Hello Fellow Prius Owners! I am new to the forums and diligently searched for answers to how much the following repairs "should" cost (estimate) in 2020 - but for some reason, zero results were returned. My Prius died, likely due to less driving during the pandemic. I hope some of you can help me with info, because I have an offer from a benevolent donator who might offer to cover all needed repairs to get me back on the road safely - but they need to know the needed amount of money by tomorrow night! I already asked my local dealer and they're dragging their feet on responding. Here's what my car needs: 1) New 12V battery 2) Smart Key repair (the little plastic key tip broke off top right and the panic button fell out - otherwise the key is functional) 3) New water pump 4) Catalytic converter bar, brace or weld THANK YOU so much in advance for any guidance you might be able to provide. I really appreciate your time and thank you for reading my first post!
Welcome to PriusChat!! Would you be doing any of these repairs or installations yourself? Tell us more about the catalytic converter, was it recently stolen or replaced? Do you only need ballpark figures? Northern California is a fairly large area, which metroplex are you nearest and maybe someone can recommend a repair shop.
Hi SFO! Thanks for replying. I could do some of the repairs myself, but I’d rather have them done at the dealer or a mechanic. I researched 12V battery and Smart Key replacement tutorial videos, and I *might* be able to handle those two. Welding and water pump I definitely don’t know how. My local Toyota dealer is in Sacramento. Luckily my catalytic converter hasn’t been stolen, but SO many thefts are happening here, I wanted to be proactive and get it welded in ASAP. I can’t afford to let anything (preventable) happen to my car, in fact, I can barely afford to get it fixed, hence the donor who kindly offered to help me cover the bill. They want an estimate from me by tomorrow. Ballpark for each item would be the best, so depending on their offer I can tell them which ones I want (in case I can’t cover all 4).
dealer prices are quite high, but these are estimates 1. 12v - $225 at the parts counter, installed might be $120 more 2. Smart key repair - just buy a new case on Amazon for $15 3 Water pump - at the dealer, this will be around $500 4. Catalytic converter bar - not sure what this is. If this catalytic converter is missing/stolen, the replacement is over $2000
Or call around or visit a locksmith or three in your area. Price would be similar. I don't understand you not being able to get a quote from a dealership. I would AVOID any shop that won't quote you a price.
Unless you plan on moving out of state soon, it would be best to sell the Prius and procure another vehicle that doesn't have the CA state OEM catalytic requirement. If you can't afford your current list of items, then you will be hard pressed to afford a new catalytic converter at 2.5k+, and then again when the thieves come back the week after to borrow the new from the dealer OEM replacement. Since you didn't mention the vehicle mileage, we can only assume that a 2004 HV battery could fail at some point and cost 2.5k+ for replacement, a brake accumulator that will fail and cost around 3k+ for replacement, etc. None of these items are cheap, and as you know that catalytic converter is on borrowed time, or will be shortly. How many miles per month are you currently driving? FYI: you need five (5) total posts to be free from moderation.
Big thanks to all who responded! Your estimates helped a lot. At least I can average out approximately how much it would cost to get my car running, get the cat secured, and budget for upcoming "various failures" (ex: the hybrid battery etc). I will begin shopping around for a different vehicle that might be exempt from CA's strict emissions standards; however, I'd be hard pressed to find anything decent for under $10K - and I believe any repairs my Prius might need won't exceed that amount, so most likely I'll try to hold onto it as long as possible. I'd love to have the ability to haul, so I'm hoping my next vehicle can be some kind of Toyota truck. I don't drive as much as I used to (bought it used in 2012, drove 3.5 hours daily commute for three years, drove cross country twice, but hardly more than 20 miles a week for the past few years). I will keep you all posted on how it goes! Good advice. I will try calling the dealer again today since in the past, they've been pretty good about communication I can only assume they're extremely busy.
I do not know if the cat brace is similar to a cat shield or metal panel to discourage cat converter theft. I got a cat shield purchased and installed here in sacramento ca for $300. It's $160 for the shield but if you have riveting tools and a way to get the car up high enough, you can save yourself labor.
