Hi All I'm new to the group. But I wanted to see if there is a consensus. I have a 2010 with almost 123,000 miles. I bought it used 5 years ago (with 50k miles on it then), and have not had to have much done in the way of repairs. But I was told today that the accumulator and brake cylinder need to be replaced. At about $4700. So I'm trying to figure out if it's worth fixing, if I can get another 3-4 years out of it. Or if it's best to trade it in for a new (or newer) model. Has anyone been in a similar situation? TIA.
welcome! start by calling toyota corporate to see if they will offer goodwill warranty help. if not, i would look for a decent mechanic who would install a salvage unit. some have done it very inexpensively. all the best!
Kelly, was this at a dealer or some one you have used before? Not sure but seems kinda high. Did they give you any codes we could look up?
It's all on this page? What part numbers? Hydraulic System for 2010 Toyota Prius | Toyota Parts Here's what I can find in the Repair Manual:
Hi Danny. It was at the dealership. I'm looking around to see if I can find a better price. They didn't give me any codes. But I had been hearing noises that some others on here have also described as the accuator.
Is that what led to the service visit, just noises? Any problems with using the brakes? If you have an early Gen 3 and it makes bark/honk/quack brake noises, many people seem to forget there was a service bulletin for that, T-SB-0363-10, with an update to the brake ECU firmware. The firmware version can be checked in Techstream and if it isn't at least version F152647108 (if you have 15" wheels) or F152647128 (if you have 17"), try getting it reflashed to that version or later and see what happens to the noises, before spending oodles on hardware. -Chap
Yeah, it was just the noises. The brakes are a little squishy (technical term). But it's still stopping fine, and none of the warning lights have gone off. It's not quite to the "barking" stage yet, though. Thanks for the advice. I'll call the service guy tomorrow and see if that's an option.
About the brakes: you've put 70,000 miles on this car in five years. Are the brakes different now (squishy) than when you started driving it five years ago? Making more vacuum pump humming noise than before? Prius brakes have always had a different feel and sound than traditional cars due to the integration of regen braking and hydraulic braking. Does the service department offer any specific evidence about the condition of the accumulator/cylinder? I'd get a second opinion before performing this considerable replacement. As to the rest, there's plenty of life left in a 120,000 mile Prius, but now's the time for some serious tune up service: spark plugs, engine and inverter coolant, brake fluid flush, transmission fluid drain and replace. Without anything specific, and with still good braking, I do not see why you need to replace the brake accumulator, but you should plan for the major tune up items soon.
I am currently going through this. (6 months) I called Toyota and they said they would give me a $1000 credit toward the repair with my dealer which brought the price down to $1997. I am not going to spend that amount on a car that has 130,000 miles on it. So I found out that it is drivable and stops fine. Actually feels like a small pick up when coming to a stop. The noise from the actuator is quite annoying and having to explain the dash lights becomes almost a chore. The problem is that when that pump finally gives out, the car becomes inoperable. (The module sometimes works like normal but I understand that it is not happy and will not last). I am also really using the brake pads. The computer no longer helps with the braking. So I have had to replace the front pads. (This should not happen in a Prius), So I have been looking and I found a place in Tamps that will repair this for $950. They are using a unit produced in 14-15 that has all the factory improvements in it. There is a solution for less.
