade tree mechanic not in the know, to reassemble incorrectly, creating a situation where the brakes are constantly dragging.

 

Any mechanic can do the brakes on a Prius, it's nothing different when replacing the brake pads (or rotors).

I'm wondering if you complain to Toyota dealer that did the service, would they need to see the car to confirm? If they do, then you have to decide if you want them to see it. They'll identify the problem and tell you they can change the brakes for $400. Did they give you a report on how thick the pads were measuring? I get that from my dealer

It's quite unusual for the brakes to have a lot of wear at 90k miles, usually people change them after 120k miles and it's just because they feel it's time, not that it's really worn down.

 

Prius brakes wear, albeit slower. Our fronts are around 6 mm (new is 10 IIRC) remaining at 87K kms.

Still, worn out rears always makes me suspicious: put back together wrong they drag, wear fast, and wear bevelled/uneven. The rotor inside face will also be about 50 percent untouched, rusty.

It would be good to see the old pads and rotors for yourself, see if it's something like that.