Unable to align tires = new struts?

Hey there everyone, thanks for taking the time to help out.

I have a 2009 prius with 47k miles on it. Not driven hard just to school and back. Always maintain it well, oil changes tire rotations etc.. recently I purchased new tires and in an effort to save some money loaned my care to a friend who works at merlin who said he could align my tires for me.
Here's where it gets sketchy. My friend said that everyone in the shop tried to align my tires and that they couldnt get them aligned because I need new struts. This strikes me as fishy since the car only has 47k miles on it and I wouldn't expect them to wear out so soon.

Thoughts and ideas or things I should check? Is this something that may still be under factory warranty?


Thanks!

 

Yes that was the next step, we have an apt with toyota to get the struts checked thursday. the vehicle is used, bought it with less than 10k miles on it.

 

1. This friend owed me a favor. Helped him out big time with a vehicle purchase.
2. It's possible, but unlikely that he would just try to pocket cash off of me.
3. I brought the car to merlin and he test drove it for 3 miles. I'm pretty sure he didn't wreck it.

 

I was also browsing another thread



and wondered if this post applied as my vin starts with j


“Look at your VIN #, it starts with a "J" right? That means it's built in Japan. All Gen 2 Prius are built in Japan. That means it has Japanese struts and shocks from the factory. That means the struts and shocks are lifetime units. They typically NEVER need to be changed for the practical life of the vehicle.

Aftermarket shops that try to sellbrake calipers, struts, shocks,master cylinders, etc on "J" build vehicles are either ignorant or thieves. They will take off your lifetime front brake calipers or struts (sometimes they are still in warranty!!!) and put on their 60K to 90K garbage parts that WILL need to be replaced again and again. So they are ripping you off two or even three ways at once. 1. you didn't need it. 2. it's still in warranty. 3. they sell you a junk part. (this is just an example, your struts are out of warranty)

Case in point, my '91 Civic wagon, "J" vin. 285,000 miles, ORIGINALfront brake calipers, struts and shocks. Very possibly the same vendor as the Prius, maybe Tokiko.

cupping tire wear can be caused by alignment issues. If your strut boot is torn it's possible the car has been wrecked. Sort of unusual for the boot to be torn but not unheard of. It does not mean the strut is near failure either. The only thing that indicates failure on a Japanese strut is large fluid leakage (more than a seep).

Now when you start talking Japanese cars built in America it's a different story, then it becomes nuance with some of these parts being lifetime and some being earlier failure, it depends mostly on the vendor source.”

my bona-fides

all dealer tech career.

Datsun/Nissan 8 years
Acura 1.5 years
Honda 15 years mitsubishi 1.5 years
Toyota 2 years.

 

yes, alignment was off. even before new tires the car would veer to the right if you let go of the steering wheel. That's why I assumed an alignment was needed.

 

The sketchy part is that all 4 struts need to be replaced at 47k miles? on any other vehicle I have owned I haven't replaced them until 75k to 100k

 

I will do this. Thanks!