Don't let me get ripped off by the stealership

??? They are going to "cover it for you IF you authorize other repair work?"

And then later you mention it being "warranty" work?

Well if it is covered under an extended warranty...it's covered. They should be doing the work...without attachments..

No ethical service department should be making "package" deals, giving you free work IF you authorize- other work.

I just don't get the details and framework here.

If it's work covered by either a warranty or recall...they should be doing it. PERIOD....for free under warranty or recall parameters.

If it's not? Then they should NOT be offering you mixed package jobs...

 

ya, i think the battery is under the 10 year. 150k warranty. everything else, i'd shop around. except the license plate bulb. can't beat thirty bucks for a bulb.

edit: i just paid my local mechanic to install new 12v in my 04 that i'm selling. $200. for toyota battery and 1/2 hour labor $30.

 

Well technically then..."They" aren't covering it for you...Toyota is covering it for you under their Hybrid Battery Warranty.

I don't like the idea of a service department angling or presenting repair work in that manner.

Do what you wish...but make sure you are only paying for, what you want done.

They shouldn't be presenting Warranty or Recall work as something they are doing for you as a favor, or part of another deal.

They shouldn't be using the failure of your HV battery as leverage for other work being done at your expense.

If that's the wording they used? I don't like that service department.

 

All of the listed services they are proposing are good PM suggestions for a car with 136k miles. Are any of them necessary? It depends.

1) 12V battery - if it is the original battery not a bad idea. You can purchase a replacement for about $200 and change it yourself if you are able. You can also check the battery with a voltmeter to test. If under 12V after sitting for an hour or so you need to replace.
2) Water Pump & Belt - Chances are the belt will show signs of cracking and it would not be a bad idea to replace. While you are changing the belt it is not a bad idea to change the water pump. You can probably get it done for a lot less than $500+ but be sure to use the Toyota SLLC coolant and be sure any trapped air is bled off correctly.
3) Throttle Body Cleaning - This is usually recommended for a car with this mileage. This is really a simple procedure that you can do yourself if mechanically inclined. A good non-Toyota mechanic should be able to do this for a lot less.
4) License Plate Bulb - not a bad price.

My two cents worth

 

1) A Prius battery lists for fairly high dollars
Optima DS46B24R Optima battery direct fit replacement for Prius 2004 +
is $165 after rebates, some threads here talk about $125 at certain stores. If you had the simple do it yourself skills for this replacement, your license plate light will be under $2 at the same stores.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...6-optima-yellow-top-125-99-free-shipping.html
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/105272-151-optima-battery-free-shipping.html
2) I would search Prius chat for recalls, but you want this done. That part of your warranty may be done. The recall is the inverter water pump.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...call-alert-2004-2007-inverter-water-pump.html

3) This is more involved as a do it yourself project. (but it is detailed on PriusChat) They seem to be billing you for 2 hours.
TB cleaning
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...leaning-mass-airflow-sensor-instructions.html
4) I think they are billing for a half hour, perhaps the smallest increment their system allows

 

Just for clarification on my 4 cents worth. I'm not saying the work the dealership is presenting may NOT need to be done. Or even that the prices are fair or unfair.

The work may indeed be prudent. The prices may be fair enough.

But trying to pressure a customer into authorizing that work, based on an unfair representation of warranty or recall work, is ethically wrong IMO.

 

Totally agree. Since you did such a good job of addressing this part of his post I concentrated on the repairs

 

The water pump and to a lesser degree the throttle body, are really mechanical. The battery and license plate light are simple plug-ins by comparison.
I know I would have a mechanic do the water pump.
I would feel better about a mechanic doing the throttle cleaning.
I feel the battery will be just as easy for me to do.
I have done the bulbs my self every time I found them, if the dealer finds them I let them fix em.

 

To an extent, yes, because warranty work generally pays 1/3 less (for labor times) than customer-pay work. If dealers only got warranty work and no customer-pay work, it may be difficult to stay in business.

If you are trying to build a relationship with the dealer, then throwing them some profitable work occasionally goes a long way towards building that relationship. However, if you have no plans to return to that dealer, then it's a moot point.

Regardless, I am glad that you got the matter resolved. But I am very disturbed that your HV battery died at 136k in a very mild climate and mostly highway driving.

 

If you aren't happy with the car ask for an exchange. Toyota is paying for it so it really doesn't matter. Ask what non-smoking car is available. If one isn't available immediately you should be able to reserve it.

 

Let Advance know what happened immediately. Save the box and all of the packaging until you receive instructions regarding return or disposal. Don't try to straighten the post, since you might make the situation worse. It looks like there is now an open space around the post that can leak now or in the future.

Advance should ship you another battery at no additional cost and file a damage claim against the carrier. From the pictures, it looks like the box was dropped with the terminals down. The carrier may claim that the product was not adequately packed for shipment (and they may have a case), but that is between the carrier and Advance.

I beleive that Advance may stock this battery in their stores now. If so, you might be able to exchange it, if you are near one.

At least they are shipping fresh batteries...

 

There is a toll-free customer service number on your receipt. Call them today and tell them what happened. You can email them the pictures if they need anything else. With damage claims, you are better off reporting problems sooner than later, so the carrier can't claim that you damaged it and are just trying to blame them.

 

I wouldn't necessarily say it was the carrier (UPS,FEDEX) the way that Advanced packages the batteries is somewhere south of horrible. Mine came and the box had holes all in it from the battery posts, fortunately there was no damage and the battery tested fine. The box the battery was shipped in was 1.5X's too big and the only packing was a few air pillows. I talked to A/A about this and they said they would address it.