I have an $1800 quote to replace the EGR valve and right front axle on my 2010 Prius III with 219K ($600 for axle, $1200 for EGR). The mechanic formerly worked for Toyota. Is this a fair quote given that the local dealership would probably charge twice as much? The scanner posted a code about the EGR. Still has original main battery, always had oil changed at 5K intervals. Some people on a FB Prius page said that this quote seems pricey to them. The car has no running issues, and does not burn oil.
It is pricey for the EGR valve replacement alone. Or is he replacing other parts, like the cooler? Is he cleaning out the entire circuit as well? There was a TSB to cover the cost of the EGR valve replacement and listed the labor to be 2.8 hours. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10164926-9999.pdf
$1200 to replace EGR valve. He says it takes too long to clean it. He did not mention the cooler. $600 to replace right front axle.
I don't think you should use this mechanic. Just because he use to work for a dealership, he may be a bad apple, doing the easy stuff and charging a lot for it. The EGR circuit requires cleaning, not so much the replacement of the valve (unless it's sticking). The cleaning of the EGR circuit should cost around $500 - $600 at most places that know what they are doing.
I'd want to ensure the EGR valve needs replacement; they're around $200 USD IIRC. To DIY clean the entire EGR circuit (not replacing anything, except maybe the pliable gaskets on intake manifold), including the intake manifold can be done in a day or two, with nothing too complicated in the way of tools. I say a day or two 'cus just for your sanity it's good to relegate the intake manifold to a separate day. Your mechanic's claim that it takes too long to clean the valve is absurd. Well unless he's lumping the cooler (bigger bit between valve and exhaust manifold, with coolant hoses running in) in with the valve. The valve itself is quite easy to clean; the cooler is the hard one. Ultimately, if nothing is defective, cleaning is the way to go. If you can manage an oil change you can do it. See first link in my signature for more info.
You guys are lucky you don't hang around the shop you'd see how quick that $600 leaves your wallet and how fast that car leaves your shop that you're at. If you look around axles from wherever they are reasonably inexpensive. And when you see how few tools and what it takes to jerk one out and pop it back in you'll see that $600 is quite a quite a fee I don't even know what the book quotes usually when I do this I'm changing the hub assembly the aluminum thing and the bearing all at the same time and maybe even doing the brakes putting new rotors on and all that because I'm having all that apart. So it makes good sense to put all that on now and not be taking it apart no more. So then the combined work being done great job hub bearing drive axle is covering a lot of ground as far as noise goes if it's time and you have struts ready in your arsenal good time to put those on complete with top bearings and everything when I'm doing the spindle bearings and all that I'm putting the lower ball joint on at the same time I order that with the bearing so that all that stuff is new it's not that expensive it doesn't have to be from the Toyota dealer just reasonably reputable manufacturers pick your poison moog Dana Asian equals . Good luck
I looked at some YouTube videos about the EGR valve and cooler, and maybe I would have attempted this when I was younger, but it looks like too much for me now. (70). I did change my car’s oil, in another century.
