Hello all, I just got a second Prius (a '13 V), and dealer said it needs rear brakes. I've read that the V brakes of '12 - '13 had problems and were subsequently improved. One article says that Lexus CT200h rear brakes are the fix; is this true? If there's a superseded rear brakes part# for the early Vs I can't find it. Thanks, David.
The brake master cylinder and pump have problems and cost $2200 to replace at a dealer if the special customer support program does not cover them. My rear brakes are original at 250,000. They only suffer from driver habits occasionally.
See Toyota bulletin T-SB-0081-13 Rev2, “Rear Brake Groan or Squeak Noise when Cold” (PDF), January 28, 2014. This has been discussed in many PriusChat threads; search for T-SB-0081-13.
I know on reg Prius they just beveled the corners of the pads a bit more, reducing the when-new contact area. Not sure how effective that would be. And it would accelerate wear I think. Talk to dealership parts dept person; see what they say. How many mm have they got now, btw?
I pulled apart the V's rear brakes this morning, and I didn't realize they're a top-hat design for the parking brake. Like the fronts I pushed back the caliper pistons, lubed the sliders, and for the rears I adjusted the parking brake. All done, and no brake noise so far I forgot to deglaze the pads, so they might be coming apart again in awhile.
