Toyota Prius C Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Costs

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

See availability

Customer Ratings

Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Service

How much does a Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Toyota Prius C Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement is $189 with $49 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
2018 Toyota Prius CL4-1.5L Hybrid	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$253.82	Shop/Dealer Price$282.13 - $358.94
2016 Toyota Prius CL4-1.5L Hybrid	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$244.99	Shop/Dealer Price$271.57 - $347.20
2012 Toyota Prius CL4-1.5L Hybrid	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$244.99	Shop/Dealer Price$271.60 - $347.24
2017 Toyota Prius CL4-1.5L Hybrid	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$244.99	Shop/Dealer Price$271.60 - $347.24
2015 Toyota Prius CL4-1.5L Hybrid	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$244.99	Shop/Dealer Price$273.07 - $349.82
2014 Toyota Prius CL4-1.5L Hybrid	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$244.99	Shop/Dealer Price$271.74 - $347.49
2013 Toyota Prius CL4-1.5L Hybrid	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$244.99	Shop/Dealer Price$271.61 - $347.27

Show example Toyota Prius C Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement prices

What is a serpentine belt and how does it work?

A serpentine belt is a relatively long, flat, multi-ribbed belt that is driven by the engine’s crankshaft pulley. The belt drives many, and often all, of the engine accessories such as the alternator, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, water pump, and air pump. The serpentine belt is tensioned by a hydraulic or spring-loaded automatic tensioner. Some older cars use a serpentine belt to drive most accessories but will also have a shorter v-style belt to drive, for example, the power steering pump.

Belts

When to consider replacing the serpentine belt:

Regularly scheduled maintenance. Typically, belt manufacturers recommend belt replacement at 90,000 miles. However, the belt must be inspected for wear or damage at regular intervals prior to this high mileage.
Squealing noise, belt slippage, visible belt damage. Should the belt fail or wear out prematurely, you may hear noise or you may see visible signs of deterioration such as missing chunks of rubber, excessive cracking, or a shredded appearance on the edge of the belt.
Battery Light. A loose belt, perhaps caused by a defective tensioner, may not drive the alternator at adequate speed and thus the battery may discharge, causing the warning light to illuminate.
Engine overheating. Often, the serpentine belt drives the water pump. In those applications, if the belt breaks the engine will overheat in seconds to minutes. If the belt is inadequately tensioned, you may notice higher-than-normal engine operating temperature.

How do mechanics replace the serpentine belt?

Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life.
The belt’s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys.
All rotating components — that is the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. — are checked for smooth operation and no noise.
If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.

Is it safe to drive with a serpentine belt problem?

No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.

When replacing the serpentine belt keep in mind:

On many cars, the expected service life of a serpentine belt is around 90,000 miles. Should the belt fail well prior to that, a very careful inspection should be performed to check for out-of-alignment pulleys, a possibly out-of-position crankshaft harmonic balancer on which the drive pulley is mounted, binding pulleys, or a defective belt tensioner.
Attention should always be given to serpentine belt routing, since proper routing is critical to proper belt tension, and function of the driven components.
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish serpentine belt related noise from other engine noises. In these cases, a mechanic will determine the origin of the noise by momentarily running the engine without the serpentine belt attached.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee

Meet some of our expert Toyota mechanics

Real customer reviews from Toyota owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(88)

Rating Summary

85

1

2

0

0

85

1

2

0

0

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Roberto

13 years of experience

354 reviews

Request Roberto

Roberto

13 years of experience

Request Roberto

by Monika

Toyota Prius C L4-1.5L Hybrid - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Houston, Texas

Roberto did an amazing job with my pre-purchased inspection, he caught things that I definitely would have missed, which enabled me to negotiate a better price for the car and hold the dealership accountable for repairs before driving off the lot. This was the easiest most seamless car buying experience that I've had all from the comfort of my home, because I was able to get someone way more knowledgeable than me to check the car out and give me the go ahead. I will definitely be using Roberto in the future before buying any cars.

Lucas

30 years of experience

938 reviews

Lucas

30 years of experience

by Randy

Toyota Prius C L4-1.5L Hybrid - Oil Change - Los Angeles, California

Attila

20 years of experience

1104 reviews

Attila

20 years of experience

by Iris

Toyota Prius C L4-1.5L Hybrid - Battery - Bloomfield, New Jersey

Cool guy!

Fadi

21 years of experience

85 reviews

Fadi

21 years of experience

by Toan

Toyota Prius C L4-1.5L Hybrid - Oil Change - San Diego, California

He was very thorough. Services were done promptly and well

Excellent Rating

(88)

Rating Summary

85

1

2

0

0

85

1

2

0

0

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

What Does It Mean When My Car Is "Burning" Oil?

Burning oil is usually caused by leaking oil that burns up on hot engine or exhaust components. Fix leaking oil to prevent expensive car repairs.

P0824 OBD-II Trouble Code: Gear Lever Y Position Circuit Intermittent

P0824 means there is an issue with a circuit in the gear level Y position, possibly due to a poorly adjusted or defective sensor.

How Long Does a Clutch Switch Last?

The The clutch switch, also known as a clutch sensor, is a safety device on most modern manual transmission vehicles. Its purpose is to prevent the engine from starting while the vehicle is in gear. The switch is normally mounted...

my right back side lights and blinker are not working. my question is how do i check the fuse

Hello, and thank you for writing in. To check the fuse you must check the electrical resistance, or take a look at the filament inside to make sure it is not broken. This filament is the fine piece of metal...

Oil leaking from back of motor.

Hi Grace. We answered the previous question for you, but in case you didn't receive the message, here is what we sent. It’s quite possible that this is a rear oil seal or oil pan gasket that is leaking; or...

On my 2011 ford fusion makes a grinding noise only when I shift from reverse to park or from drive to park , still runs.

A number of things may cause the grinding sound (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/grinding-sound-from-transmission-inspection) you are describing. It sounds like you may have a broken parking pawl inside the transmission or may even be low on transmission fluid. The teeth may be broken, which...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com