I have a 2006 Gen II Prius, 220K Miles+. Since last weeks, I found there was some rolling noise coming from front. So, I went to the dealer, and they charged me 90$ for diagnosing issue , and later they told me I need pay another 930$ (including Tax and alignment) to fix that, which need replace the passenger side: 1. Wheel bearing 2. Knuckle 3. Backing Plate 4. Hub? The repair amount seems to be so high, should I replace all of them? And why diagnosing problem need 90$?
It is customary to pay for the time required to diagnose a problem - unless you really expect the tech to work for free...in which case your expectations will be unsatisfied. The wheel bearing is integrated into the hub, therefore it is necessary to replace the hub/bearing combination. The backing plate is thin sheet metal and often gets damaged while the hub is removed from the knuckle, depending upon the amount of corrosion that is present. Regarding replacement of the knuckle, this part may receive some damage when the hub is removed. It is true that the overall price is pretty high so you probably should contact some other repair shops to get price quotes.
Hi All, I got it fixed today, 440$, in Ken Towery, replacing bearing only. the guy told me the car has ball joint issue also, and need fit it before wheel alignment, but that's not an important thing for today.
Firestone shops typically have very inexpensive inspection ($20 or less). They are hoping to get your repair business. Its lifetime alignment is pretty good deal too. Typical bearing issue can be self diagnosed by jacking up the tire, manually and slowly rotating the tire in question and try to hear the faint scratching noise near the bearing. If one wish to self repair, new wheel bearing hub assembly is around $80 at the auto store if order online. It is fairly straight forward do it yourself job, especially for the back wheels.
Before the fix, I ever lift the passenger wheel, and shake it hardly from 6-12 o'clock, I can hear, very very small iron ball clicking noise, while the driver side, nothing can be heard. The guy in Ken Towery seems to be responsible one, he tried rotating the wheels to eliminate tire issue, and finally he got the same conclusion.
