A little while after Jim initially posted this, I had a niggling feeling in the back of my mind about it.  I was thinking I had had something concerning it from Toyota.  Finally remembered, and looked it up.  Sure enough, there was a recall.  I had mine checked soon after I got the letter.  Here is the notice online:

https://secure.toyota.com/recall/prius.html

This letter does not help with your 2002, but I would check with Toyota, and press pretty hard on it, if I were you.

mcneely

---- Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> That sounds like the same problem my wife's 02 Prius had about a year ago.
> You're right, there SHOULD have been a recall on that.  Kind of negates the
> whole fuel savings thing for a hybrid if you ask me. $1500 to have fixed.
> Grrrrr!
>
> Steven
> 91 Westy
> On Sep 20, 2013 10:46 AM, "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > My wife's prius had the water pump go out. No, no, not THAT water pump, the
> > separate electrically operated one that cools the inverter that the big
> > battery feeds. I don't remember what the dealership wanted to fix this
> > KNOWN problem that should have a been a reacall, but it was over a
> > thousand. I found some possibly-competent local shops (oxymoron) that would
> > do it for under a thousand. I found a new pump on ebay for $108 shipped and
> > that, with a Haynes manual and a saturday morning, did the trick. Oh, and
> > the dealer did get $40 for a gallon of that orange antifreeze they say that
> > you have to have.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 12:03 PM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
> >
> > > Some of you may recall my rant about the "multi-function display" going
> > > out in my Toyota Prius, and the exorbitant (extortionist) price for
> > > replacement ($6.3K new, $2.9K rebuilt).
> > >
> > > I got a used unit, allegedly from a low mileage Prius, and to avoid
> > > possible electronic glitches during installation had a dealer put it in.
> >  I
> > > paid $175 (including shipping) for the unit, and with a "loyal customer
> > > discount," got it installed for $99 (one hour labor at $125, discounted).
> > >  It works, at least for now.
> > >
> > > But another thing to irritate the customer (me) popped up.  After I had
> > > already bought the used unit, but before it was installed, one of the
> > > dealers I'd spoken with about this called me, and said they had a repair
> > > program.  They would remove the unit, send it to "the factory," where it
> > > would be rebuilt, and install it, all for $375.  I certainly would have
> > > done that.  That option should have been offered up front.  I would have
> > > had to drive around with a hole in the dash, and be without air
> > > conditioning (not a trivial thing in Oklahoma in September), heat, and
> > > audio (or at least their full functions) for ten days or so, but would
> > have
> > > felt better about a repair with a Toyota warranty than a used unit of an
> > > electronic component known to be failure prone.
> > >
> > > But oh well.  For now, I have a functioning unit.
> > >
> > > mcneely
> > >
> >

--
David McNeely