I went to my regular mechanic today to confirm some noises I was hearing when the brakes were pressed and the car was stopped. He told me the brake actuator is eventually going to fail. No codes have been thrown yet. I called the Toyota customer service number and I missed the warranty by one month. The car was originally bought on April 23, 2008. I bought the car used with 102k in November of last year. I don't fall under the 10 year/150k extension because of the date. I did have a collision on April 6, 2018 and it was the other person's fault. I tried to use this to explain that I was unable to take the car in to get the actuator fixed but no luck. Had to try. Anything I can do in this situation? Anything I can bring up at a dealership that'll help? Can I fix this myself when the time comes? If so, are there any good instructions on here you can point me to? I've done the serpentine belt, oil changes, and water pump replacement. I appreciate the help in advance.
nope. best thing to does drive it as long as you can, then have the mech install a salvage unit. you may never need it. check @NutzAboutBolts youtube video's.
Here is the basic info from Toyota about the issue. Brake Actuator Assem - Warranty Enhancement | PriusChat So far we have not heard Toyota helping out after the warranty period on this issue. Even if they did, they would want to see error codes to show the problem actually happened..
Ummm. People here are assuming you have a Prius even though your Profile lists. "Other non-Hybrid" Advice here may not apply to other Toyota vehicles. Depending where you are in Florida, perhaps Todd from Tampa Hybrids would have some advice.
My apologizes. I forgot to update it when I bought the Prius. I have a 2008 Prius. I'll look for Todd on here, thanks.
NutzAboutBolts’s videos are all Gen 3. This area of the car is quite different between Gen 2 and Gen 3, so not likely to be of much use.
Todd is not on here much. Probably better to call. Tampahybrids.com They do repairs as well as sell used hybrids. Confusingly Todd’s username here is @TampaPrius.com
What kind of noises are you hearing? I also have an 08 and I know if I hold my brake down at idle once in a while (not often) I'll hear a fast chirping noise that lasts about 4 to 5 seconds....Doesn't do it all the time. Does not bother me at all. And brakes work great with no warning lights on dash. You can get the part used for about $200 on eBay (and even cheaper on car-part.com) but I have no idea how easy or hard it is to install. Guessing my mechanic would charge me $100 so it is a $300 repair (with a used part) but not the end of the world as a lot of people make it out to be.
I'm having the same issue with my 06 that Milkyway is having. Though it appears as if in Canada the program goes until June 30th 2018, so i'm now thinking might want "risk" the $130 diagnostic fee to see if that is the case.
Could be selective memory, but I seem to recall they didn't used to have "diagnostic fees". You would roll in, they would listen to you, look it over, make a diagnosis and give you a quote. And stick to that quote, as often as not. Nowadays, going to the dealership is like being swarmed by pickpockets. Sorry, I'm insulting pickpockets...
I've had a number of different cars that might be under warranty -- but dealership has to confirm the issue first. One was a fiesta that had a trans warranty (something about reflashing computer). Anyways, they told me they do the 100-something diagnostic and if it is covered under warranty then diag fee gets waived. But if it is something different you still pay the diag fee.
i recently purchased a used 06 prius with the actuator issues at a very cheap price as the owner didn't want to pay to get the issue fixed. i went to the dealership april 18 and they fixed the issue without me having to pay. the parts guy i talked to did say there would be a diagnostic fee if the issue wasn't covered by the warranty/recall, but they covered it all no problem. this happened at the katy, tx toyota dealership
So i wouldn't count on Toyota head office doing anything. After talking with my dealership and getting it diagnosed and head office, because there are no codes even though the part is making noise they are under no obligation to fix it until it fails out right. I would say report your concerns to the transport safety board.
