I very recently upgraded from a 2008 prius to a 2016 with 52k miles. Two weeks after I purchased it I noticed a clicking noise from my driver's front side while braking at low speeds. I took it to the dealership I bought it from, not a toyota dealership, and they effectively gave me a huge run around and charged me for stuff that didn't fix the problem. I've been looking around and it seems the general consensus for this problem is to replace the left front cv axle. I told this to the dealership and they told me if it wasn't broke they can't fix it. They've had my car far too long at this point to refuse to make this right and I'm not that interested in making them fix it at this point, I'd rather not give them any more of my business. My 2008 had a very similar but not the exact same noise when braking and that went on for over 6 months before I sold the car. I could never figure out what was making that noise before but now I'm suspecting it's the exact same issue I'm having with the 2016. My ultimate question comes down to: is this clicking noise an issue that NEEDS to be addressed? On my 2008 it never made a difference in the driveability of the car, was just obnoxious to hear all the time. It seems to be the same case on my 2016. I can handle hearing it if I'm not actually going to cause any unnecessary damage by not addressing it, I just don't know. If anyone can help I appreciate it.
I think I answered my own question. I read through that large thread regarding this issue and it seems to be just an obnoxious noise that doesn't pose any safety risks or further damage to the car? I really hope this is the case.
Yes it does not do any harm. It its the axle of the car. I have a 2016 toyota prius with the same issue that started at 24k miles and I am now at 56k.
Thanks for responding, I appreciate it. It really makes me feel better that I am not the only one with this problem.
My 17 Prime and my wife's 17 trim 2 both make that clicking sound. Doesn't seem to hurt anything. As far as I can tell, most of them do that. And it is annoying, at least to me.
My 2017 with 74,000km does this same thing and has for quite some time. For a while I thought it was caused by something caught in the brake assembly but after inspecting it, found nothing out of place. The only other thing that makes sense is the CV axle as the source of this common noise. It would be wonderful to know why it happens though... Why does it only audibly click while braking at low speed? I'm at loss without having the chance to hold the axle in my hands to figure it out. Since it has not gotten any worse or made the car handle any different compared to brand new, I suspect it is a very minor issue not to be overly concerned with. Definitely annoying though!
My 2016 Prius 4 touring just started about two weeks ago. I rarely drive it, as it only has 12,600 miles on it. But it clicks just like yours! You'd think Toyota would chime in and say something. Hopefully this doesn't create an issue. But it seems no one else has had any problems with the clicking.
I have a 2016 Four Touring and my folks drive a 2016 Four. Both make that same noise, which started around 10,000 miles or so. It also seems louder in the winter than summer (live in AZ), so maybe the extra heat helps make it quieter. I noticed many of those that replaced their CV axle noted the sound went away only to eventually return. I also read about injecting the CV with additional lubricant, but I never saw any follow up as to that working or not. Maybe drowning it in grease would muffle the sound. Since it does not seem to affect safety, I have just learned to begrudgingly ignore it. For an otherwise rock solid car, it's too bad there is not a permanent solution for this issue.
I commented in another thread on this topic quite a while ago that I used to have a rowing machine that made the same clicking noise. I opened it up and found that, as the spring coils separated, the grease made a smacking sound that's just like the clicking when decelerating the gen 4 Prius. I'm almost sure that's what happening in the CV joints. Even some brand new Prii make that noise. It doesn't seem to hurt anything.
