Engine Water pump needs to be replaced??

Dealer charged me $225 for new battery. I assumed it is a Toyota battery (???). A week later, I looked and was surprised to see it is a Panasonic battery. While they changed the battery, they looked the car over and told me the engine (?) water pump is starting to leak. Will cost almost $600.00. I don't see any leaks underneath the car when I pull out. I don't drive much and have only 37,300 miles on my 2007 Touring Edition Prius. I'm in their system, so if I go to another dealer for a second opinion, they will tell me the same thing.

Who can I go to that will be trustworthy for a second opinion?
What is the life expectancy of this part?
Did my low mileage accelerate this problem? (I believe this is why I needed a new battery. It kept dying on me.)

 

Go over those posts in this thread by 3ProngPaul. Look for the pink residue around the pump shaft. As he says, this is a common upsell from dealers. If you are not loosing any noticeable fluid, then you are probably OK for a while. $600 is too high.

That is a low mileage to have a problem with the pump. It is understandable to have a problem with the battery, as they age whether they are used or not. Six years and it is time. Keep a battery minder on your car, and it will do better.

 

1. Does the noise bother you?
2. Is the pump bearing leaking fluid?

If your answer is no to both questions, then leave the pump as-is until you can answer yes to either question.

 

One thing nice about a mechanical coolant pump like the Prius engine coolant pump is that you will get plenty of warning before the pump fails because the bearing will start to weep fluid. Just check the pump pulley interior once in a while for pinkish residue. If you don't see any and you don't hear any unusual noises, don't worry.

Another issue that will cause a catastrophic cooling system failure is if the serpentine drive belt fails. You should change that at 75K miles or so, then you don't have to worry about the belt snapping while you are in the middle of nowhere.

 

The dealer should have another Gen2 Prius in their shop. Tell them to point out the noise your car makes, then walk over to another Prius and listen for the (lack of) noise. If you can noticeably hear the difference get them to change it.


If they unwilling to demonstrate this to you, they are most likely scamming you. Time to find another dealer.

A noisy bearing will likely implode, but it could last another 2 weeks or 2 years. It will be get louder before it fails catastrophically. Luckily any shop that works on normal Toyotas can change Prius ICE water pump. If you have AAA towing you may want to just buy the pump and gasket and carry it around with you if you go on a trip. They are not very expensive.