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How important is the front bumper spoiler?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Frank O, Aug 3, 2020.

  1. Frank O

    Frank O Junior Member

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    Over the weekend, the front bumper spoiler on our 2011 Prius (part # 76851-47030-A) finally fell apart and started dragging on the ground.

    My independent mechanic removed the pieces still hanging off the car while doing an oil change today. He said he thought it was ok to drive the car without it, but if I want to get a replacement he'd put it on for me. The existing one is too far gone to try to fix.

    As far as I can tell its function is aerodynamic, shaping air-flow underneath the car and (possibly?) improving gas mileage.

    I'm being quoted ~$180 by the local dealer, ~$120 on various online sources for a replacement. My mechanic thinks I should be able to find it for half that, but I haven't been able to do so yet.

    My questions now:

    -- A family member will be taking the Prius out to the desert Friday, probably putting 600 or 700 miles on it. Is this something I want to get done before that?

    -- Any suggestions on a better source? Price isn't necessarily the only factor, just looking for somewhere quick, reliable and cheaper than a dealer.

    -- The ones I see online don't have the "-A" at the end of the part number as ours does. Does this make a difference?
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I can only find Amazon Canada link for this, aftermarket equiv I believe. I haven't purchased myself:

     
  3. Frank O

    Frank O Junior Member

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    Thanks. I looked on Amazon, eBay and other online sites, and couldn't find this cheaper than $120. Also shipping would take a week or more. For schedule reasons, I decided to buy one from one of the local dealers who had it in stock. My independent mechanic was great, and installed it at no charge.

    Re my question about the "-A" at the end of the part number (76851-47030-A), the parts guy at the dealer told me it isn't important. "Only the first 10 digits count."
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  4. Kenny94945

    Kenny94945 Active Member

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    The spoiler is for aero....it may route air to the radiator (performance) and around the front tires and also the under carriage (fuel economy)

    IMO 700 mile trip (highway), I don't it is necessary to replace before family member borrows the car.

    But If they are going to travel in the hills and if the spoiler does direct air to the radiator, it could be prudent to replace first.

    Me, I would replace with OEM because I do not like to drive damaged cars and the cost is what it is.
    An overheated engine will ruin the trip.

    I don't know the answers to your other two questions.

    Good luck.
     
    douglasjre likes this.
  5. Vman455

    Vman455 Senior Member

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    For future reference, the spoiler is $31.79 on Rock Auto. I usually check there first, because they tend to have the lowest prices.
     
  6. Mark Freeman

    Mark Freeman New Member

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    I am in a similar situation in that I have half of the original part hanging on by one faster such that the free end is dragging next to the front driver-side tire. RockAuto is up to $40.79 for this TO1093124, but I don't know what fasteners I need to install it. I expect I'll need the full set, but the Toyota diagram doesn't provide part number that seem useful.

    Can anyone provide any leads to the correct fasteners?
    Tips for doing the installation (it looks pretty simple, but appearances can be deceiving)?
     

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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Not trying to be clever: dealership parts department can sort it out, and would guarantee fit if I’m not mistaken.

    I’ve had it off, and it’s something like:

    4 coarse thread screws (go into plastic blocks)

    4 bolts (screw into weld-nuts)

    One plastic push-in fastener, bit of an off-ball longer one, at centre.

    The shield itself is prone to snag on concrete wheel stops: scrapes over them ok, then hooks/rips coming back off.
     
  8. C-in-DC

    C-in-DC Member

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    I bought a kit off Amazon to replace both fender liners and the front spoiler part 76851-47030. The part they sent said it would fit a 2010 and most of the holes line up with the old part but it doesn’t go against the bumper the same way. Is this the way the spoiler is on newer gen 3s? I can’t even figure out which side is up on the Amazon part.
     

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  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    There's two styles for that piece, and AFAIK only the one saying "front spoiler" is for North America. Not really sure. The alternate style may well work too. The "front spoiler" style is REALLY good at snagging on concrete wheel stops; the other might be better in that regard.

    upload_2023-11-15_18-5-0.png

    That screen grab is from a PDF excerpt from Repair Manual, first page of the oil change instruction. You can download that PDF from the oil change in link in my signature.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Nov 15, 2023
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2023
  10. C-in-DC

    C-in-DC Member

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    the Amazon one would stick down below the bumper creating a gap. Kind of sucks because I was expecting an aftermarket match and thought it was a good deal. Would rather have the oem one. Thank you for the screen grab. I can see which way is up now. I’ll see how it fits and decide whether to keep or get an oem.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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  12. C-in-DC

    C-in-DC Member

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    Did Toyota update the engine cover no 1? I gotta replace that. Mechanic pulled it off when it broke years ago.
     
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Do you mean the main engine under panel? Not sure if they’ve updated, and original version is fine. Attached is some info on the panel, and its fasteners. See also oil change link in my signature, for some tips on preserving it, and its fasteners.
     

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  14. Doug McC

    Doug McC Senior Member

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    One of the joys of buying something through Amazon.