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What is going on with the price of Toyota's Hub & Bearing unit?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Priusyipee, Jul 4, 2014.

  1. Priusyipee

    Priusyipee Active Member

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    It's that time again - my 2005 Prius needs new hub & bearings. My last order was November 2011 and I paid $70.11 per unit. Now, a little over 2 years later, they have nearly doubled in price. The best deal that I could get on the internet was 124.42 per unit. Since it is a common replacement item, I was wondering if Toyota is getting greedy by raising their prices. This seems to be across the board with the units. I tried looking everywhere including ebay. Off-market brands can still be had for ~$70.00 but after a bad experience, I'd rather stick to OEM. Why such a jump in the price? Any thoughts?
     
    #1 Priusyipee, Jul 4, 2014
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Similar issue with the 12V battery where the MSRP was $138 for many years, then it jumped up to almost $200, providing a price umbrella for the Optima and Exide alternatives.

    My guess is that TMS USA is scratching around for profit improvement opportunities and realized they could make some quick $$$ by increasing their parts pricing.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Jul 4, 2014
  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I bought 4 plastic bumper clips this week for $2.30 ea. That was outrageous
     
    #3 JC91006, Jul 4, 2014
  4. Tony D

    Tony D Active Member

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    Stick with OEM.

    Spurious prices here are in excess of €300! I got it direct from Toyota (cost price here in Ireland) for €120 recently, so your US $ price is better than here ... crazy price either way
     
    #4 Tony D, Jul 4, 2014
  5. Priusyipee

    Priusyipee Active Member

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    Jeez... Looking back I could kick myself for not ordering a few sets since I now own a 2007 in addition to the 2005 and it is a very common replacement item...

    My son is driving the 2007 and he recently had the hub & bearing units replaced on both sides at Toyota's cost. The car was (and still is) under the "certified - used" warranty. The dealership also replaced the (coolant) water pump on his car. The only cost to him was the inspection fee, a new belt for the water pump and the $50.00 co-pay. Good deal.

    This is my third set of hub & bearings for the '05 - and the car is a bit over 208,000 mi.

    Yes, in my experience OEM parts are the only way to go. After the negative experience that I've had and the horror stories that I've read about those trying to retrofit aftermarket parts, I'll spend a few dollars more for peace of mind...
     
    #5 Priusyipee, Jul 4, 2014
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    is 100k or so pretty much average life expectancy?
     
    #6 bisco, Jul 4, 2014
  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Hard to say, I have 176K miles on the 2004 and the original bearings are still fine. In fact I bought a front hub/bearing assembly a couple of years ago, anticipating I would need it, but it has just been sitting quietly in its box, in the garage.
     
    #7 Patrick Wong, Jul 4, 2014
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i wonder if winter salt is harder on them than summer heat?
     
    #8 bisco, Jul 4, 2014
  9. laivindil

    laivindil Junior Member

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    Was going to post a query about wheel bearings, but thought I would tack it on here instead. I have a 2004 Prius with 277,000 miles and have never replaced the bearings/hubs. How do I check them to determine if replacement is necessary? Also, is it advised to replace front and rear?

    Thanks.
     
    #9 laivindil, Jul 4, 2014
  10. Tony D

    Tony D Active Member

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    I had to replace the FR on mine at sixty something thousand.

    You'll know when it's shot when it's making a humming noise and you can usually feel it too. Hard to describe but anytime a bearing goes, you just know it
     
    #10 Tony D, Jul 5, 2014
  11. KhaPhoRa

    KhaPhoRa Member

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    I'm at 150k and on my third set. Originals were replaced by the dealer when the previous owner had it, one at 40k and the other at 60k if I recall correctly. I replaced one replacement at 120k and the other at 135k (the second wasn't really needed, I just wanted to do it). I did use timken hubs after reading good reviews and had zero fitment issues. I'll report any premature failure if they arise before the car's demise.
    Edit: and yes it was a winter salt based car until last year (2006 model).
     
    #11 KhaPhoRa, Jul 5, 2014
  12. AzWxGuy

    AzWxGuy Weather Guy

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    I will second that, at 179K on my 2008 still with original parts. As noted, it must have something to do with the persistence of wet weather extremes in other parts of the country that we see very rarely here in the desert.
     
    #12 AzWxGuy, Jul 5, 2014
  13. Priusyipee

    Priusyipee Active Member

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    I agree that the weather conditions and amount of salt used to clear the roads must have an impact on the bearing life. It seems that the front bearings have an average lifespan of 70,000 miles. They get VERY loud. No problems, however, with the rear as of yet.
     
    #13 Priusyipee, Jul 5, 2014
  14. Tony D

    Tony D Active Member

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    My 2008 lived in damp wet Scotland until nearly 60k miles so that explains why mine went
     
    #14 Tony D, Jul 5, 2014
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