"Brake Service" every 2 years/32,000km.

We don't have that requirement for the U.S. Gen III at 24 month/20,000 miles. Is that actually listed in the Canadian 2010 Prius Warranty & Maintenance Guide? What does it say exactly? All we have is "Visually inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs" every 5,000 miles or 6 months.

 

In the US, every 5K miles / 6 months calls for:
Visually inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs

And at 30K miles / 36 months:
Inspect the following:
--Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs 3

3 Inspect thickness measurement and disc runout.

So the 30K mile / 36 month service appears to be more detailed.

 

Well, good thing I do my own maintenance every other 5K miles and take it in only at 5K, 15K, 25K, 35K, etc. and avoid the pricey 30K "special." Oil change is needed only every 10K and I have the dealers rotate tires every 10K miles (as the OEMs have no warranty anyway).

I just changed my own engine and cabin air filters when it hit 30K this past weekend.

 

Tideland,

What you had done seems to agree with US Schedule. Take a look at my posting for US maintenance schedule. Also, it does not seem out of line: a cursory check of brakes yearly, and a more thorough "service" bi-yearly, is not excessive.

The service typically entails physical removal of the pads, for a better check of thickness, and to relube the faying surfaces, between shims and pads and calipers/pistons. It's also worthwile checking disc runout, thickness, parellism, especially if there's any reports of brake pulsing. Also, all brake lines are checked for integrity and leaking.

 

$118.? scam/ripoff.

 

Maybe in the States. In Canada that's about the going rate for a 4 wheel brake service.

 

I don't think so--see my post above.

 

Yeah, I was going from memory. The US schedule in spreadsheet form, that I posted:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...93946-2010-prius-maintenance-schedule-us.html

Agrees with you: minor inspection every 6 mo, more involved "service" at 3 years.

 

So Canadian 32,000km / 24 months is similar to U.S. 30,000 miles / 36 months.

It's easy to avoid those pricey 30K and 60K "specials" if you're allowed every 10K miles oil change. Just replace your own engine and cabin air filters.

 

Does the owners manual for the car state that brakes should be inspected evey 2 years, or did the dealer just print up a generic service schedule for all cars they service, and since non-Prius needs to have the brakes inspected evey 2 years, they just wait so see how many Prius owners will just assume it is needed and do it.

I am not saying for sure that is what is going on here, but here in Washington, I have seen for example, the Honda dealer has printed their own official looking maintenance schedule they apply to all customers, no matter which model Honda they drive.

It reminds me of a story my father used to tell about a shady food store in our small town. They kept a new broom leaned up against the checkout stand. Then whenever anyone checked out with enough groceries that the clerk thought they would not notice, the clerk would ring up the broom with their order. If the customer noticed, they would appologize and take the broom off the bill, but if the customer didn't notice, they would walk away having paid for the broom, yet leaving it there to be sold again and again. Could the brake inspections on a Prius be like this broom?

 

So you don't have the equivalent of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which allows you to take it to a cheaper independent shop or even perform your own brake service in order to keep the warranty intact?

Seems like an unnecessary expense but I guess you're stuck with it.

 

i suppose if you intend to keep the car for 100,000 miles+ it's worth it?

 

I would not want anyone taking my brakes apart to inspect them, I think it will cause more problems than it will find. We have already had one topic on here about caliper bolts that were left out after brake inspection: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...leshooting/96300-thoughts-loose-calipers.html A good visual inspection when rotating tires should suffice. If it isn't broken don't fix it!

Pad thickness can be measured without taking them apart. If there are fluid leaks chances are you will not have them coincident to the two year inspection schedule anyway. However you may notice the fluid level getting low or see the fluid on the calipers or rotors when you rotate tires. When the pads wear down you will hear the wear sensors then take the brakes apart and check everything when the pads are replaced.

 

I believe due to the Prius regenerative brakeing the brake pads
should last a long time. I know on our Prius with over 50,000 miles the brake pads still looked great with no noticeable wear.

alfon

 

The more things are taken apart then put back together can lead to problems with all fasteners not put back or correctly tightened. Years ago a friend who was a design engineer at Gm told me the cars today are built with no error allowed. If one bolt, nut or screw are missing, torqued incorrectly problems down the road after many miles can occur. They pulled vehicles out of line after assembly and took completly apart and documented errors and were averaging almost 100 bolts, nuts,screws missing or incorrect torque per vehicle. Robotics changed most of this not programed to be lazy, just inferrior parts made cheap by unskilled labor still sometimes an issue.

 

Another typical rip-off for Canadian only in North America.

First is the 8000km/6 months oil change interval, and now this.

Here is the logic: less people, smaller market, weak government, more rip-off

This can be applied to any company. You have to pay more and get less, just because you are in Canada. By the way, I think Australia has the same story.

 

Tideland Prius

Do you know what did they do for this $118 Brake Service?

Did they replace anything, such as the fluild or pad? Or they just opened it and had a look.

My prius still has half year to reach this 2 year service. If they just look at the brakes and charge me $118, I will not allow them to do so.