Toyota Dealer in SoCal wants $7600 to replace the short block!!!

Don't let them do it.

My wife had an 87 Honda Civic that had the same problem - she never, ever changed the oil in it and as a result the level finally went low enough that the engine burned itself out. (She is no longer involved in vehicle maintenance in any way.) But, rather than replace the car or do an expensive repair we found a place that had used Civic engines and we had them put in a used replacement engine. Got a new clutch, timing belt, the works. Total cost = $1000. (Engine was $500, labor was the rest.) Ok that's still expensive, but it's a pretty good deal in my opinion. We put an engine with ~40k miles in a car with ~150k miles and everything was fine.

The gas engine in the Prius is just that. You should be able to find a salvage engine that they can bolt on and be done with it. For the kind of money your shop is talking about you should be able to get a brand new engine!

In fact, here's an engine on ebay for $650:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyota-priu...sspagenameZWD1V

 

If I were you, here is what I would be doing
- get a second opinion: however, it sounds like they charge you $$$$$$$ for looking into it. It may not make sense to have another dealership take a look again.
- call Toyota USA: there is lot of $$$$$$ involved here. Usually, Toyota USA may be able to help you locate some refurbished parts to reduce the costs. It happens if you run into a helpful person on the other end of the line.
- get part from eBay (parts from a lot of totally Prius) and pay for the labor only (some independent shop). The downside is that you don't get warranty.

The bottom line is that your 2005 is so new, it make sense to fix it even at $10K!

My friend had tried successfully (per my suggestion) to trade a Sienna for a Honda Odyssey sine his Sienna is developing transmission issue that required a new tranny.
(he didn't remember when was the last time he changed the transmission fluid?!?!?!). The Honda dealer gave him
a good deal for it, and didn't even care about the condition of the Sienna. I wonder if any dealer will do the same to a 2005 Prius.
Don't ask, don't tell. It is within their calculated risk and profit margin.

 

Another sad example of what can happen when people ignore the maintenance schedule.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CappsPrius @ Oct 11 2007, 06:01 PM) [snapback]524275[/snapback]</div>

Then tell them to find a used ICE and put it in and "how much will that cost". Should be a lot less than the $7,600+ they quoted. Even better if you can locate the engine yourself.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ari @ Oct 11 2007, 06:23 PM) [snapback]524255[/snapback]</div>

Brother my brother...you didn't actually allow your wife to maintain her car did you? Most women I know drive there car's till the oil lights come on! Then they keep on driving it while mentioning once and in a while to there husbands there's a light on....which is why my wife and I swap cars every few days.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CappsPrius @ Oct 11 2007, 05:08 PM) [snapback]524249[/snapback]</div>

What kind of oil and filter was it changed with last time? Petroleum or synthetic? Filter brand/model
I use Amsoil synthetic and Amsoil filters and change at 36000 miles. I just rolled over 160,000 and it still doesn't use oil between changes.

Not enough details. Tell them you want detailed report with:

cylinder bore for each cylinder including runout.

piston measurements for each.

crankshaft measurements.

You had to pay $3500 to dissassemble??????

Galaxee: Does your DH know the flat rate for the this job?????

You can find a used motor and get it installed for a LOT less.

Good Luck

 

do not know the flat rate for the job, every time DH had to tear one down either the toyota warranty or the extended warranty paid it... or the customer abandoned the car. and if i said warranty pays s*** for it that would be the understatement of the year.

i will say we did a short block for a friend's camry back last spring, it ate a wrist pin clip, scored the cylinders, etc just as above. got a used block from a scrap yard, had it machined, new pistons, rings, complete reassembly DH's style (that is, super perfectionista-style) complete with gasket set and everything. yes, we cut the guy a deal on labor but in the end it cost him under $2k.

if i recall correctly we made $600 in labor, and i'm reaching here but i think it was 30% of what he would have been charged at the dealer. don't ask me how many hours it actually took, i really don't remember.

overall i'm gonna agree with the others, yank the engine. it's not worth it for a short block.

 

double post

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Drifty'sDad @ Oct 11 2007, 09:02 PM) [snapback]524361[/snapback]</div>

Oh no, this was before we met. I took the Civic under my wing after we were married and discovered the engine damage (it was eating about a quart of oil a month.) Hondas are good cars but even they can't be completely ignored.

 

I think the dealer is out to make some money from the Prius owner. Tell em to pack it in a box and have it towed to a reasonable repairer and never go back to that dealer ever again.

If I could charge $3500 for half a days work stripping it down, and they didn't use any parts in that, I'd still be in the trade with a very flash car and a very flash house.

Sorry, you have been ripped off!
Cut your losses and take it to someone reasonable. Have a second hand engine fitted from a wreck.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Oct 12 2007, 12:30 AM) [snapback]524471[/snapback]</div>

+1

That dealer totally ripped you off! $3500 USD to take apart an engine is insane. Even at $100/hour to take it apart, would NOT take 35 hours! Please name the dealer and the city so that everyone else here can avoid it.

 

Can anyone tell us the book hours to strip off head and sump and remove pistons? That's all they would have done as a diagnostic disassembly surely!

I can do a full engine overhaul including remove, strip, clean re-assemble, install, tune and test (but not including machining) within 35 hours.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cwerdna @ Oct 12 2007, 03:44 AM) [snapback]524474[/snapback]</div>

I agree, total rip off. The short block itself is only $1500:
http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/ind...amp;catalogid=1

So even at $200/hr labor, the price is insane (Audi/BMW labor rates). The $3500 for diagnosis is also a total rip - I'd demand an accounting for that cost. The extended warranty wouldn't have done you any good. All warranties I've seen require normal maintenance - you'd have to cough up receipts for oil changes or at least the oil.

- Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cwerdna @ Oct 12 2007, 12:44 AM) [snapback]524474[/snapback]</div>

"Hubby" here - the dealer is San Bernardino Toyota.

 

Heck, here's a whole new engine, BRAND NEW for $6,798.32 MSRP ('your price' about a grand less)!!!!. http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/ind...amp;catalogid=1

This is nuts.

Yeah, run, run, run. And drop a note to Toyota about your experience....

pat

 

Get the used engine. It's much, much cheaper and you get a working top engine as well (the head and valves and cams and all that).

Nate

 

I'm a little surprised how much damage was done by just neglecting maintenance, unless you also drove with a low oil level for an extended period. If what the dealer said was true, then I'd expect one or more of the following:

1) Excessive oil consumption, way more than a quart every 3000 miles.

2) Low compression in all cylinders

3) Smoke coming out of the exhaust due to oil making it past the piston rings and burning in the combustion chamber.

Very odd that with all of those problems they claim, that the oil level wasn't a lot lower - unless you've been regularly topping up the oil. Oil should be gushing past those worn rings and creating smoke in the exhaust and excessive oil consumption if what they said was true.

I think a second opinion is in order. Black oil doesn't mean anything is wrong or even that the oil needs immediate changing. If you told them that you neglected the maintenance, they may have used this information to create a bunch of non-existent problems.

 

This dealer sounds shonky. Pistons have to be able to move in the bore. I've reserected siezed engines before by using wet and dry on the piston to remove the daggy bits amd assemble with only new gaskets. That was a 2 stroke motorbike but the effect is the same.
I'm agreeing with Priusenvy, it's not likely to be that worn unless you ran out of oil.Ring Toyota and get the car away from that shonk.