Consumer Guide® Estimated Repair Costs

This table lists costs of likely repairs for comparison with other vehicles. The dollar amount includes the cost of the part(s) and labor (based on $50 per hour) for the typical repair without extras or add-ons. Like the pricing information, replacement costs can vary widely depending on region. Expect charges at a new-car dealership to be slightly higher.
<table class="dataTablePlain"><tbody><tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left" valign="top">Item Name</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center" valign="top">Repair Cost</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">A/C Compressor</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $1,750</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Alternator</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $1,305</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Automatic Transmission or Transaxle</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $9,350</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Brakes</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $530</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Clutch, Pressure Plate, Bearing</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Constant Velocity Joints</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $1,240</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Exhaust System</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $800</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Radiator</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $425</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Shocks and/or Struts</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $920</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="dataPlain" style="width: 300px;" align="left">Timing Chain or Belt</td> <td class="dataPlain" align="center"> $640</td></tr></tbody></table>

PRIUS Trouble Spots

Consumer Guide's® Auto Editors have scoured repair bulletins and questioned mechanics to search for commonly occurring problems for a particular vehicle. In some cases we also give possible manufacturer-suggested solutions. In many instances these trouble spots are Technical Service Bulletins posted by the manufacturer, however, we have our own expert looking at additional vehicle problems.

Audio system: The audio system may be noisy when using an external MP3 player requiring installation of an in-line filter. (2006-08)

Brake lights: The parking brake light may stay illuminated after release and a revised pedal assembly was made available. (2004-06)

Check-engine light: The check engine light may come on due to a problem with the coolant flow control valve. (2004-06)

Coolant leak: A coolant leak may develop in the converter/inverter assembly, requiring component replacement, but this part is covered by the 96 month/100,000 mile warranty. (2004-05)

Dashboard lights: The Hybrid System malfunction indicator light may come on even though there are not obvious problems on some early production vehicles, but a special wire must be installed in the high-voltage battery system. (2004)

Dashboard lights: Some early production vehicles may light the malfunction indicator due to an air/fuel ratio sensor problem, but an improved sensor is available. (2005)

Dashboard lights: Using the wrong oil viscosity can trigger the malfunction indicator light and throw a trouble code for "engine does not start." (2004-05)

Fuel gauge: The fuel meter may be inaccurate and the tank may not hold the amount it is supposed to, requiring replacement of the meter and/or the fuel filler pipe. (2004)

Pedals: The brake pedal may squeak and, if bleeding the system does not help, the brake actuator may have to be replaced. (2004-06)

Runaway Toyota cases ignored

Safety investigators dismissed numerous reports of sudden acceleration, then said data were lacking.

More than 1,000 Toyota and Lexus owners have reported since 2001 that their vehicles suddenly accelerated on their own, in many cases slamming into trees, parked cars and brick walls, among other obstacles, a Times review of federal records has found.

The crashes resulted in at least 19 deaths and scores of injuries over the last decade, records show. Federal regulators say that is far more than any other automaker has experienced.

LA Times details Toyota history of concealing safety issues

Disturbing changes at Toyota:


1) Recalls are increasing at a faster pace than ever before in the history of Toyota
2) Three senior managers of Quality Assurance were investigated by police for failing to address known defects

3) Toyota announces more recalls in the United States than Chrysler

4) An employee from a supplier sues Toyota for violation of labor laws

5) Hyundai surpasses Toyota in quality rankings

6) Toyota struggles with domestic sales of the Lexus vehicles

7) A separate and second Toyota labor union has been recently established to kaizen working conditions


Toyota's breakneck pace of expansion over the past 10 years is resulting in a surge in both design and manufacturing defects now surfacing as recalls. This is simply due to managers, engineers, supervisors and workers being stretched too thin both at Toyota and the supply base, according to the article.
The article cites revealing statistics from Japan's domestic Ministry of Transportation:
In the year 2001:
Toyota: market share = 42.1% share of recalls = 1.4%
Nissan: market share = 17.9% share of recalls = 11.9%
Honda: market share = 14.9% share of recalls = 21.9%
In the year 2005:
Toyota: market share = 44.0% share of recalls = 34%
Nissan: market share = 18.4% share of recalls = 3.5%
Honda: market share = 11.8% share of recalls = 3.6%


According to Toyota supplier sources the Toyo Keizai article declines to name, among the trends mentioned:


At the automobile manufacturer:

- The number of investigations into non-conforming quality has doubled in the past five years

- One third of the defects are related to manufacturing, and production processes in particular

- Even small process flaws are resulting in recalls

- Suppliers are increasingly evaluated first on quality


At the parts manufacturer:

- Hiring of supervisors and workers is not keeping up with production growth, resulting in greater strain on workers

- Managers and supervisors have an increases span of supervision

- Support to tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers is lacking

- Basic lack of inspection resulting in missed visual checks


What's going on? The commonization of parts has leader to the quantity of each recall being larger, since a bad part now must be recalled from a wider range of vehicles. The overburden on the fatigued factory floor, as well as strain on engineers and designers is leading to rising defects.



Another cause, according to the article who sites an automotive engineer:


"Education in the use of CAD (Computer Aided Design) is lacking at Japanese universities. Therefore, the creation of the CAD diagrams is outsourced. The designer is not the same person who creates the CAD diagram. Because of this, the designer can miss drawing errors. These errors were previously caught be experienced veteran engineers. However, as the number of these skilled workers becomes thinner, the errors are beginning to show."

The Toyo Keizai article cites a Toyota group company employee who says that there is now a chronic shortage of people at Toyota.



The number of regular employees at Toyota has remained stable while the number of temporary laborers has double or even tripled, according to the article. The implied result of temporary workers playing a larger role in manufacturing is the larger number of quality problems and recalls.


The lights on the Toyota Technical Center building are on past 10PM, even at midnight on some days. There is no second shift of engineers, they are simply putting in very long hours. Toyo Keizai interviewed some young workers from a Toyota supplier "If we stay on this path, quality problems will increase and so will the lawsuits" and "If they keep working people this hard, eventually no one will want to work here."


Can anything stop Toyota's reckless push to expand? At an executive management planning meeting on the theme of "Global Master Plan" in January of 2006, executives presented plans to build new factories in North America, China and elsewhere. Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda spoke out:


"When did Toyota get to be a company like this? There is no reason to hurry. We need to think deeply and act quickly once we decide. That is the Toyota way."


According to the article this created a chill among the senior leaders present and many of the plans for new factories were put on hold.
There is a three-page insert in the article revealing for the first time the details of over 50 of the recalls based on research by Toyo Keizai.



The list includes many design errors of software, parts configuration, raw material properties and a variety of surprising manufacturing errors from insufficient nut torque, missing fasteners, damage during assembly, and mis-assembly. I don't think this is what former Toyota Chairman Hiroshi Okuda meant last year when he said Toyota should give General Motors some breathing room.

Toyota Prius Recall List


Recall ID # 09V388000 - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
<table id="closed_27154" class="bg_recall_ovrCntr" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr> <td class="bg_recall_titlecell">Recall Date:</td> <td>OCT 05, 2009</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="bg_recall_titlecell">Component:</td> <td>VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="bg_recall_titlecell">Model Affected:</td> <td>PRIUS</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="bg_recall_titlecell">Units Affected:</td> <td> 4260319 Recall Details </td></tr></tbody></table>