Hey everyone! I'm located in San Diego, CA. I just went in for my 70k maintenance on my prius c 2012. They told me i needed new front and rear brakes. Front: $316 Rear Brakes: $325 LF 3mm RF 3mm LR 3mm RR 3mm I was wondering, in regards for the breaks on a prius c or any hybrid, can any regular mechanic do the job or do they need to know about hybrids to perform the job? My uncle in Tijuana, Mexico across the border works at a mechanic shop so he does regular car breaks. If i can get him the required parts could he do the job if he does them on regular cars? He says he has never worked on hybrids though. So should i just bite the bullet and do it at the dealer, or can i get some autozone parts or ebay OEM (or any recommended parts) and give it to my uncle or any qualified mechanic? I also called another mechanic shop in san diego and they quoted me 280-320 with aftermarket parts per axel. They said they might also need to polish the rotors and brake shoe? to match the new brake pads. Is this standard practice on any car or just hybrids, when replacing brake pads? That shop said they always use aftermarket parts and they have never had problems with priuses. Please advice and thanks in advance! Adan
first of all: you may not need new pads. it is very unusual for a prius to need pads at 70k, especially in cali. secondly, it is odd that they are claiming all are at 3mm. most dealers just eyeball, and don't measure. then, the next time they check them, they tell you something completely different. thirdly, 3mm may not be low enough to require new pads. fourthly: get another opinion, and have them show you the pads. fifthly, are you having any issues with your brakes? they have wear indicators that make loud screeching sounds when worn down too far. six; if you do need pads, any mechanic can do it, as long as they are savvy enough to read the on line service manual, and follow the precautions. seventy: there are no shoes on the c, stay away from that shop. eighth, proceed with caution, and all the best!
Prius c does have drum brakes on the rear. FWIW, 3mm remaining on drum brake shoes is a lot better than 3 mm on disc brake pads. That makes me suspicious too: maybe time for a second opinion. You DO have to be cautious doing brakes on Prius: I would recommend to disconnect negative cable from 12 volt battery before any disassembly, and when the brakes are done, before reconnecting the battery cable: pump the brake pedal multiple times to take up any excess travel.
Somebody ought to make a post of all the most dishonest things Toyota car stealerships tell unwitting customers... Why is there so much corruption and bald-face lying when it comes to doing basic maintenance at a dealership? Aren't there any consequences for them for so much theft on such a massive scale?
yeah if the 3mm is to be believed, get your front brakes done soon and wait 9-12 months before doing the rears. 3mm is a long time on drum shoes, it's not very long on discs.
It still saves a few bucks per car, and below a certain weight it's a perfectly useful brake. Our Accent has rear drums as well. Last time it needed a brake job I did it at home with mail order parts. $12 for everything.
Having a hard time finding info; Toyota seems to be dumbing down the online specs and brochures. I'd bet yes, but it'd be nice to find something definitive. OP could have a look at his, lol.
This 3rd party site says rears are drums: 2018 Toyota Prius C Specs: Four Specifications Pretty sure: it's an econo car. Nothing wrong with rear drums too, they're very dependable, long-lasting. Makes parking brake mechanism very simple too.
Sorry my earlier post wasn't timely enough to close the loop- yes, I'm confirming that the 2018 they sold me has drums.
Okay guys. After reading all your very helpful posts, i got the idea of calling the Toyota dealer in Tijuana. I asked them if they could work on the prius c 2012, and they said that if its an american prius c then if its regular maintenance or breaks they can do the job. They quoted me 283 usd (converted from mexican pesos) both front and back axels parts included. Parts (original toyota oem) are 108 usd for both front and back (all 4 tires). So that leaves labor at 175 usd. I was blown away. Huge difference from the SD dealer. I called ALL the San diego dealers and just parts alone ranged from 65-100 per axel. The Tijuana dealer told me that since they need to order the parts i would have to pay those in advance and then i can schedule the maintenance when they arrive. I visited the dealer today to pay the parts and schedule the service and it looks just like any toyota dealer. The service rep was VERY friendly and very professional. So for anyone in the SoCal area thats adventurous enough to drive into Tijuana, hope this info is useful. BTW for maintenances beyond the warranty, do you guys do them at the dealer or at your friendly local mechanic? They quoted me some good prices here in Mexico at the dealer, compared to what i was quoted in the US.
i wonder if they use oems parts, or just the cost of living related to both areas. can you go back and forth with no restriction?
So they assured me it was OEM parts. So the parts are basically really close in price to the US. 108usd vs 150usd. The biggest difference is the cost of labor. A toyota mechanic will make 53k a year in the US vs 7k a year in Mexico (give or take depending on the region) according to indeed and glassdoor. You can go back and forth, but just like i said some of the big jobs like a bad battery or problems with the hybrid engine you will only be able to do them in the US. But for basic regular maintenance it's a good deal.
And if the repairs go wrong... That's what the extra money you're paying in labor for US compared to Mexico... Perhaps the easiest solution is to find someone close to home who does mobile vehicle repair. The labor rates will be as low as in Mexico, with similar risks if things go wrong.
