Toyota parts are usually reasonably priced, but went to buy the small plastic tray in the center console the other day and was quoted $40. Probably less than a dollars worth of plastic and the injection molding machine is probably automated, so no labor other than packaging. First time I've ever been disappointed in Toyota parts!
They charge nearly $3 for a bumper clip, surely you get more plastic in the center console thing than 15 little clips. Parts is where the money is at, not the sale of the car
It is pretty ridiculous, especially since they sell the trunk/hatch organizer for about $50, which is about 10 times bigger. A tray that small should be gold plated at that price point.
Up here the plastic push-in clips are $5~6. Less frequently changed drain bolt washer prices are through the roof too.
s3nfo, I bought one from a dealership here in MA for $28. I was hoping to park my phone on it, but unfortunately my phone + case is too big. If you would like my tray, it's yours for the cost of shipping only. If you're interested, lets take this to a private conversation.
Toyota parts usually reasonably priced ?? Interesting , not my findings ,,,, yes salvage yard or Maybe eBay
Most people confuse "inexpensive" with "reasonable". I'm a bit of a gear head, so I do car work for friends and family. I've worked on my (several) daughters Suburban, Civic, Protégé, Escort, Crown Vic, Elantra, my sons Satty LW, friends Focus (3 of them), Mustang, F-150, Ranger, et al. I've found Toyota parts to be comparable to Ford, GM, Hyundai and Honda parts. I find that very reasonable. As opposed to the rear brakes I did for another friend on his Mercedes, which cost a bit over $500 for just parts, or the $700, nothing special, aftermarket speakers I help another friend put in his BMW 335.
I agree that in general Toyota Parts aren't out of range with the cost of any mainstream modern automobile manufacturers parts prices. And being mainstream, probably overall more accessible and affordable. But that $40 for a center console tray? Specifically that's too much. But I know what you are saying. I worked with a guy that bought an older used Land Rover, modest income, and he actually did not pay too much for the vehicle itself, but anytime ANYTHING broke or he needed even the most common replacement part it was a huge expense. Older Land Rover parts are not cheap. So yeah, as far as parts cost of ownership you can do a whole lot worse than a modern Toyota.
Expensive dealer part prices are not a new phenomenon, even among plebian brands. Many decades ago someone priced all the parts needed to construct a common Chevrolet model. As best I recall, the sum of those prices was about ten times the price of the car---not even counting labor cost to assemble the parts.
"no labor other than packaging"? Nonsense. There are significant ordering, shipping, handling, stocking, inventory control, and storage costs involved, and likely wastage for never-sold parts, for a part number that a particular dealership is likely to sell only a half dozen units, ever. The actual cost of the part at the moment it drops out of the injection mold is negligible compared to the later costs needed to get a single unit to you. When I was last pricing electrical components for high volume consumer products, top brand AA batteries were available for less than $0.07 each (by the palletfull, with the factory still very profitable), yet many U.S. retailers were selling them for over $1 each, in vastly higher volumes than your dealership can possibly sell those console trays. Coin cell batteries, even cheaper at the factory, commonly sell (in lower volumes) at $3 to $5 each. Proportionately, that tray is no worse. I'd find a used one, or do without.
That plastic piece that surrounds your HU is about $60 on ebay (I believe over $100 from Toyota). The HU that I purchased needed a little more space for that plastic piece to fit. I thought I'd purchase a new piece (save the factory one) to sand down. Once I saw the price I decided that it looked just fine without the perfect fit. I also don't blame Toyota for the price. The storage costs have to be really bad. I was glad that I could purchase the part, and it would be my choice on whether I'd pay the price. Can you imagine a world where the part wasn't even available? Mike
My 2010 prius protection plastic for changing oil under the car got damaged when it came looose and hit the road while i was driving.. I asked how much for a new "plastic part" ? Convertet to dollars they said 450 bucks$$ !! For a piece of plastic !! I didn't change it, said to them they could use some wiring clips to put it on
FYI, toyotapartznet.com (Conicelli Toyota) has pretty good discounted pricing, and often offers additional 10% off coupons.
