I am a newbie but I own a 2005 Prius 2 with the shifter on the dash and when shifting from Park the shifter clicks. It looks like the plastic plate that covers the opening as the shifter moves from one position to another was attached but has come loose. NO BIG DEAL RIGHT? The Toyota Dealer said this is a "sign of wear" and wants $450 to replace the shifter? Any feedback would be appreciated. My inclination is to leave it as it does not appear to be a problem. Thanks
If the shifter shifts, I would leave it alone. If it affects function of the car and you have any mechanical inclination, you might consider finding the part online and replacing it yourself. I haven't replaced mine but I have pulled it out when I pulled the dash for other purposes. It shouldn't be a difficult DIY job. A good search on PriusChat should provide details of the process (there have been reports of actual failure) and cheaper online Toyota parts outlets.
Of course the "Stealership" wants $450. That's because they don't repair parts, only replace them. And they aren't going to sell you any part cheap. I would bet the shifter can be fixed, without having to replace the whole thing. It's just an electronic switch and not a mechanical linkage.
This is a known problem, search will find several posts on how to correct this. Be warned, it will get worse and eventually it will begin to stick.
