replace shocks/struts?

I would do it as this is also a safety issue. The car doesn't handle like it should and braking performance is reduced. But that price is outrageous. I would get other estimates and ask for the part numbers. I think you'll find that the KYB shocks and struts only cost you around $400-$600 and that they are trying to charge you $1,000 labor for what should only cost about $200-$350 depending on location.

 

I think you should do it but $1500 is a lot of money.....and probably not for OEM parts. You would need new spring insulators too.....

Also you need quite a bit of disassembly of the back interior of your Prius. If these guys have not worked on a Prius before, they may destroy your interior while doing it.

 

I would find an alternative to spending that amount of money. I do work myself on my vehicles so I save tons so looking at a $1500 fix when I only paid $2300 just . My shocks are also shot but it does not bounce around and handling is still OK and not scary so I keep driving it.
TomK

 

Just bought a 2005 Prius with 51K. Pre-purchase inspection, a Toyota specialist (not dealer) told me 1 rear strut was leaking, therefore both would need to be replaced. Got home (100 miles away), and called for an appointment with another Toyota-specific shop. He said the struts are known to leak, and may not need replacement. Will go in for an oil change, and see what they find.

 

I have a 2012 Prius V wagon with 30K miles.
I'm being told by Toyota that my rear struts are leaking, but I haven't really noticed any difference in the handling of the car. Not sure what to believe. Interested in your opinion.

 

It's difficult to feel the decrease of shocks performance when they just started to leak....if you just lay down on the ground in safe place and look under the car on the back behind the rear wheels ( and toward inside from the wheel ) you will see the vertical black tubes. They are shocks. If you see them wet on the outside, they are leaking indeed. They can last a few thousands miles, but performance will decrease gradually, they are important as they keep wheels on the ground on bumpy road, so they are important for breaking. And eventually they will have to be replaced. Any mechanic can do it, there is nothing special about them in Prius.

Thanks,
Alex

 

At 30K I would do nothing but drive the car. Unless they want to replace for FREE!
TomK

 

This should be covered under the 3 year/36K mile comprehensive warranty.

 

I bought it in December 2011, so unfortunately no.

in

 

Thank

Thanks

 

FWIW, here in the northeast I have replaced 2 sets of front shocks and one set of rears at over 200k miles/10 years on each vehicle. All had substantially improved ride and handling after the repair. Got to replace them in pairs even if only one shock is leaking or misbehaving...

For those who are contemplating it as a DIY job, consider buying premanufactured strut kits (strut/spring/strut mount/boot) vs individual parts and a spring compressor. Your time is worth the extra bucks that you will spend in compressing/disassembling/reassembling/uncompressing each strut with your car up on jackstands on a hot day...

...and after a front strut replacement, the car will need a front end alignment, as well...

 

For the record, I finally need new rear struts on my '02 Prius... well, OK, have that very slight leak that makes the surface of the strut look wet (it still seems to work just fine). Current odometer reading? 312,772.

 

Hi Patrick Wong. Your advice on my cat converter helped a lot. Thank you. My 2003 Prius has 278K miles and the struts all around are shot. I have bought gabriel replacements and will proceed next week to replace. Do you have any salient points for a newbie doing this; ie. Mounting gaskets or anything else to make this easier.? Should I have got "an assembly" instead of struts and mounting brackets? Yours, texaslorraine

 

Hi Lorraine,

Yes, I suggest that you also replace the front strut top mounts as well as the rubber insulators which fit above and below the coil springs. The top mounts need to pivot and it is likely they are quite worn after logging 278K miles. Of course you will need a tool to compress the springs prior to disassembly. See my two posts here regarding one good choice for that activity, as well as the process used to replace 2G front struts and rear shocks:
Hints Regarding Replacement of 2G Front Struts | PriusChat
Replaced Rear Shocks | PriusChat

 

Thank you for your reply. I did order the top mounts as the advice of the AZ shop salesman. Old guy, seemed knowledgeble, and he said if not needed to just return them. We put front brakes on week and a half ago and after several days heard a rubber/something rubbing sound, that is very audible when driving slow and swoosh, swoosh, sounds with wheel turning. Thought it might be a dust boot or something in strut assembly..brakes seem good and rotors are smooth and flat. any ideas? We live in rural Texas, and the dirt roads are awfully hard on my little Prius with a clearance of about 4".

 

Perhaps a failing wheel bearing?

 

Does anybody have a link to where I could find such a premanufactured strut kit for a 2001 Prius? I'm interested in seeing the cost differential vs. diy strut dissassembly.

Thanks,

 

I have not seen a DIY full "bolt in" kit for Gen1. Too few Gen1s were sold to make it worthwhile for aftermarket vendors. You can remove the entire strut assembly and take it to a shop to transfer springs and upper strut mount, or "rent" a free strut compressor from AutoZone/Oreilly and DIY, just watch a few YouTube videos. They are very similar to other small cars (honda, toyota, etc). You may need new upper rubbers too, dealer ones are the only ones that fit well but they will have to special order them. Part 48157-47010.

DO NOT take apart a strut like these donkeys;

 

At about 50K miles a Toyota dealer told us one rear strut was leaking and we should replace both. I did nothing. We drove the car another 100K miles with no issues with abnormal tire wear.

When I took the car in for service to a different Toyota dealer they said there were no issues with the struts.

 

well excited about the three struts my son replaced without a SNAFU, but the rear passenger side has been a bear. it clatters. had it on and off multiple times and it doesn't change the clatter. I thought maybe the sprint was bent, because lining it up on a level surface , i see the coils not all touching at the same time, even when i rotate the spring, different coils not touching. So.....? I also noticed that the old strut was worn on one side of the cylinder. Any ideas out there????