I have a 2005 Prius with Package #6 that has 114,500 miles. I purchased the car this past September from the original owner, who had the car regularly maintained by a Toyota dealership. I have kept up with all the maintenance since then. I noticed last night that the rear end of the car is sagging, slightly more on the driver's side than the passenger side. I am not familiar with suspension components (which I would guess is where the issue may lie). Does anyone have any ideas what the issue could be? The tires are inflated to factory spec. Passenger's Side Rear IMG_1657 by DenisonPrius posted Jan 17, 2018 at 11:02 AM Driver's Side Rear IMG_1658 by DenisonPrius posted Jan 17, 2018 at 11:02 AM
Broken spring or a strut cartridge that has failed is where I would start first. Get it cleaned off, snow and ice removed and have a look see.
They would be called 'rear shocks', aka 'rear struts'. A factory OEM rear strut (and some cheaper aftermarket options) can start around 60 for each side. You might call around for local shop pricing or to see if anyone offers a free inspection with an estimate.
Definitely a broken spring. Replace both rear strung assemblies. Over time 2nd gen Prii rear ends seem to start to sag down, and over the last five years here on PC I've seen a few members experience strut failures. Not common but it happens. My sister has a 2005 with over 300,000 with original struts front and rear, saging in the rear, but rides nice and smooth ( surprisingly)
I replaced both my Oem rear strut assemblies 2.5 years ago on my 2005. The interesting thing that I discovered was that the very bottom coil was broken on both assemblies where it contacted the spring seat. I don’t really recall if there was added sagging before I installed the Aftermarket pair. iPhone X ?
Busted spring. I would be concerned it did not fail from rot. Failed from rust. Might want to wash it off and get under there and get a flashlight and your phone camera and take a lot of pictures you may find sone disturbing things. If it’s rotted out in the back it’s really rotted out in the front,
I took it to a shop today and had them put it up on a lift. The right driver's side spring is broken. I still haven't been able to clean the undercarriage as it is about 15 degrees here in central Ohio. The service manager also said that the rubber seemed dry and brittle. I am going to replace the strut and spring assemblies on both sides in the rear. My parents have owned Toyotas all my life, until recently when they switched to Subaru, and they never had any issues like this (and they drive cars that are parked outside all year until they are literally falling apart and are over ten years old.) DMC-5180 / It looked to me that mine did the same as yours and broke where it contacts the spring seat. edthefox5 / The undercarriage had very little rust on it for being 13 years old. The woman I purchased the car from is in her late 70's. The car obviously had very little use and was garaged (given that I purchased it last September with 113,000 miles.) I am sure it just dry rot. The rust is really marginal. I have found a pair of aftermarket strut/spring assemblies for $120. The dealer wanted alone for just one spring $140. NTB wanted a total of $870 to replace both assemblies. Needless to say being a broke college student, I will just buy the aftermarket pair and install them myself next weekend. I really appreciate everyone's response. My first car is a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle, and it is an understatement to say torsion bars are much less complicated than a modern suspension. IMG_1669 by DenisonPrius posted Jan 18, 2018 at 10:36 PM
I replaced the struts myself also. It’s not a difficult job, but it is tedious because you need to remove all the rear interior panels too access the upper strut nuts. They are positioned on each side of the HV pack. Tip: have a bendable stick magnet handy in the event you drop a nut in the area where the studs come through the floor. You need nimble fingers to get the nuts started. Check YouTube for videos pertaining to rear strut replacement on gen 2. iPhone X ?
Here is a decent step by step with photos for removing the trim (click to enlarge), if you make it to 'step 12' you should have the access needed. 2004 - 2009 Toyota Prius Plug-and-Play Car Harness Installation Instru – Hybrid Automotive And while its apart you can clean (and lube) up the HV battery fan.
Easy DIY project. Plenty of good Yourtube Vids of guys R&R them. No special tools needed outside of a torque wrench and no alignment needed once the replacement units are installed. DIY = more malted beverage money for you.
That video will be my salvation. Would anyone happen to have a torque specification list? I noticed they weren't mentioned in the video? Thanks again!
