You Probably Need To Sit Down Before You Read This....

[Avalon]

WARNING: If you are eating, drinking, or prone to falling off your chair I accept no responsibility for any damage or injury how so ever caused as a result of reading this.

MOT is due next month, as the car is new to me and my tester is the kind of guy who loves to wind me up (family friend) I started doing basic checks this week so I could order in what I needed to make sure it passed. Basic's are all fine, wipers, bulbs, discs, pads, tyres, I did spot a damaged dust guard at the rear (the steel plate behind the disc) and as i've done them previously on other cars I figured i'd just replace the pair and probably do the disc's and pads at the same time if i'm getting my hands dirty.

Called the dealer and after a pause they gave me a price of £403..... plus VAT ..... EACH. Yes, two bits of pressed steel would be NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN POUNDS AND TWENTY PENCE. For comparison the last set I did were circa £15 for the pair on a Fabia.

My local factor doesn't do them so before I start fabricating a new set or seeing if I can get some from a car that's being broken for parts has anyone else had this problem and found a supplier that doesn't want almost a grand for them?

[FROSTYBALLS]

They have been highlighted as expensive on some older posts. Eg - http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/136226-help-possible-problem-with-car/page-4

Have you tried sending Parts King a personal message, detailing your car and what you want, to see what price he can do them for?

[Avalon]

I did a quick search on here after posting then hit google/ebay. I suspect the answer will be a scrappy or fabricate a suitable alternative but i'll PM him the details in a bit.

I don't suppose anyone has tried to raise this one with Toyota as the pricing seems so far out of this world that it just can't be right? It wouldn't be the first time an OEM has had a pricing error and not noticed for a few years.

[Parts-King]

They have always been expensive with Toyota, crazily so!

I have PM'd a price for you

Kingo

[Avalon]

They have always been expensive with Toyota, crazily so!

I have PM'd a price for you

Kingo

Much appreciated, i'm going to have a think/look for alternatives and have asked Toyota for input on why a part that's available from other OEM's for a very low price (just price checked a Superb at 25+VAT a pair including new bolts!). I suspect they'll tell me where to go, but i'd rather drop a grand on getting them tooled/pressed or more likely get a suitable alternative fabricated than pay Toyota that much.

Here's hoping that it's a pricing error like the Nissan GTR debacle of old: http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/127250-accident-dont-do-what-i-did.html

*edit* Just found the front ones are under £30 each inc VAT for the RAV, waiting for T-UK to come back to me but i've got a feeling they've got the decimal in the wrong place.

[pmb]

As the link from frosty says it has been mentioned before. You can't just buy the shields on their own. They rust and myself and others on the net just bin them and don't bother replacing them.

[ANNAWONG]

Just take them off when they rust through, as they will!

This has been the general opinion on this forum for a long while. I subscribed to it some time ago with no issues.

Save your money.

[Avalon]

Just found the front RH ones are £29 each inc VAT for the 2001-2005 RAV but the LH seems more expensive at £38 (that's slightly higher than I could get it for, just I couldn't get 'my' price). So that begs the question, if the fronts are £30-40 each then why are the rears 10x more? I can't see anything to suggest they're in any way more functional, they don't support anything that I can see (consider my last surviving one is in bits on the office desk) so to me it looks like they've got the decimal in the wrong place and have done for a few years.

ANNAWONG ones already dropped off and the other followed it earlier with very little persuasion, i'd rather I took it off than it damaged the alloy or came off and clipped a brake pipe. I'd prefer to run with them but for that sort of money i'd rather change the discs/pads more often and be done with it.

The unofficial word from my tester was it wouldn't be a problem as long as the disc's/pads were spot on. Then again this is the man who joked about failing a previous car because he didn't like the colour ;)

[Devon Aygo]

Just found the front RH ones are £29 each inc VAT for the 2001-2005 RAV but the LH seems more expensive at £38 (that's slightly higher than I could get it for, just I couldn't get 'my' price). So that begs the question, if the fronts are £30-40 each then why are the rears 10x more? I can't see anything to suggest they're in any way more functional, they don't support anything that I can see (consider my last surviving one is in bits on the office desk) so to me it looks like they've got the decimal in the wrong place and have done for a few years.

ANNAWONG ones already dropped off and the other followed it earlier with very little persuasion, i'd rather I took it off than it damaged the alloy or came off and clipped a brake pipe. I'd prefer to run with them but for that sort of money i'd rather change the discs/pads more often and be done with it.

The unofficial word from my tester was it wouldn't be a problem as long as the disc's/pads were spot on. Then again this is the man who joked about failing a previous car because he didn't like the colour ;)

The rear plates on a 4.2 Rav are a bit more involved than just pressed steel plates they are made up of multiple parts and do form the support/mounting for the rear parking brake shoes, still bloody expensive though.

[Avalon]

Thanks Lee, it still looks horrifically over priced for what it is :D

Kingo's price ties in with the other (discounted) parts sources I've tried quote - local dealer quotes list :| so I'm not disputing the list price everyone has to work to, it's just insane for what it is which makes me wonder if the decimal isn't in the wrong place, but I doubt I'll get any joy from Toyota UK.

A friend from my Roadster days has just suggested someone who he gets to source hard to come by bits for his Supra may be able to help. I've sent the email and now I have part numbers 4650342021 (RH) and 46504-42021 (LH) i'll see what I can find. Thanks to everyone for the help and advice on this, it's appreciated.

Even when Brabus wanted £140 for a gear knob I didn't feel this badly done to - I sourced one for £46 eventually :D

[ALake]

That price is pure extortion for what they are!

Are they the same price for the 4.3 models?

[Avalon]

I honestly don't know, I only found mention of the 4.2's when searching. Feel free to give the dealer a call and see what the crack is, it may be a model specific quirk, I just can't get my head round the pricing though.

[Avalon]

Just to follow up from this, genuine Toyota parts are now available on eBay for £229.95 delivered (or best offer). Given i've run without for nearly 4 years, i'll survive without, but less than half list price seems slightly more realistic.

[Mike169]

Hi Alex.

I have read a similar post before and basically Toyota are taking the p***.

I am an ex MOT tester, those backplates are not a legal requirement, just take the rusty ones off and through them away, they are not an MOT requirement.

Regards, Mike.

[Avalon]

1 minute ago, Mike169 said:

Hi Alex.

I have read a similar post before and basically Toyota are taking the p***.

I am an ex MOT tester, those backplates are not a legal requirement, just take the rusty ones off and through them away, they are not an MOT requirement.

Regards, Mike.

Appreciate the confirmation Mike, that's pretty much what my tester said when I asked him in 2015 - it's been 4 years and zero issues with them removed. I happened to find them 'cheap' yesterday and figured it was worth mentioning - if only so people who were presented with the issue were aware of it.

[gjnorthall]

The backplates are a vital part of the braking system. It's acceptable to remove the disc guard section but serious corrosion of the backplates is an MOT failure. It's worth cleaning up and rustproofing backplates. As well as the cost - replacing a pair of backplates is a 3+ hour job.

Manufacturers are not required to supply spares 15 years after end of production of a model. Could be that Toyota are disposing of 4.2 parts. Problem is in these situations, that when residual parts are gone - they're gone for good.