Thoughts? Loose Calipers

Thanks for the update Jon. Maybe the service tech was just careless because he was leaving in a few days. Who knows really, they should give you some coupons or something of value besides just fixing your vehicle. That's my 2 cents anyway. Glad to hear you're getting it sorted out step by step. No worries!

 

Wow, it makes one wonder if it was deliberate.

 

The condition he left your brakes in is inexcusable for a "tech" and almost criminal in my opinion. Hang on to that video...

 

Doesn't someone check the tech's work? I guess not.

 

Not that uncommon: I left just a lower bolt off once. Lucky no harm, and spotted it soon thereafter: I'd just pulled the pads to check thickness, and about a month later was there with replacement pads when I noticed. The caliper was at least was held in by the upper bolt, and gravity.

In your case it looks like both were removed, judging from the motion. It seems to me your caliper was mostly being restrained by the brake fluid hose.

Did you get a loaner?

 

I realize mistakes can happen.
But IMO that's a shameful bit of incompentency that crosses the line into dangerous negligence.

At this point I suppose you should be glad nobody was hurt and there probably wasn't any long term damage to human lives or property including but not limited to you and your Prius.

When you're dealing with brakes....things like that simply cannot be allowed to happen.

 

We had a '91 Accord that started making a really sick noise everytime the brakes were depressed. Got home, pull the wheel that it seemed to be coming from, and saw a crack in the rotor. You cold catch a fingernail on it.

Phoned the dealer, described the issue, brought it in. About an hour later the service writer phoned back with "good news": no problems with the brakes, it was ready to be picked up.

For about 2 seconds I was actually relieved, then reality kicked in, and I politely told him to check it again, and hung up. Maybe 5 minutes later I decided to email the service manager.

About an hour later he phoned me back, apologised, said he had the rotor on his desk, and so on.

It makes me think of when I was detailing steel, for various fabricators. A shop would call, say there was a problem, say: the drawing were asking for something to be welded on beyond the end of the beam, or similar.

I wised up real fast: when some one comes to you with a very specific, observed problem, double check before you tell them they're dreaming, LOL.

 

Good to hear it worked out!

Have you got a block heater yet? Doesn't hurt to ask them

The part retails for about $80, but $300~400 with labour to install...